It was a day of celebration and remembrance as Mason High School seniors were honored for their decision to serve their country. And it fell on a week in which we all remember the risks they, and those before them, take for all of us.
On May 21, MHS honored eight graduating seniors who will be serving their country in the military. "We are so proud of each one of you," shared MHS Principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart. “Thank you, on behalf of everyone here, for your dedication, commitment and willingness to serve."
Students honored at the ceremony included Dalton Clark (ROTC Army, Ohio University),Alexandria Duritsch (Navy), Mitch Evans (United States Naval Academy), Ashley Erickson(ROTC Air Force, The Ohio State University), Alexander Moushey (United States Air Force Academy), Ashley Newman (ROTC Air Force, University of Cincinnati), Winston Troy (ROTC National Guard, Ohio University),andKaeleigh Warfield (United States Military Academy West Point).
McCarty-Stewart and Mason Schools Superintendent Dr. Gail Kist-Kline provided opening remarks, followed by the singing of The National Anthem by the MHS Women's Choir, under the direction of Elaine Santos. Members of the American Legion Post 194 presented the flags, with Rep. Pete Beck offering words of support. MHS Assistant Principal Bill Rice introduced each enlisted senior and recognizing the students' branches of service. District Attendance Officer Rick Huff shared closing remarks and a blessing.
“There is another kind of hero that we owe just as much to. These ordinary and unnamed heroes endured the biting cold of Valley Forge, fought on the gentle rolling hillsides of Antietam and Gettysburg, advanced through the trenches of Verdone, faced down fortified Nazi gunners in Normandy, stormed the beached of Iwo Jima, preserved democracy in Korea, endured the jungles of Saigon, rolled through the Republican Guard in Kuwait, displaced the Taliban in Afghanistan, dethroned a ruthless dictator in Baghdad, and brought Osama bin Laden to justice. Every salute, every memorial, every toll of Liberty’s bell honors these unnamed heroes,” shared Huff. “We pay tribute to all those who have gone before us, and it is here that we pass freedom’s torch to a new generation of unnamed heroes.”
Following the ceremony, Mason City Schools Board of Education members, along with MHS faculty, administration, students and families, had the opportunity to meet the enlisted seniors, shake their hands, and offer their thanks.
"Without people like you, we wouldn't have the freedoms we enjoy in this great country," Kist-Kline shared with the enlisted seniors. "Be safe, and know that we support you."
