The road to graduation was paved with blurry expectations, according to Gillett Secondary School valedictorian Audrey Woodke, but she and 34 other graduates made it to the milestone event as the community celebrated the 2026 graduation commencement May 24.
Woodke told her classmates that they made it, no matter how overwhelming things got, and they could take the pride in knowing they got a good education and made friendships that will last a lifetime.
“I’m sure we’ve heard the phrases ‘Don’t blink. You’ll be done before you know it,’ and ‘These are the best years of your life,’ when talking about high school,” Woodke said. “We’ve also heard, ‘It’s just high school. It’s not going to matter in a year.’ These comments have created blurry expectations and, honestly, a lot of stress.”
Things could get routine in high school, and it was expected that some were not paying attention to the big things happening around them, according to Woodke. The last four years have been around the same people, she said, and it can be expected that the graduates don’t remember their table in the lunchroom now that they’ve been allowed to go off campus to eat.
“Our familiarity with this place has made the time blur,” Woodke said. “Looking back now, those days stuck with us in strange ways, like the awkward moments everyone saw.”
It won’t be until a few years later that the class of 2026 will realize how amazing and important their high school experience was, Woodke said.
“A large part of our lives will feel like this — ordinary when living them and important when we look back,” she said.
Salutatorian Sophie Limberg, who also served as senior class president, recalled how she and her fellow graduates came together when it was important and how they were known as the class that always knew how to have fun.
“If I had to describe the class in one word, it would be ‘self-motivated,’” Limberg said. “Whatever we do, we put our minds to it, even if it isn’t always the smartest decision. We don’t give in to peer pressure or care what others may think.”
As an example, she noted how the seniors got behind on decorating their part of the hall for homecoming, but at the final moments, the students banded together and finished in time for the big celebration.
Limberg said she has journaled for all four years of high school as a way of coping with her emotions, and she said that journal has a lot of “weird stories” about the class of 2026. She read her entry to the crowd about the first day of senior year.
“It’s surreal. It never feels like you’re going to grow up until you actually do,” Limberg said as she read from her journal. “I think of all my school memories with the same loving people and class coming to an end. I think we can lose the point of reflecting on the things and people we love by getting caught up in our busy lives. I hope everyone this year has no regrets, lives life to the fullest and tries new experiences, even if you’re scared.”
Principal Shawn Limberg, Sophie Limberg’s father, pointed out to the graduates that the ceremony might seem like the finish line, but there’s still more places to go in their lives.
“It was never just about graduation,” he said. “It was about all the moments that lead to getting here.”
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
Valedictorian Audrey Woodke tells her classmates about the blurry expectations of high school in her commencement address May 24 at Gillett Secondary School but reminds them that they made it to the big event in spite of those expectations. (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
Gillett Secondary School Principal Shawn Limberg, left, hands graduates Chloe Collins and Nicholas Eaker the plaque for the Grignon Award at graduation May 24. (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
