Morrison seniors honor classmate’s memory in graduation ceremony

May 24—Morrison is a tight-knit community, so it wasn’t a surprise to walk into the Morrison Event Center and see a tribute bench set up for a student killed last year.

Although the Morrison High School graduation was filled with excitement from the students and crying parents in the stands, many people remembered Madicyn Lewis, a student who was killed last year in a head-on collision where she was a passenger.

She was slated to graduate on Saturday, and even though she didn’t walk across the stage and get her diploma, they made sure to include her. Lewis was included during the senior video, and they said she would forever “be in our hearts.”

Her tribute bench was set up behind the graduating class. Some of the students laid a rose next to her picture, while others in attendance wiped a tear from their eyes as they stood by her bench.

Once graduation started, the excited kids walked in, some doing goofy handshakes while others nervously walked in a straight line to their seats. The teachers spoke highly of the students and continuously said how proud they were of everyone.

The Morrison High School class of 2022 was filled with only 37 kids, but each had their dreams and aspirations for what they wanted to do once they graduated. Some decided to enter the workforce at various companies, and some wanted to study criminal justice, nursing, or psychology. One wanted to study molecular biology, and some were undecided.

Although everyone had their plan, they each had one thing in common. They loved their community and were appreciative of everyone who helped them along the way, including their teachers.

“As some of our teachers would say, our class is a lot. We’re quite a handful … As you can imagine, with this craziness, it’s taken a community to make sure that we’re on the right track,” Caleb Horne said during his Valedictory address.

Horne said he asked each teacher to describe this year’s graduating class. He received some responses that were “annoying, snarky, successful and ambitious yet driven.”

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School Counselor Julie Lockwood said the same thing when she gave a speech before handing out scholarships to the students. When she thinks of the Morrison Class of 2022, she thinks of achievers in every aspect. From sports to academics, she said. Lockwood said the Morrison High School boys made their first baseball appearance in 30 years to everyone in attendance.

“We also have achievers that are leaders … we have others in this class who have stepped out and taken offices. We have National History Day students who have won state again,” she said. “This class has more concurrent college credit than any class in three years. Why, you ask? Because that’s what Morrison students do.”

Lockwood said her Wildcats go above and beyond, and it’s her pleasure to be their counselor.

“Congratulations, and lookout. This group is going to achieve one way or another,” she said.