2023 MdCV graduates Kyler Anschutz, Ryan Baker, Eian Balazs, Justin Brinkley, Katie Calderwood, Madison Cormode, Joseph Del Percio, William Glaser, Chiara Guerini, Isaac Hockett, Hailey Ingle, Lindsey Johnson, Alyssa McCurdy, Wyatt Melton, Alysa Miller, Avary Simmons, Jace Stucker, Lance Spillman, Collin Vogeler , Kyla Vogeler, Tristyn Weber, Jacob Weimer, Jessica Wheeler, Josephine Wheeler, Savannah Williams, Heaven Wilson, and Skylee  Zoesch. Photo by Jerry Kramer, Kramer Photos.

The valedictorians of Marais des Cygnes Valley High School Class of 2023 reminded their classmates they won’t have the support of each other daily as they have for the last 12 years, but their separate life journeys were just beginning.

Speaking to friends, family and classmates at the May 6, 2023, graduation ceremony, MdCV Valedictorian Madison Cormode advised fellow Trojans they had reached the milestone of “real life.”

“We were kids together,” Cormode said. “We’ve grown and soon we’ll be adults without each other.”

She spoke about graduates’ plans for the future, which “makes us sound like we’re going to be adults and it’s crazy to me to think of us that way. It’s hard for me to imagine us living by ourselves, having adult jobs, and some of us starting families in just a few years. But what’s not hard for me to imagine is how we all will succeed.”

Noting the close classmates would all be going separate directions, “let’s go and have an even better rest of our lives, because the story of ‘us’ is ending soon,” Cormode said.

MdCV Valedictorian Lindsey Johnson spoke about experiencing life’s changes with her classmates, and concurred with Cormode the longtime classmates would soon set out on different paths.

“Going through high school it is no secret that everyone changes, and the most special part is that we all change together,” Johnson said. “We may not have all been best friends all the time, but these are the people that you grow up with.”

“Our journey began years ago, today just happens to be the day where the path we were all traveling together splits into [27] unique roads. Up until this day we have been walking as one. We have done it all together, but today, we all will move on to our futures.”

With USD 456 Superintendent Joe Samples presenting the class for graduation, school board members presented diplomas to 2023 MdCV graduates Kyler Jon Anschutz, Ryan Matthew Baker, Eian Emmanuel Balazs, Justin Wade Brinkley, Katie Lynn Calderwood, Madison Grace Cormode, Joseph Caden Del Percio, William Wade Glaser, Chiara Guerini, Isaac Malachi Hockett, Hailey Lynn Ingle, Lindsey Jo Johnson, Alyssa Dayle McCurdy, Wyatt Jessie Melton, Alysa Jean Miller, Avary Grace Simmons, Jace Michael Stucker, Lance Andrew Spillman, Collin Ryan Vogeler , Kyla Joann Vogeler, Tristyn Keown Weber, Jacob Shane Weimer, Jessica Maria Wheeler, Josephine Maria Wheeler, Savannah Breann Williams, Heaven Kay Wilson, and Skylee Dawn Zoesch.

Faculty for the class of 2023 were Joy Dyke, Lora Finley, Pat Jones, Jeremy Lingenfelter, Mike McDougald, Karen Phelon, Lisa Reeser, Danny Rice, Thomas Roach, Sandy Scoggin, Mary Sumner, Thad Thurston, and Eric Vogeler. Joe Sample is superintendent and principal, Emily McCollough is academic adviser, and Kelsey Struttman and John Bass serve as secretaries.

USD 456 Board of Education members are Greg McCurdy, president, Mike Ragan, vice president, Mark Lacey, Caleb McNally, Chelsey Masenthin, Eric Struttman, and Debbie Woodson.

See valedictorians’ full speeches below:

MdCV Valedictorian Madison Cormode, 2023

I’m looking at all of us in our caps and gowns today, and it’s finally sinking in that we are graduating. This is real. We’re not little kids pretending to be grown-ups at recess anymore. Soon enough, those games will be our real life. We were kids together. We’ve grown and soon we’ll be adults without each other.

From the time we were freshmen to now, I can see how much all of us have grown. As people and as friends we have changed so much from the annoying freshmen we didn’t think we were (but now know we must’ve been) as we were participating in our first year of high school sports and clubs, complaining about harder classes, and getting excited about school being canceled for the spring. Now we’re playing our last games, letting underclassmen take over our clubs and teams, and maybe even starting to miss the place that we once were excited to leave.

The conversations recently about where each of us are going after today have also made this real to me. Even though I’m not super close with everyone in our class, hearing everybody’s plans for the future really makes us sound like we’re going to be adults and it’s crazy to me to think of us that way. It’s hard for me to imagine us living by ourselves, having adult jobs, and some of us starting families in just a few years. But what’s not hard for me to imagine is how we all will succeed.

I know we’ve tried our best to follow the advice we were given when we graduated eighth grade four years ago. We’ve tried new things, explored, and lived our high school years to the fullest thanks to all the people in our lives that helped us along the way. Parents, teachers, coaches, staff, and everyone here – you might not know how grateful we are for you, but on behalf of my class, I thank you. Now we need to remember to keep following that advice so we can continue to grow in this big, big world. Thank you class of 2023 for the most wonderful twelve years, but let’s go and have an even better rest of our lives, because the story of us is ending soon.

MdCV Valedictorian Lindsey Johnson, 2023

Good afternoon, everyone! It is an honor to be standing up here speaking to you today. This moment right here is the one I have dreamed of since I was a little girl. I always thought about what it would be like to stand up here and talk to you all, how big my class would be, where my family would be sitting, and most importantly how have we all changed.

Going through high school it is no secret that everyone changes, and the most special part is that we all change together. We may not have all been best friends all the time but these are the people that you grow up with. The people that you can count on seeing every day when you take that first step into that classroom and that is something that we never thought would end. Everyone says that our journey begins today, I disagree.

Our journey began years ago, today just happens to be the day where the path we were all traveling together splits into 24 unique roads. Up until this day we have been walking as one. We have done it all together, but today, we all will move on to our futures. The future can be scary, but you can’t let fear hold you back from great things.

A quote from Doc Brown says that “Your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one”. Marais des Cygnes Valley may be home of the Trojans but now it is also home of the future lawyers, nurses, sociologists, engineers, and anything that we set our minds to. Thank you.

MdCV 2023 graduates photo by Jerry Kramer, Kramer Photos. Click to enlarge.