Graduation is a time to celebrate a great victory, but also struggles faced and obstacles to come, echoed speakers at the Montezuma-Cortez High School commencement ceremony on Thursday.

“Talent may open doors, but hard work will keep them open,” said M-CHS athletic trainer Mitch Taffe, the student-selected graduation speaker. “There will be times when the easy way out seems tempting – but remember, easy roads rarely lead to meaningful destinations.”

Hundreds of family and friends piled into the bleachers at Panther Stadium to watch the graduating seniors receive their diplomas.

M-CHS Principal Jennifer Boniface served as emcee, and told the gathered crowd that this ceremony was a testament to 12 years of hard work by this class. “Your journey has not always been easy, but you have persevered and achieved this significant milestone,” she said.

The class entered high school during the first full school year of the COVID pandemic.

The warm evening event opened with music by the Red Sky Drummers, a “Pomp and Circumstance” processional performed by the M-CHS Symphonic Winds, a presentation of colors by the VFW Post 5231 Color Guard, the national anthem sung by the M-CHS Choir, and a blessing given by Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Councilwoman Tawnie Knight.

Conrad Jacket, Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council secretary, then addressed the crowd. He urged students to always be patient, no matter the difficulties, and always remember their home and community in Cortez.

“This land right here, the mountain, the mesa, this whole area, the farmlands, everything,” he said. “This is ours, all right here. So never ever forget that.”

Taffe also advised perseverance in his speech.

“You are not defined by the mistakes you make,” he said. “You are defined by how you rise after them.”

Salutatorian Luna Moore recalled how many times she and her classmates had said “I can’t wait” over the past four years, wishing for a summer break or weekend to come – and yet how quickly those years now seemed to have passed. She and her classmates now had a chance to really live a life that matters, she said, even if they might have a fear of “messing up.”

“We have learned so much from our experiences,” she said.

Valedictorian Leopold Morey thought of high school as a time in which they learned “how to learn” and were given tools to help them in the future.

“Sure, in 10 years you might not remember how to dissect a squid, but you’ll understand a doctor’s diagnosis better than if you hadn’t,” Morey said. “You might not read any more Shakespeare, but you’ll understand a movie’s theme better than if you hadn’t. You might not remember Illinois v. Gates, but you’ll understand elections better than if you hadn’t.”

He told his classmates to embrace their doubts, arguing that doubt pushed students to question the powers that be and stand up for what is right.

“Use your knowledge, sharpen your minds, ask questions, doubt everything, and have faith in your abilities,” Morey said. “And use your voice to make the world a better place.”

Teachers Shelley Curtis and Sonja Copeland read the names of the graduates aloud as they received their diplomas, a gentle breeze playing with speakers’ hair and the tassels on graduates’ brightly adorned caps. Names were met by loved ones’ cheers and shots of confetti sprayed into the air, and one graduate even managed a cartwheel down the stage off-ramp. The students then lined the edge of the track, lifted their tassels from right to left, and tossed caps into the air for photos from their adoring fans.

In his speech, Taffe advised students that life is meant to be shared with others.

“Relationships – real, meaningful ones – are the heart of a well-lived life,” he said. “Family, friends, mentors, and colleagues: these are the people who will lift you up, hold you accountable, and stand beside you through victories and losses.”