RIVER FALLS – The River Falls High School Class of 2021 saw 249 graduates cross the platform Friday, June 4 at David Smith Stadium at UW-River Falls’ Ramer Field. While the weather was warm, the sentiments were warmer.

Peri Schils and Dailyn Wold addressed the audience as the featured speakers. Each delivered a powerful message centered on their class’ resilience and perseverance.

“This year has been a challenge, plain and simple,” Schils said. “From losing out on Friday night football games, to having competitions be held virtually, or be forced to come up with unique ways to compete and not having to wear masks.

“We have been forced to deal with unconscionable losses of family members and friends, coupled with the continuing presence of fear of losing loved ones. We’ve had to find our own voices in the midst of racial injustices happening virtually in our neighborhood and have watched as men, women and children have had their own voices taken away because of these racial injustices.

“I can say that this year has been bittersweet. This graduation is bittersweet. Bitter in the sense that we’ve all felt losses this year, whether it be academically, extracurriculars or even family members. Bitter in the sense that after this ceremony, I won’t be able to hug my fellow graduate before we all leave to start the next chapter of our lives. Bitter in the sense that this will be the sense that we are all here together. That these bitter moments come with sweet memories.”

Those memories will never leave, Schils said, whether it’s the excitement of a first day of school, spending late evenings and early mornings going to and from competitions surrounded by people that became like a second family, or dancing the night away at their first and last prom in 2021.

To the teachers and staff, she gave a heartfelt thanks.

“You have gone above and beyond the requirements for what a teacher would be. You’ve given up countless weekends of your lives to support our dreams and aspirations,” Schils said.

Wold followed her classmate, and gave her own powerful message.

“The idea of death, and it being ever present within society, for many, is a scary thought,” Wold said. “However, it is simply reality. Even with that inevitable ending, it is essential that we grow and adapt to our existence. We must recognize the adversities that we have been faced with and recall how beautifully we have overcome them.

“Today, we are here at the culmination of a multitude of events that seemed unrelated, but truthfully were intertwined and these moments/events allowed each and every one of us to morph into the human beings that we are today.”

The Class of 2021 has seen a substantial chunk of history, Wold said. It is the first class to have no one alive before the events of 9/11.

“We came into this world at one of the largest watershed moments in recent American history. And since then, we have been living in a country full of fear, confusion and individuals simply trying to exist,” Wold said. “But even with those facts, that did not stop us as teenagers from being able to use our voices to make change; change that is needed, not only for this country, but for this world.”

The looming pandemic and social unrest will continue to plague, pun intended, their generation, Wold said.

“That forces us to take control of our own futures and find purpose in what is occurring right now,” she said. “You cannot ignore what is going on right now. Over the past five months, I have done a lot of crying, in attempt to solidify what my future is supposed to be.”

She urged her fellow Wildcats to remember themselves and breathe.

“We have to live with ourselves for the rest of our lives, so we can not dismiss our own lives … However, we cannot forget about those around us. We cannot and will not be able to survive in a world where we are ignorant of the challenges and opportunities of others,” Wold said. “Building and reinforcing the idea of community and togetherness is absolutely needed in order for us to truly make an impact “You might not know it yet, but you will be amazing at something that you love.”

Superintendent Jamie Benson said the two speakers were a tough act to follow. He apologized to students for the opportunities and experiences the pandemic took from them, but urged them to look at things in a positive way.

“Some of the things we take away from this, how we often find ourselves when we are faced with difficulty and disappointment,” Benson began. “You’ve got decisions to make and quite often, you can boil them down to two choices, two directions: One is to be stuck. And the other is to move forward.”

He urged students to remember the foundation provided by the district and asked them to think on their own, to grow, to learn, to change, and to follow their passions. He stressed the importance of maintaining careful and critical thought, trying new things, and learning what life is like for others. But most of all, remember your character, he said.

“What we do, what we say and how we treat other people matters,” Benson said. “Your character matters more than any grade you ever got in a class. Your character is more important than any game you ever won or you lost, or any concert you performed. Your character will define your path in life and the legacy you leave.”

Photo courtesy of Empire Photography