By Kami Myers
Times Associate Editor
Tears were surely in evidence from parents and families of those graduating from Fruita Monument High School this year, but the grads themselves were tearless, filled instead with humor and laughter.

The Ceremony was kicked off with the Fruita Monument High School band playing the time-honored “Pomp and Circumstance” as graduates took the field.
The FMHS choir sang “Nella Fantasia,” and then seniors Chelsea Petersen and Brian Walker sang the Eve 6 song “Here’s to the Night.”
John David Dusenbury was the class valedictorian. He gave a commencement speech called “This is my Utopia.”
We live in an imperfect world, Dusenbury said, but there are good things to be found.

“You don’t have to be a superhero,” he said. “You don’t have to be a saint. You don’t have to be anything, but everything you choose to do is an expression of yourself.”

“We’re all ignorant of some things,” he said. “Don’t let these high school diplomas go to your heads,” he cautioned jokingly.

Mick Zanski spoke next. A former teacher and currently an assistant principal at FMHS, he spoke on the differences between winners and whiners, victims and victors.

“This is the last lecture you’ll ever receive from somebody at Fruita Monument,” he said, which was met with cheers.

He continued that the graduates will face adversity all their lives, but they’ll be prepared because they’ve already overcome things in their lives, from monsters under the bed to rough tests.

He asked the class if they were going to be whiners or winners; victors or victims.

“We’ve become a society where we place blame on others,” he said.

“Let us all be the victor in someone else’s life. You are all winners.”

After the speeches, Dr. Jody Mimmack, FMHS principal, recognized those students who will enter the military.
Going into the Army are Geoff Miller, Zack Mills, Amanda Rezak, Randolph Sheldon, David Simon and Ethan Turner.
Going into the Army National Guard are Jeff Phinnell and Matthew Pifer.
Going into the Navy are Brenna Armendariaz, Graig Bernbeck, Zach Burgesser, Zane Ingram, John Miller and Zach Roberts.
Going into the Marine Corps are Zach Allen, Michael Estes, David Needham, David Oest and Luke Sandstedt.
The reading of these student’s names was met with a standing ovation by classmates and the crowd.
“This is a very serious commitment,” Mimmack said. Some of these grads have already completed basic training; others are shipping off soon.
Diplomas were then handed out to the 355 graduates.

After they received their diplomas, students were given a carnation. The flowers were placed on a chair that was covered in a shirt with stars and planets on it, to symbolize Mike Williams, the science teacher who died of a heart attack two weeks ago. Some students placed other objects on the chair for Williams.
After the presentation of diplomas, students completed their graduation ceremony — and their high school careers — when they moved the tassels on their motarboards and tossed their hats high into the darkening sky.

White and blue balloons were released at the end of the ceremony, as parents and friends crowded the field to congratulate their grads.