Twenty-eight seniors participated in graduation ceremonies Sunday afternoon, leaving Fowler High School with what superintendent Dr. Vibber referred to as a standard guarantee of success contingent on this advice; “Be on time, work hard and follow the rules.”  

Leading the class were co-Valedictorians, Sarah Daurio and Sean Fox, and Salutatorian, Jessica Owens. Each addressed their classmates sharing memories of thirteen years spent together striving for the goal achieved at Sunday’s ceremony.

Owens shared ten lessons learned over the years including No. 4 - a towel and underwear don’t make you a super hero, No. 7 - swings won’t launch you into space and No. 10 - time will continue forward. Owens reminded her classmates that their pasts have made them who they are today and they will continue to grow with each new each new experience.

Fox described how precious time is and how its worth is a matter of perspective. “When I was a freshman and Kyle Bonds was a senior he told the next four years would fly by. I said it couldn’t go fast enough,” stated Fox. He laughed as he shared how he just found himself telling his sister, Ashleigh (a freshman), the same thing Bonds told him.

Daurio encouraged her classmates to keep setting goals and never stop dreaming. She repeated a quote which divides people into three groups; those who let it happen, those who make it happen and those who wonder what happened. Daurio asked, “Which one are you?”

Delivering the commencement address were former second grade teachers, Barb Lotrich and Gail Mercer. Referring to themselves as L and M, the duo took the class back on a journey away from today’s technology to a time when the computer lab was only open twice a week and educational films were shown on a 16 millimeter projector prone to jamming.

The class was reminded of such things as dissecting a cow’s eye and how February 2nd came to be known as Sausage Day in L & M’s classrooms. Sausage is ground hog, hence Ground Hog Day, February 2nd, was also known as Sausage Day and celebrated accordingly.

Lotrich and Mercer also recalled the dozens of thank-you notes written throughout that year following every field trip, guest visit and special occasion. Fittingly, the two presented this graduating class with a giant thank-you note of their own in appreciation for being asked to share in the day’s events.

In true elementary teacher fashion, L & M rallied the students for one last performance of the Punctuation Mark Song with all seniors singing along. They closed by encouraging the class to always use stumbling blocks as stepping stones, stay in touch with friends, pray every day, walk every day and eat their vegetables.

Donna Aragon, school counselor, presented twenty students with 72 scholarships and awards totaling more than $181,000. She noted that a fairly large amount of scholarships have yet to be announced.

Michael Trujillo - Otero Junior College 3.0 Scholarship; Corey Smith - Community-Based Job Training Grant, pending final approval through Trinidad State Junior College; Kassi Padilla - OJC 3.0 Scholarship; Kasie Kissner - OJC 3.0 Scholarship; Jack Herrell - Community-Based Job Training Grant, pending final approval through Trinidad State Junior College; Trina Crego - Fowler Senior Class Scholarship; Georgia Collins - Fowler Fine Arts scholarship given by Fowler Progress Club; Hannah Price - Fowler FFA Advisory Committee Scholarship, OJC 3.0 Scholarship pending final approval; Mikalann Kinslow - OJC 3.0 Scholarship, Alice Grisham Sorenson Memorial Award; Lauren Valdez - OJC 3.0 Scholarship, Margrete Guthals-Wynona Bourg Memorial Scholarship, Fowler Community Education Association Scholarship; Calvin Pfeiff - Pueblo Motorsports Park Scholarship, Community-Based Job Training Grant, pending final approval through Trinidad State Junior College, Fowler FFA Advisory Committee Scholarship; Heather Hobby - OJC 3.0 Scholarship, Miss Fowler Scholarship, Xi Delta Rho Sorority Scholarship; Jon Frazier - OJC 3.0 Scholarship, Bronze Award and the Award of Excellence in Geosciences to Fort Hays State University; Jonah Sharon - OJC 3.0 Scholarship, Fort Hays Silver Award, Presidential Scholarship and a Room Waiver to Oklahoma Panhandle State University; Dillon Johnson - OJC 3.0 Scholarship, Merit Scholarship and a Colorado College Response Program Grant to Fort Lewis College, Alice Grisham Sorenson Memorial Award; Katherine Thomas - OJC 3.0 Scholarship, Fowler Senior Class Scholarship, #6 Club Scholarship, Damgaard Education Trust Scholarship presented in memory of Jens L. Damgaard, Xi Delta Rho Sorority Scholarship; Lindsey Grasmick - OJC 3.0 Scholarship, Demont Award Student Scholarship and the Alumni Association Scholarship to Adams State College, Staff Sergeant Justin Vasquez Memorial Scholarship, Larry and Joan Vibber Family Scholarship, Else Hazlett Memorial Scholarship, Fowler Senior Class Scholarship, Joseph M. and Maxine R. Fox Memorial Scholarship (1-year award); Jessica Owens - OJC 3.0 Scholarship, Presidential Academic Scholarship to Johnson & Wales University, Carl N. & Margaret Karcher Founders’ Scholarship, Fowler Senior Class Scholarship, #6 Club Scholarship, Damgaard Education Trust Scholarship in memory of Jens L. Damgaard, Alice Grisham Sorenson Memorial Award, Salutatorian Award; Sarah Daurio - OJC 3.0 Scholarship, Arkansas Valley Board of Realtors Scholarship, CSU Ram Grant and the Margery M. Wilson Scholarship to Colorado State University, Eta Tau Sorority Scholarship, Larry and Joan Vibber Family Scholarship Award, Fowler Senior Class Scholarship, Keith Varner Family Scholarship Award, Joseph M. and Maxine R. Fox Memorial Scholarship (4-year award), Valedictorian Award; Sean Fox - OJC 3.0 Scholarship, Regent Scholarship and the Engineering Academic Achievement Scholarship to the University of Colorado, University of Denver Chancellor Scholarship, The Wood or Scott Scholarship, the Green & Gold Scholarship, and the Honors Scholarship to Colorado State University,  Young Entrepreneur Foundation Scholarship from the National Federation of Independent Business, Fowler Senior Class Scholarship, Ruth H. Buck Memorial Scholarship, Valedictorian Award.