Polo Community High School graduates 43 seniors in Sunday ceremony

POLO — Members of the Polo Community High School Class of 2024 didn’t get to participate in an eighth-grade graduation ceremony four years ago.

“That was yet another thing that COVID took away from us,” salutatorian Karlea Frey said Sunday, May 19. “Instead, we got mini buses that delivered our diplomas. It is safe to say that this moment is much better.”

During Sunday’s 40-minute commencement ceremony, 43 PCHS students received their high school diplomas.

High school graduation was a moment that, until last week while working on her speech, seemed a lifetime away, Frey said.

The past four years were filled with “I can’t waits,” valedictorian Sydnei Rahn said.

“Now, to sit up here today, all we can think about is how much we want time to slow down so we can have a few more months together,” she told her classmates.

Frey and Rahn left their classmates with several thoughts – don’t be afraid of change, remember that mistakes are OK, don’t limit themselves to things they already know they love, be true to themselves and their beliefs and remember that everyone’s uniqueness is something to be proud of.

“Congratulations, Class of 2024,” they said together. “We did it!”

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Members of the Polo Community High School Class of 2024 shoot confetti into the air at the end of their commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 19, 2024. (Alexa Zoellner/Shaw Media)