It’s a big deal when young people graduate from high school and go out into the world, whether they’re going on to college, further training or out into the workforce. A transition from always having parents to lean on to being responsible for yourself. A time when, for the first time, you’re making your own decisions about what direction you want your life to take.
Of course, the graduation ceremony is the seminal rite of passage for moving into adulthood, but for several years, the mothers and members of the female faculty at Durango High School have thrown a Senior Girls Tea to send them out into the world with some thoughts about what kind of women they might like to be.
This is no small event to plan, a tea party for more than 150 people. Kudos go to the Senior Tea Committee, particularly its three youngest members, Jenny Welborn, senior class president, Meredith Nass, student body vice president, and Katja Max, student body president. They were the first students ever to work on the committee, and their energy and commitment really lifted the whole enterprise.
The other committee members were Susan Schaldach, Sarah Sumner, Kelly Kniffin, Erica Max, Leigh Gozigian (who also served as mistress of ceremonies), Zoa Stuntz, Mary Mummery, Sue Stapleton and Lisa Marshall.
Not only did they have to plan the party, the committee had to raise the money. They got a lot of help this year from the Women’s Resource Center and Greg and Molly Martin, who wanted to salute the graduating girls.
Mandy Winn of Celebrations Events Productions managed, by some magic known only to her, to add a sense of elegance to the tea, which was held at the Durango Community Recreation Center’s program rooms. Rather than using the fluorescent lights, she hung some beautiful chandeliers from the ceiling and decorated tables with centerpieces using burlap and lace table runners, old books, all kinds of antique tea paraphernalia, including tea caddies and cups and lots of small vases with simple flowers. So not only was it beautiful, she made it feel fresh and young.
Each place had a teacup as a memento for the girls to take home. Those teacups, my dear readers, are thanks to your generosity, because you responded when I asked in April. They told the story of one such donation, where an older woman brought a teacup to Schaldach’s home and told her the teacup had a story. A group of 18 11-year-old Phoenix girls had given it to her in thanks for being their Girl Scout troop leader since they were 6. Only one had dropped out, and she went on to co-write the screenplay for the film “Legally Blonde.”
“Every teacup here has a story,” they told the young women, “and members of the community donated these teacups for you,” which brought a few oohs from the room.
The budding young chefs of the ProStart Program made the food: tea sandwiches of chicken salad or cucumbers along with wonderful – and elegant – red velvet and vanilla cupcakes, each decorated with little icing pearls. I don’t know what the frosting recipe is, but it was delicious and not too sweet.
Once again, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory donated scads of truffles.
The DHS Jazz Combo, consisting of Chris Petty, Jacob Skeath, Garrett Kiesel, Nolan Reed, Kate Petty and Lara Schwaebe, and led by Katharine Reed, provided wonderful music throughout. Allison Ragsdale Photography memorialized the experience for posterity.
The moms scored a coup when it came to booking a keynote speaker – they got a twofer with 2000 DHS graduates and Olympians Lanny and Tracy Barnes.
“I took this really seriously,” Tracy Barnes said, “just like you do exams and final papers. I sat down last night at 10 p.m., chugged down a couple of Red Bulls, ate a bag of Doritos, spent some time on Facebook and finally opened a Word document.”
Her advice came from her experiences with the highs and lows of athletic competition at the highest levels.
“If you’re not passionate about something, you’re just taking up space,” she said, “One day you’ll figure out what your meant to be and carpe the heck out of the diem.”
She stressed it can be the failures that lead to success. Much has been written about the helicopter parents of this generation, who have cushioned their children from disappointment. Tracy Barnes said embracing their failure the first time they tried out for the national biathlete team and didn’t make it forced them to get out on the road in Europe in an RV and tour around themselves, at times down to their last dollar.
Lanny Barnes, who was on the 2014 U.S. Olympic team because of her twin sister’s much-publicized stepping down, shared something with the group most of us didn’t know. She was born with several shattered bones in her feet and was on crutches on and off throughout her childhood. At one point, she was told she would always walk with a limp. It was a long, hard journey from there to the Olympics.
Then she opened her Olympic jacket to show what the U.S. Olympic Committee had requested be embroidered on the lining. “This is your moment,” it said. It was a perfect ending because this graduation is one of these young women’s moments.
Tracy Barnes only got one thing wrong. She kept calling them girls, and the room was filled with lovely young women who are leaving their girlhood behind. They had dressed to the nines in spring dresses, flowery hats and some extremely dangerous high heels.
Go out and conquer the world, ladies!
HHH
May flowers are abloom for the birthdays of Kip Boyd, Patty Isensee, Michael LaVerghetta, Kenneth Jungerberg, Jessica Steele, Barbara Edmanson, Jon Lupia, Kevin Schank, Stephen Stout, Will Kolb, Linda Radisovech, Olivia Reynolds, Caroline Todd, Matt Kramer, Craig Dabovich, Marsha Porter-Norton, Jayne Griffith, Bill Roberts, Beth Lamberson Warren, Della Johnson, Richard Vaccaro, Malcom Cannon, Barb Casey, Jacob Peters, Alan TeBrink, Bridget Cahill, Darrell Gardner, Marcy Pugh, Dick Bell, Klare Nava, Mary Jo Rakowski, Gwyn Stites, Kyle Kirchner, Bob McGrath, Ronald Anderson, Roger Hausen, Tracy Kennedy, Dene Thomas, Susan Evans, Max Patton, J. Richard Loucks, Flannery Krische, Sara Martin, Mic McGrath, Laura Burnett, Jill Choate, Jeanette Hanna and Debbie Smith.
Special greeting go to my Uncle David Butler, who is celebrating his 85th birthday this weekend while in town from Minnesota for his granddaughter Meredith Nass’ graduation from DHS.
HHH
We’re beginning anniversary season with these couples – David and Shelly Burke, Ben and Mindy Breed, Todd and Kati Sieger, Charlie Siegele and Deborah Uroda, Clark and Caroline Kinser, Doug and Debbie Wolfe, Jeff and Donny Thulson, Hayes and Esther Crapo, Alex and Cindy McLean, Peter and Lynn Rudolph, John and Peggy White, Wynn Berven and Linda Mack Berven, John Condie and Wanda Ellingson, Jim and Carol West, Larry and Roberta Day, John and Mary Walters, Steve Parker and Geni Miller-Parker, Justin and Anna McBrayer, Mel and Becky Owen, Jim and Barb Clair, Sam and Rebekah Eggleston, David and Claudia Engle, Bernie and Diane Welle and Mike and Marcie Bray.
HHH
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