High school seniors encouraged to pursue ‘endless possibilities’ during Clinton’s 149th commencement

There were plenty of celebrations across the Clinton High School campus Thursday, May 21, after the commencement exercises were completed for the graduating Class of 2026. Some of those graduating students (pictured here) gathered outside the high school for a group picture showing off their newly-acquired diplomas — except for Elijah Turner (left), who said a family member had his diploma at the time this photo was taken. Also pictured are Lillian Trubiano, Jayden German and Brailey Gibson.

By BRAD HEINEMAN

Clinton Local

A number of life lessons were revealed to the 2026 graduating class of Clinton High School during Clinton Community Schools’ 149th commencement last week.

Those life lessons as shared May 21 by Student Government President Elijah Turner, Principal Katie Bennett, co-Salutatorians Mia Calucci and Robert McDonald, and Valedictorian Camdenne Kruse, ranged from handling changes in life to tackling the endless possibilities ahead following high school graduation.

For Turner — the first speaker of the commencement exercises — change is something the Class of 2026 is rather familiar with, he said.

“One year you’re a Redskin, the next (year) you’re a Redwolf — changing school buildings midyear. As the Class of 2026, we know all about change,” he said. “But even though change is inevitable, not everything has to change.”

The core values of the United States Marine Corps, for example, have remained the same for 250 years: Honor, Courage and Commitment.

“Those values have shaped generations of Marines, and soon they will shape me, too,” Turner shared as part of his student government welcome. “Find your values and keep them. Just because the world changes doesn’t mean you have to.”

Bennett said graduation is a representation of years of hard work, dedication, growth and perseverance. It also represents every assignment completed, every task taken, every practice, performance, competition, project and early morning alarm.

Success, meanwhile, is rarely about one big moment, she added. It is achieved by consistent effort and the willingness to keep going even when things get difficult. That, she said, is the definition of grit.

“Grit is showing up when you are tired,” she said. “Grit is trying again after you fall short. Grit is choosing responsibility when it would be easier to make excuses. Grit is doing the right thing when nobody is watching. Grit is understanding that the path forward will not always be easy, but believing that you are capable of walking it anyway. And Class of 2026, you’ve shown grit.”

As the Class of 2026 moves forward after graduation, Bennett suggested they work hard, be kind, stay humble, learn from failure, surround themselves with people who make them better, and never underestimate the impact they can have on others through their words, actions and examples.

Instead of going through an entire list of the people she would want to thank for helping her along her school journey, Calucci highlighted some of her favorite school memories including competitive spirit days, wrestling matches, games of euchre, homecoming celebrations, fire drills, soccer games, friendships, school functions, plays and more.

“All of us have a different high school experience, but we share countless memories,” she said.

When McDonald provided his portion of the co-salutatorian address, he noted that behind every graduate there are parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, coaches, friends and so many other people who helped them along the way.

In particular, McDonald talked about his father’s impact on his education, saying he always wanted to be like his dad. So, when McDonald was an elementary student and he heard that his dad liked math as a school subject, that meant he liked it, too.

“From that moment on, I decided that I liked math, too,” McDonald shared. “I don’t think he knows how much that stuck with me, but in a lot of ways, my dad is the reason I became good at math. I told myself I liked it because he liked it. And over time, that became true. And now, that small moment has helped lead me to where I am today.”

Quiet moments, meanwhile, shared with his mother, taught McDonald things like peace, patience and gratitude. 

Together, between the lessons learned from each parent, McDonald said his father taught him to chase what he loves, and his mother taught him to slow down and appreciate all that’s around him. He related those very same lessons to the high school experience at Clinton.

“I hope we keep chasing what we love — whether that is college, work, the military, sports, trades or whatever else comes next — but I also hope that we remember to slow down and appreciate the people and moments around us,” he said. “Because one day we are going to look back and realize that some of the things that we rushed through were actually what mattered most.”

Wrapping up the evening of remarks, Kruse — delivering the valedictorian address to the senior class — spoke about Clinton Community Schools’ motto of “endless possibilities” and what that meant to her as an elementary student, and what it means to her now.

Throughout her Clinton school years, she viewed “endless possibilities” as both a challenge and a promise, Kruse said.

When entering high school as freshmen, Kruse said some of her classmates might have found their confidence, while others might have discovered passions that could shape their future.

“Others simply learned how to keep going even when life got overwhelming,” she said. “And I think that’s what endless possibilities truly means. It’s an understanding that there is always another path, opportunity and version of yourself waiting to be discovered.”

Kruse said her work with reviving the school’s theater department has been her greatest personal testament to “endless possibilities.” And while it wasn’t easy, she said her greatest high school experience was co-directing the school’s musical revue in November 2025 alongside fellow Class of 2026 graduate Ava VanTuyle.

Some facts about the Clinton High School Class of 2026:

• Number of graduates: 96.

• Class motto: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” — A. A. Milne.

• Class song: “Good Old Days” by Macklemore.

• Class flower: Rare twin red and white rose.

• Class colors: Red, black and white.