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The Edmonds-Woodway High School Class of 2025 held its commencement ceremony at the Edmonds School Stadium on June 14, with gratitude in their hearts.
Graduating students gathered with their friends, family, teachers and mentors to not only transition into the next phase of their lives but also to express their gratitude to those who had helped them achieve this milestone.
The student speaker chosen by the senior class was Abel Mekonen. He described building a legacy and how joining the Black Student Union, Distributive Education Clubs of America and the Associated Student Body allowed him to have the most significant impact by using his voice to encourage the culture he wanted to see.
Mekonen organized the first Afro-fusion Night, where more than 500 students gathered to celebrate their African heritage.
“To me, legacy means more than just our grades and how well we did on our IB (International Baccalaureate) test, or our Running Start classes,” Mekonen said. “To me, it’s about the impact we made these last four years. Our legacy is what shapes the generations to come.”
The senior class chose Career and Technical Education Business and Marketing teacher Michael Simon as the faculty speaker for the ceremony. He encouraged the students to “find the means to do what you love.”
“In life, there is nothing worse than getting stuck doing something because you have to, not because you want to,” Simon said. “Because of you, I love my job.”
Associate Student Body President Mio Masunaga was selected as the speaker by the school staff. She also presented the graduating Class of 2025 to staff, family and friends.
Masunaga spoke of the “‘what now feeling” that comes from the discomfort of uncertainty and the comfort of the familiar.
“For us graduates, familiarity feels like walking down the hall and watching the seasons change while walking down the hallway,” Masunaga said.
For Masunaga, her “what now” moment came at her last cross-country meet, when she realized that a significant part of her life up to that point was ending.
“My team became my home, and my teammates and coach helped shape my identity in indescribable ways,” Masunaga said. “So, the moment I crossed the finish line and hugged my teammates for the last time, it felt like I had lost a huge part of my identity.”
Masunaga said she asked herself who she was without cross country, but realized that cross country was not a trait, nor did her athleticism define her as a person. Instead, the values she gained from cross country defined her resilience, community orientation and determination.
“You are not IB, you are not Running Start, you are not a sport, and you are not a music program,” Masunaga said. “You are a hard worker, you are independent, you are able to be a part of something bigger than yourself.”
The Edmonds-Woodway High School graduation program can be seen here.
The entire graduation ceremony can be seen here.
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