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Brodhead seniors celebrate

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BRODHEAD — The seniors at Brodhead High School celebrated the end of their high school careers with a loud cheer and a shower of Silly String on Sunday afternoon.

As Principal Leonard Lueck presented the Class of 2011 for the first time to family members and friends, students pulled out Silly String cans from underneath their robes, and the celebration was on.

Looking ahead

After removing most of the string from his hat and posing for pictures, Class President Dylan Johnson reflected on the day.

"I'm definitely glad to be done, but I know that I'm going to miss it," Johnson said.

Johnson is running for an office in the state government of FFA, a program that works on agricultural education across the state. He also plans to attend UW-River Falls to begin studies in pre-medicine.

Class accomplishments

The Class of 2011 received praise for its achievements and advice on how to succeed in the future.

Lueck admired the senior class accomplishments in athletics, including making it to the state title game in football and the girls softball team's ongoing run into the playoffs. He also applauded the senior project, in which students raised $10,000 to help the community.

Lueck said the class was one of the best-behaved groups he had seen.

"These teenagers had only five detentions total in the second semester, excluding tardies and cell phone use," Lueck said. "This group also only had four in-school suspensions. Those numbers are phenomenal."

Family affair

Graduating senior Emily Speaker had four generations cheering her on as she received her diploma, including her parents, Blake and Kristie Speaker, her sister Samantha Speaker, her grandmother, Jean Speaker, and her great-grandmother, Joyce Knudson.

Jean Speaker said Emily was the first of her grandchildren to graduate from high school.

"I can remember Emily running around as a 2-year-old … and just look at her now," Speaker said.

Advice from the big screen

During the ceremony, Lueck used quotes and messages from the movie "Good Will Hunting" to encourage students to spend their lives with the people they love and doing what they enjoy.

"Find out what it is you can do and love doing it and spend your life doing that," Lueck said.