FAYETTEVILLE -- It's that time of year: graduation. At most schools, faculty and students follow long-held school traditions as they become part of a proudly held legacy.
Bentonville West seniors set the traditions and began a legacy as the first class to graduate from the district's second high school Saturday at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville.
Salutatorian George Alan Shultz graduated with a 4.4 GPA and valedictorian Vanessa Tam graduated with a 4.44 GPA. Both were National Merit finalists.
"From Tigers to Wolverines, we've made this school our own and perfected our own culture unique to West, making these last two years easily the better of the four," Tam said, addressing her fellow 375 seniors.
West's graduating class was about half the size as Bentonville High, but racked up many accomplishments. They earned about $3 million in college scholarships, including at least one student who earned at least $100,000 alone.
Three students were national merit finalist and 41 were in the National Honors Society. Forty-one students received high honors -- with at least a 3.75 GPA and 12 advanced credits -- and 28 received honors -- with at least a 3.5 GPA and eight advanced credits.
"We could not be prouder of the outstanding group of young people who comprise the BWHS inaugural graduating class," Principal Jonathon Guthrie said. "In addition to their numerous academic achievements, these students have helped foster a culture of involvement and engagement at Bentonville West that will remain long after their graduation this weekend. We look forward to seeing the great things these young leaders accomplish."
One tradition the school is proud of and wants to keep going is the "Wolverine Walk," where parents and other fans stand on both sides of the sidewalk to cheer on the football team before the game, said head football coach Bryan Pratt, whose daughter graduated Saturday from West.
The smaller class size helped build camaraderie, not just in sports but throughout the school, he said.
"We are all just glad to be a part of something we can be proud of," Pratt said. "You don't get to start a new school very often. You have to think through what you want to represent and how you want to be represented."
West held its grand opening ceremony July 29, 2016, and later that year, about 1,250 students grades freshmen through junior walked through its doors to class.
Students not only moved to a new school, but many moved to the fast-growing Bentonville area recently as well. Pratt said about 40 percent of his football team moved there in the last four years.
"I think it was really cool because they kind of got to be seniors for two years. They got to set the tradition and become a part of something bigger than themselves," he said. "When a kid moves in, it's not the typical 90 percent of the kids were born and raised in the area. We welcome them and make them feel like they are a part of everything. The other students make them feel comfortable, because they were most likely new not that long ago too."
The Wolverine football team made it to the 7A-West Conference championship with a 9-1 in conference play and 6-1 overall season and softball finished 25-6 and 12-2.
Jennifer Marro, executive director of secondary education, said West has many athletic and academic accomplishments of which to be proud. She specifically was proud that 100 percent of students for which English is a second language graduated.
Much of the focus Saturday was one firsts. Now graduate Elizabeth Jennings gave the student address and, in the honor of firsts, said she would like to be the first Bentonville West student to quote a hobbit -- from J.R.R. Tolkien's novel -- in a speech.
"Bilbo Baggins once said, 'It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to,'" Jennings said. "Where the road will take us is different for each and everyone one of us, but right here, right now we're all walking out of the same door. It's terrifying and exciting. I'd like to challenge each of us to not keep our feet, to allow ourselves to be swept off to the amazing places that we can reach."
NW News on 05/20/2018