West Aurora graduates plan to move forward

When Shajuanta Williams looks back at her high school days, she will remember more than just her friends.

She said the teachers she met went beyond their duties and made her time at West Aurora High School special.

"They were nice and caring and it wasn't just about teaching," she said. "They became your friend, too."

Williams and around 550 departing seniors took part in West's 139th graduation Thursday at the Convocation Center in DeKalb.

Williams said not knowing what to expect made her a little bit nervous.

"You never know what's going to happen after this," said Williams, who will attend Waubonsee Community College in the fall. "This is the last moment of high school. College is way different."

Valedictorian Samantha Tyner's speech compared each year in high school with television shows. She said graduates should imagine the years following high school as "one big writers' strike."

"Will you survive without the writers telling you what to say and how to act?" she asked.

Although the path will change constantly, she told her fellow graduates that they have control.

"No matter what your show turns into along the way, you can be sure that you, and only you, have the ability to make it exactly what you want," she said.

Mike Roggeman told classmates they should take their high school experience and continue afterward to work toward their goals. After high school, "all you can do is try your best and hopefully things will work out," he said.

Before the ceremony, women in red gowns and men in blue gowns filled the auxiliary gymnasium at the Convocation Center.

Brittany Pozzi, 18, said she was excited to graduate.

"It makes me feel proud," she said. "I feel like I've accomplished a lot in high school."

Pozzi will attend Western Illinois University in the fall and pursue social work.

Michael Camarena, 18, said he would have mixed emotions as he crossed the stage and finally received his diploma.

"I'm going to feel a little bit sad because all my friends are moving on and going to college," he said. "But I'm excited because I've accomplished my diploma, got it and it's time to move on and go on with my life."