Batavia grads look ahead

Lisa Reger wasn't nervous.

Despite standing against lockers she would never use again in a crowd of fellow graduates and preparing to take the next step in her life, she felt the time had come.

"I'm really excited because I feel ready for college right now," said Reger, who will attend the University of Illinois in the fall.

Reger and 424 more students graduated from Batavia High School on Friday. The ceremony took place in the school's gymnasium.

Reger said although her nerves were OK, the symbolism of the moment excited her.

"It's exciting to know that the next time we go out there (on a stage), we'll be graduating from college," she said.

The date was not forgotten at the ceremony.

Friday was the 64th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion on the beaches of Normandy in World War II.

Before leading the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, senior Tayla Womack paid tribute to veterans, parents of troops, and seniors enlisted in the military.

"We have a great military who protect our home and our rights and we so often take that for granted," she said. "They are people who fight for our country and our freedom, even though it means putting their lives on the line."

The school did not have a valedictorian because 24 students finished with a 4.0 grade point average.

Just before the graduates received their diplomas, Maggie McHenry reminded them that their time at Batavia High School had an effect on people other than themselves.

"While it may seem that your high school experience has been centered around your own friends and memories," she said, "each and every one of you have contributed to another graduate's experience."

Peter Kuhn challenged the graduates to have a lasting, positive effect on their future community. After reading the poem "Taking Risks" by William Arthur Ward, he urged them to try new things.

"Taking chances often leads to failure," he said. "But waiting for someone else to act never leads to success."