This Sunday, with a warm breeze and a clear blue sky, the Class of 2025 took to Jim McDonald field to turn their tassels from “almost there” to “graduated”. Friends, family, and faculty came together to celebrate four years of milestones. While the ceremony was quick, it included a myriad of special moments including the final performance from our band and choir, a video of memories in digital form, and speeches from seniors Abby Smith and Caleb Lewis as well as teacher Alex Vlastnik.
Some of it was just too good to leave in the moment. Below, you’ll find the senior video and transcripts of all three featured speeches.
Senior Video, Rachel Paddock
Rachel put together a video of clips and photographs from the last four years (and then some) as a way to reminisce with her classmates. You can view that video by clicking this link.
Welcome Speech, Abby Smith
Good afternoon graduates, parents, and family and friends.
As I stand before you all today, I have a rush of memories and lessons I have learned over all thirteen years I have attended Dee-Mack schools. Some graduates have been walking alongside me since kindergarten. I’ll never forget Caden Opel vomiting on my chair in Mrs. Brownlee’s class while I was out of the room. Others have joined us more recently such as long haired, oh so mysterious Sutton Brown junior year. Now he isn’t so mysterious and doesn’t have long hair, but no matter when you joined Dee-Mack Class of 2025, there were many memories created, lessons learned, and decisions made.
As Loralei Gilmore and our senior class quote says, “We are almost there and nowhere near it, all that matters is we’re going.” Despite Loralei’s use of this line on a road trip, similar can be said for our futures. No matter if you are going to college, a trade, serving in our nation’s military, or just trying to figure it out, we are all trying to reach the next step in life, and sometimes, it can seem out of reach but what matters is we are all working towards the next step. But in the here and now, congratulations for reaching this major milestone in life. There may have been some bumps in the road along the way.
COVID prevented the volleyball team from going to state, Mrs. Boznoses’s science class from finishing the cardboard chair project, and track season was cancelled in 7th grade. Our lives were set on pause and suddenly it became a lot harder to breathe when half our faces were covered for nearly two years.
Despite any setbacks we faced, our class helped make history.
The girls basketball team plowed their way through the postseason and set numerous records, the football team had playoff appearances three out of four years, many track athletes including Kenzie Knowles and Ryan Kuhn earned the ability to compete on the distinct blue track at Eastern Illinois University, band members performed at Cedar Point, and Libby Medlin represented our class and school well at the HOIC Art Festival by winning best in show!
Although we seem to perform quite well in athletics and the arts, we also have a sense to help our surrounding community. Those before me who are wearing the white stole played a major role in raising over six-hundred dollars for our National Honor Society Make-A-Wish Foundation this year. Those boasting a silver cord around their neck were huge players in earning our school St. Jude Silver Status by raising between five thousand and ten thousand dollars just this year through efforts in the telethon and HOPE Week. This is a huge accomplishment as Dunlap and PND are the only other local schools with that status. Also, our senior student council members were very busy this year since we were responsible for bringing back the old tradition of the homecoming pallet bonfire, starting the new one of senior sunrise, and the not so school sponsored senior assassin. And a huge thank you to Mr. Holmgren and Mr. Stokes for supporting the development of these activities.
Despite the preposterous amount of time our class spent on activities outside of school, we were still able to perform highly within the classroom as well. In many conversations with the teachers, many have said that our class is very competitive and have the urge to do well. In our time here, Dee-Mack High School earned exemplary status on the Illinois Report Card. Also, many individual students earned the title of “State Scholar” through high standardized testing scores and class rank. By being a “state scholar” these students are in the top 10% of all high school seniors in the state.
These successes are as a result of our own drive, they couldn’t have been done without our teachers and coaches.
I truly don’t think that I could’ve gotten through calculus without Mr. Reiman’s encouragement that was borderline sarcastic.
Ms. Hammond provided a space where all of her students could learn and be who they are at their core.
Mrs. Holly may have made a few people cry their sophomore and junior years in chemistry, but I’ll never forget that 25 has two significant figures.
Although Mrs. McMahan is no longer a full time teacher here, she is the one responsible for putting the fear of God in us to write well.
And even though we have only been graced with Mr. Finney’s presence for a year, he has never failed to care for his students while sassing us during passing period.
Despite only name dropping a few teachers, they have all made their impact on us over our four years here at Dee-Mack High School. They are a huge factor why we can officially go from “It’s a great day to be a Chief” to “Once a Chief, Always a Chief.”
Most of all, Mr. Hackett always provided encouragement and an ear to listen despite all of his necessary duties from freshman year all the way to senior year. Over the past few months since he announced his resignation, I have joked with Mr. Hackett that he loves and would miss our class so much that he had to graduate with us.
Congratulations to Dee-Mack High School Class of 2025 and Mr. Hackett, we have officially finished high school.
Senior Reflection, Caleb Lewis
Good afternoon, everyone — teachers, families, friends, and fellow graduates.
Today is one of those moments in life when everything feels surreal — the crowd, the emotions, the future ahead. But even in the middle of all this excitement and change, I want to take a few minutes to talk about something close to my heart.
I want to talk about home.
Not the place we sleep or where our mail gets delivered — but the kind of home you find when you’re surrounded by people who know you, believe in you, and help you grow. That’s what this school has been for me. That’s what all of you have been for me. A second home and real community.
Growing up I was homeschooled and then transitioned to a private school 4-6th grade. It was a major change for me and one that took a lot of adjusting to. I made friends there but I still always felt like “the new kid”. When I came to dee-mack in junior high, it was another big change. It again took a lot of getting used to but the difference was that I started to find my place. When I got into high school I really felt like I belonged here. I know everyone by name, I feel like I can talk to anyone and not be looked down upon.
We’ve gone through a lot together as a class. We’ve shared pep rallies and spirit weeks. We’ve cried from laughter — and sometimes just cried. We’ve stayed up late finishing essays, studying for tests, or just talking about life. We’ve grown up here.
The teachers and staff — you’ve been more than educators. You’ve been mentors, cheerleaders, and our friends. You saw our potential even when we couldn’t. And sometimes, you gave us the push — or the grace — we didn’t know we needed. Thank you for creating a space where we were safe to be curious, to mess up, to start over, and to try again.
As we step into new futures — whether for college, jobs, or still unknown — I hope we carry Dee-Mack with us. Not just the lessons we’ve learned, but the feeling of belonging, of being seen, of knowing we were part of something real. Because that’s what makes a school a home: the people. The moments. The memories that stick long after the final bell rings.
To my fellow graduates: thank you for being part of my story. Thank you for the laughter, the lessons, the friendship. This school may have just been one chapter in our lives — but what a chapter it’s been.
Congratulations, Class of 2025. Wherever you go next, don’t forget where you came from. I am proud to be a Chief. Thank you.
Faculty Address, Mr. Vlastnik
Good afternoon everyone, families, friends, faculty, and most importantly, Class of 2025. It is an honor to have been chosen by you to stand here today, and get to speak with you all together one final time.
I want to start by saying something simple but deeply true from everyone here today: We are proud of you.
Today, we are here not just to celebrate the end of a chapter, but also to recognize the journey each of you has taken to get here.
This ceremony is more than a celebration of academic achievement; it is a recognition of your development into thoughtful, capable, and responsible young people.
It is a celebration of your patience, persistence, and personal growth. You’ve balanced classes, sports, clubs, jobs, and all manner of responsibilities, but beyond grades or awards, what has impressed me most has been your character.
I’ve seen you show kindness when no one was looking. I’ve seen you lift each other up when someone was struggling, And I’ve seen courage when it would have been easier to stay quiet or give up.
As you step out into the world whether it’s college, the workforce, armed services, or some other path, remember that: The world needs you.
This world doesn’t just need more professionals. It needs good people.
The world needs people who listen, people who try, and people who care. It needs people with integrity, people who dare to imagine something better, and people who aren’t afraid to do the work it takes to get there.
And over the past four years that’s what I have seen from you. Each of you arrived at this point through your own unique path. Along the way, you have faced challenges, encountered moments of uncertainty, and made countless decisions that have shaped who you are today. And through it all, you have demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and a strength of character that has left an impression on those around you, myself included.
So while the world you are entering is complex and ever-changing, I have every confidence in your ability to meet it with intelligence, compassion, and courage.
You are well-prepared not only because of what you have learned in the classroom, but because of who you have become.
On behalf of the faculty and staff, congratulations Class of 2025. You made it. And from everybody around you today we couldn’t be more proud.
Thank you.
TO ALL OF OUR GRADUATES: Congratulations!
