Graduation is always a time for farewells, but for the Class of 2011, saying goodbye was a bit more poignant.

Last week the school bid a bon voyage not only to its graduating seniors, but also to long-time principal Mark Strakbein.

“I think of a graduation as returning home,” Strakbein said, asking all former EVHS students to stand. More than one-third of the overflow crowd got to their feet, basking in the early-morning sun.

Music department director Pat Sheehy led the select choir in “Send It On.”

Later the senior musicians played “Here Comes the Sun,” and it had arrived already, shining so brightly that many in the crowd had their commencement programs doing double duty as a sun shade.

Brittany Rathsburg, this year's valedictorian, carried a 4.4 grade-point average. Salutatorian Jessica Dondero earned a 4.38.

“Leaving this school, I am convinced we have the ability to meet the world with what we've learned,” Rathsburg said. “The Eagle Valley community has helped raise some amazing people, and for that I say, ‘Thank you.'”

Life after high school will not be easy, Dondero said. “If anyone can master this world of mountains and valleys, it's the Eagle Valley High School class of 2011,” she said.

When it was Strakbein's turn to address his final Eagle Valley class, he turned the lectern around, away from the crowd, to face the graduates. He told a story about a farmer with eight sons who learned that when they worked together they could accomplish much more than they could on their own.

When Strakbein talked to the class of 2011 as juniors, asking what they wanted to be remembered for, they talked about togetherness.

For a canned-food drive, this class and school gave more than any other. When a blood drive came around, they needed two buses instead of one.

“It's not time to say goodbye. It's time to send you out,” Strakbein said. “You have my respect, my excitement. Thank you for what you stand for. Congratulations.”

Class of 2011 Awards and Scholarships

ALEXANDER ALLEN TRUST

Zoe Haney ($1,000)

Peter Cirkovic ($1,000)

Nicole Martin ($1,000)

Jake Reynolds ($1,000)

EDWARDS FUND SCHOLARSHIP

Ashley Winsor ($1,000)

Daillen Culver ($1,000)

Yoana Trifonova ($1,000)

EAGLE VALLEY & GYPSUM

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Cynthia Sanchez ($500)

Diego Grijalva ($500)

Ben Muehlethaler ($500)

VAIL, EDWARDS & WESTERN

EAGLE VALLEY ROTARY

SCHOLARSHIP

Brittany Rathsburg ($3,000)

Matt Kottenstette ($2,000)

Branden Olsen ($2,000)

Jessica Dondero ($1,250)

Nicole Harvey ($1,250)

Rachel Nagel ($1,250)

Amanda Nagel ($1,250)

Yoana Trifonova ($1,250)

Sergio Ornelas ($1,250)

CMC HERO SCHOLARSHIP

Crystal Montano ($2,100)

KARRI CASNER SCHOLARSHIP

VAIL VALLEY FOUNDATION

Cayla Marx ($4,000)

Sergio Ornelas ($8,000)

GCMS SOARING EAGLE

SCHOLARSHIP

Zoe Haney ($500)

Nicole Harvey ($500)

Kayla Gagnon ($500)

EXCELLENCE IN ART

SCHOLARSHIPS

Ana Morales ($100)

Cayla Marx ($200)

Hannah Hibbs ($200)

AMERICAN GYPSUM

SCHOLARSHIP

Rachael Nagel ($5,000)

GCMS WRESTLING

SCHOLARSHIP

Matt Kottenstette ($500)

BUCKMAN MOLLERUP/

GUARDIAN SCHOLAR/

DANIELS SCHOLARSHIP

Justine Henderson (4 yr comprehensive)

BUCKMAN MOLLERUP

OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP

Tessa Allen ($2,000)

Rachel Nagel ($2,000)

Peter Cirkovic ($1,000)

Javier Gallegos ($1,000)

Rafael Macias ($1,000)

Branden Olson ($1,000)

ROTC SCHOLARSHIP

Matt Kottenstette (up to $18,000 first year)

TOWN OF GYPSUM COMMUNITY

SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP

Tessa Allen ($1,000)

Sergio Ornelas ($1,000)

WILL COMERFORD INSURANCE

SCHOLARSHIP

Julianne Carreon ($334)

Sayra Gonzalez ($333)

Daillen Culver ($333)

ALPINE BANK LATINO

HISPANIC SCHOLARSHIP

Jaime Silva (Full tuition & books to CMC for 2 yrs)

VFW MINTURN POST 10721

SCHOLARSHIP

In Memory of Lance Cpl. Evenor C. Herrera

Hannah Grayson ($1,000)

KEDROWSKI – PIETRACK

SCHOLARSHIP

Matt Kottenstette ($500)

PETE NOLAN SCHOLARSHIP

Kayla Gagnon ($1,000)

Matt Kottenstette ($1,000)

EVHS VIDEO PRODUCTION

AWARD

Mervin Vargas (Video Camera Value of $150)

JODY HERN MEMORIAL

SCHOLARSHIP

Matt Kottenstette ($250/year for 4 yrs)

ELL LEADER SCHOLARSHIP

Ramon Gonzalez ($200)

WORLD LANGUAGE

SCHOlARSHIP

Michael Narracci ($200)

LULAC SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

Sergio Ornelas ($2,000)

EXCELLENCE IN DEBATE

Jessica Kline ($50)

EXCELLENCE IN SPEECH

PERFORMANCE

Peter Cirkovic ($50)

EVHS FOUNDATION

Zoe Haney ($1,000)

Brandon Hudspeth ($1,000)

KCMV/LIFT 106 RADIO IT

VOCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP

Jake Reynolds ($2,500)

KCMV/LIFT 106 RADIO

AGRCULTURAL STUDIES

SCHOLARSHIP

Shelby Massie ($5,000)

JOHN PHILIP SOUSA BAND

AWARD

Marisa Carreon($200)

NATIONAL SCHOOL CHORAL

AWARD

Ashleigh Fowler ($200)

Rodrigo Hernandez ($200)

SEMPER FIDELIS AWARD FOR

MUSICAL EXCELLENCE

Ashley Winsor ($200)

HARVARD PRIZE AWARD

Samantha Eckert

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT

IN MATH & SCIENCE

Nathan Horn

CU-BOULDER OUTSTANDING

JUNIOR AWARD

Zoe Thrasher



FREDERICK DOUGLASS &

SUSAN B.ANTHONY

Nicholas Tafoya

SENIOR SCHOLARS

OF THE YEAR

The Paul Steinfort English Award — Daillen Culver and Jessica Dondero ($200 each)

Math — Branden Olson and Rachel Nagel ($750 each)

Science — Brittany Rathsburg ($250)

Advanced Social Sciences — Branden Olson ($250)

CMC SCHOLAR

Jessica Trujillo

Valedictorian

Brittany Rathsburg

Salutatorian

Jessica Dondero

ACADEMIC ALL STATE

Tessa Allen

Dustin Arguello

Ethan Arnold

Ian Bailey

Samantha Barry

Julianne Carreon

Marisa Carreon

Peter Cirkovic

Daillen Culver

Jessica Dondero

Kayla Gagnon

Javier Gallegos

Zoe Haney

Nicole Harvey

Rodrigo Hernandez

Hannah Hibbs

Brandon Hudspeth

Casey Kerrigan

Jessica Kline

Matthew Kottenstette

Rafael Macias

Cayla Marx

Cinthia Molinar

Haley Monica

Ana Morales

Rachel Nagel

Michael Narracci

Branden Olson

Christian Pilas

Zeth Ramsay

Stuart Rasmussen

Brittany Rathsburg

Yoana Trifonova

Jessica Trujillo

Rebecka Van Voorst

Ashley Winsor

Austin Woodworth

Shelby Wright

ACADEMIC ALL STATE

HONORABLE MENTION

Osbaldo Aragon

Weston Blevins

Madison Buffington

Austin Fahrenholtz

Kris Hasbrouck

Nathaniel Hortberg

Shelby Massie

Marisol Munoz

Karen Melissa Sanchez

ACADEMIC LETTER AWARD

Tessa Allen

Dustin Arguello

Ethan Arnold

Ian Bailey

Weston Blevins

Christian Brown

Cinthia Calderon

Andrea Cano

Marisa Carreon

Julianne Carreon

Peter Cirkovic

Daillen Culver

Jessica Dondero

Kayla Gagnon

Javier Gallegos

Kendra Gresham

Zoe Haney

Nicole Harvey

Justine Henderson

Hannah Hibbs

Brandon Hudspeth

Jessica Kline

Matthew Kottenstette

Rafael Macias

Cayla Marx

Katherine McGoodwin

Haley Monica

Anna Moran

Rachel Nagel

Michael Narracci

Jade Ohde

Martin Olivas Felix

Branden Olson

Sergio Ornelas

Christian Pilas

Stuart Rasmussen

Brittany Rathsburg

Miah Siminoe

Yoana Trifonova

Jessica Trujillo

Rebecka Van Voorst

Alissa Vigil

Ashley Winsor