Jana Jones for The Republic Members of Hauser High School’s Class of 2023 gather for their commencement ceremony at Hauser Jr./Sr. High School in Hope, Ind., Friday, May 26, 2023.
HOPE — One of the largest classes in the history of Hauser Jr.-Sr. High School graduated Friday night to begin a new chapter in their lives.
A total of 86 seniors walked across the gymnasium stage to receive their diplomas from principal Kris Fortune during Hauser’s annual commencement. That’s substantially more than the usual 50 to 60 students who graduated each May about a decade ago.
With considerable investments in new technology and staff, Hauser has enjoyed consistent growth over the past six to eight years, Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp. superintendent Shawn Price said.
“We’ve plateaued now, but there’s always room for more,” the superintendent said.
Fortune said 78% of this year’s graduates have already enrolled in the military or have been accepted by a college. The class has earned $1.6 million in scholarship and grant funds over the next four years, the principal said.
Graduates who have joined the military received a large round of applause as they led the Pledge of Allegiance.
While addressing the packed gymnasium, Fortune admitted the Class of 2023 has faced its share of challenges, including the at-home eLearning during the 2020-2021 school year.
A more heartfelt challenge was coping with the deaths of three fellow classmates who died over the past four years. While the school did not publicly identify the students, the often loud and cheering crowd was absolutely quiet during a moment of silence held in their memory.
In his address, Fortune said there were likely times when many in the class felt they could not go on, but he said there was usually someone willing to help and push them forward. But he also expressed pride in how the Class of 2023 assisted each other through the most difficult times of their high school years.
“This is a class that was always there to help each other,” Fortune said.
In her address, salutatorian Kylie Mack spoke of shared experiences that ranged from good times like a trip to King’s Island amusement park to the frustrations each student felt during the COVID-19 school lockdown.
“While you may experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, just realized that you have made it,” Mack said. “You have worked so hard.”
Valedictorian Rachel Hoke spent much of her address thanking family, friends and teachers. In several cases, she spoke directly to the individuals sitting in the crowd, telling one friend that “you’d better call me at college.”
When speaking as class president at the end of commencement, Hoke quoted several of her classmates after asking them what they were most proud of at this point in their lives.
The replies ranged from the sincere ‘I’m proud of making good grades while working two jobs’ to the humorous ‘I’m most proud of never being pulled over, and never being in an accident.’ “
About the class:
Number of graduates: 86
Valedictorian: Rachel Hoke
Salutatorian: Kylie Mack
