PACE Celebrates Class of 2022

The PACE graduation ceremony on Friday, May 20th, was an amazing night. The PHS auditorium was full of people, joy, emotion, and a few tears.

This graduation was the 40th Annual Portland Adult, Alternative, and Virtual Education graduation. The program began in 1982 as Portland Adult Education. In 1997, alternative education was added and in 2013 Virtual Education was added to our offerings. This year's graduating class of 34 students is the largest in the history of this program.

We give out special recognition awards each year. This year's award winners were Avery Stephens for Most Improved Student, Jada Hoppes for Perseverance, Melia Fales for Most Outstanding Student as selected by the teachers, and Brianna William for Most Outstanding Student as selected by me.

We always give any student who wishes to make a speech the opportunity to do so. We had approximately 10 students come up and give heartfelt speeches and thank you's to the PACE program, the teacher and the staff, as well as parents and friends. It is always a wonderful and very emotional piece to our ceremony.

After the ceremony, we had so many people; parents, board members, high school staff, etc. that had never been to our graduation ceremony, who were so impressed with what a beautiful, intimate and heartfelt ceremony it was. Everyone loved the student speeches

Graduate list

Derek Albro

Journi Andrus

Kyleigh Danielle Babbitt

Graycee Todd Buckland

Skiburne Rinaldi Buckland

David Lyle Burhans

Lilly Anna Burrows

Devon Michael Cyr

Mason Daugherty

Yusuf Easlick

Melia Renay Fales