OHS class of 2023 prepares for new life paths

Okoboji High School seniors marched onto the high school track Sunday afternoon in cap and gown to receive their diplomas during the school's 34th commencement ceremony. High School Principal Brian Downing said the 2023 ceremony was the first to take place on the district's upgraded athletic field. The principal went on to say the class of 2023 had numerous athletic, academic and personal achievements of which they could be proud — he noted that, in addition to tassels denoting various distinctions, several graduates were wearing state track and field medals won over the weekend. Hannah Earll, a 2012 graduate of Okoboji High School who currently serves as a middle school counselor in the Sibley-Ocheydan School District, was the afternoon's featured speaker. She told the class of 2023 that life is both arduous and beautiful at times, and she said the lessons they have learned in the halls of Okoboji Schools have prepared the graduates for life outside the classroom. Earll went on to literally quote Okoboji staff members in encouraging the graduates to see "ugly mistakes" as opportunities for growth, to actively choose joyfulness, to listen, to keep their sense of humor and to express gratitude even on their worst days.