Last Friday was Bethel Regional High School's gradation. KYUK's Christine Trudeau spent some time with the class of 2017 as they prepared, and got more of a story than she bargained for.
In the Bethel Regional High School band room, or temporary “green room,” seniors straighten their caps and gowns one last time and take pictures with friends. Many of the high school class of 2017 are looking forward to the future, like 18-year-old Brenna Rice.
“I’m really excited that today is the signification of my next step towards life,” said Rice. “After high school I’m going to Western Washington University to study a degree in business.”
And Robert Michael.
“I’m excited to graduate because I just can’t wait to get on and go to do other things, and get out and experience life by myself,” said Michael. “For next year, I’m gonna go to UAA. Right now I’m an undecided major for college, but I’m gonna figure it out when I get there.”
Many are going off to two-year and four-year colleges, both here in Alaska and in the lower 48. Some, like Tamryn Hodge, are going as far away as New York.
“My plans after high school are to go to Barnard College in New York,” said Hodge. “I’m just really thankful to this community. Because of it I am able to be where I am today. They’ve supported me all through my life and I’m thankful for them.”
Some graduates have been through a lot to get here, but possibly none more than Mitchell Ebertz, the youngest and first of his siblings to graduate high school. You can tell by the enthusiastic applause that everyone in the school knows his story.
Ebertz says that his mother kidnapped him and his sister for eight years. During that time he fell behind in many subjects, like reading and math. By the time he re-entered school at the age of 12, he had a lot of catching up to do.
“My mom had taken me and my sister to the lower 48 and all over the states, through Canada and Mexico, and there was a huge eight-year investigation on it, and they finally found us in 2012,” said Ebertz. “It was really hard fought. I didn’t know how to spell my name and do simple math, so on and so forth. And my dad sat there and helped me and my sister sit there and get our education back.”
Last year, Ebertz's father was diagnosed with cancer. His older sister had to drop out of high school to take care of their dad and is now completing her GED. At graduation, though, Ebertz takes in the scene, laughing and chatting with classmates, eager to get out into the world and happy to make his family proud.
“It’s nice to be able to sit there and have my dad go out with a last huzzah, almost, of just having a kid graduate, and be able to honor my family that way,” said Ebertz.
Like his father and his grandfather before him, Ebertz is currently enlisted in the military. He also plans to attend college one day, but is not sure what he wants to study yet.