Under a sunny Montana sky and surrounded by hundreds of their friends, family and teachers, the Thompson Falls High School (TFHS) class of 2021 graduated on Sunday. The ceremony was held on the football field, a new tradition that began with the class of 2020 due to the pandemic, but continued this year to allow more people to attend.

While family members were seated near the graduates, community members brought lawn chairs and sat on the grass as the graduates received their diplomas.

The class of 2021 chose teacher Jase Miller as their commencement speaker. Miller stated that when he came to Thompson Falls Elementary in 2013, the class of 2021 were his first students. He shared memories of the students, joking that he still couldn’t tell twins Derek and Lucas Andersen apart. He shared the story of his first day of teaching in 2013, Faith Frields had stapled her fingers together.

“It was an honor being a part of your lives and watching you grow up,” Miller said. “I can’t wait to see and hear what you do in the future.”

TFHS counselor Jodi Morgan stated that the class started with 12 students in kindergarten, and grew to a graduating class of 45. “We have a remarkable group of young people graduating,” Morgan said as she outlined the future plans of the graduates, including four who are enlisting in the military. The class received a combined total of more than $2.1 million in grants and financial aid.

Valedictorians Megan Baxter, Jody Detlaff and Justin Morgan addressed their classmates and the crowd. “We are going to make a difference in the world,” Baxter said, wishing her classmates success and blessings. Detlaff shared stories of what they learned from specific teachers. “We’ve had good times and bad, but the good is what we’ll remember,” Detlaff said. Justin Morgan shared words of wisdom through the top 10 math lessons to help his classmates succeed in life. They included, “Number 9. Don’t consider yourself greater than or less than others,” and “Number 1. Don’t forget to factor in a little fun.”