Turtle Lake-Mercer celebrates the Class of 2025
The Ed Rath Auditorium was filled with pride, joy, and a few tears May 25 as Turtle Lake-Mercer School honored its graduating Class of 2025 during a heartfelt commencement ceremony.
Family, friends, faculty, and community members gathered to celebrate the achievements of 15 seniors as they crossed the stage and stepped into the next chapter of their lives.
The ceremony began with a procession of the graduates, followed by a warm welcome from Salutatorian Cole Makeeff, who reflected on the journey the class had taken together and the support that helped them reach this milestone.
Following Makeeff, Valedictorian Charlotte Wilson took the stage to deliver a powerful speech, encouraging her classmates to embrace the unknown with confidence and gratitude.
Wilson highlighted the memories shared by the class and the resilience they had built through their school years.
One of the most emotional moments of the afternoon came during the rose presentation, where seniors honored their parents, guardians, or significant family members by gifting them roses as a token of appreciation for their love and support.
Diane Cullum then addressed the audience and the seniors, congratulating the graduates before presenting the Turtle Lake-Mercer Dollars for Scholars scholarships.
This year, over $17,000 in scholarships were awarded to nine members of the graduating class, a testament to the community’s continued commitment to education.
