Paint Valley graduates look for bright futures

BAINBRIDGE – For Paint Valley graduating senior Valley Malcolm, high school wasn't a cakewalk, but it was a time to find out what she wants to do with her life.

Malcolm moved from Thornville to the school district just before her sophomore year. Hard times and living conditions ended with her moving in with one of the district's teachers, who encouraged her to be her best.

"(The teacher) just brought me back to realizing that I'm capable of doing so much more than I think I am," Malcolm said.

Malcolm became involved in the school's flag team, drama club, Fellowship Christian Students group and the Paint Valley Cadet Corps' drill team and acted as group commander.

"We became a family," Malcolm said of her fellow cadets. "It's going to break my heart to not be able to see them all the time."

After Paint Valley's graduation ceremony, Malcolm said, she is headed to the University of Rio Grande in the fall to major in psychology. Her dream is to one day be a child counselor.

"I know there are a lot of kids that are out there that feel like they can't talk to anybody," Malcolm said. "I've always been a person that my friends can talk to and rely on."

In the meantime, Malcolm said, she hopes to continue volunteering duing the summer. The 172 hours of community service she served so far were spent helping prepare children's meals and with the school's color guard performing for large crowds.

Malcolm said she is looking forward to college and meeting new people.

Malcolm's optimism for the future was echoed by the rest of Paint Valley High School's graduating class. The graduates celebrated their success Sunday at the school's graduation ceremony with the hope of bright futures.

The 2015 graduating class' valedictorian was Bailey Rose Countryman and the salutatorian was Rachael Leigh King.

Paint Valley High School celebrated 52 graduates Sunday. The class of 2015's motto was "This is not an end, only a beginning — a new start on a path into the world. Our hopes and dreams have brought us this far and before us lies a future unfurled." — Unknown

The class song was Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" and the class flower was a yellow rose.