Findlay sends off 332 grads

Saturday's bright skies shined light into the future for Findlay's Class of 2023 as they started a new chapter in their lives. Findlay welcomed the 332 graduates that made up the school's 151st graduating class and their families for a commencement at the University of Findlay's Koehler Center Saturday morning as unbridled potential and amazing individuals about to launch into the world, interim superintendent Krista Crates-Miller said. The Findlay school board, faculty, staff and family members celebrated the graduates, Millstream Career Center and the Trojan Academy. Two students stood out during the graduation, valedictorian Reid Patterson and salutatorian Arda Dastan. Findlay's Class of 2023 salutatorian Arda Dastan celebrated graduating with a speech to his peers. ANGELA LAROSA/The Courier Dastan, who will attend Stanford University in California with a double-major in economics and mathematics, was involved in National Honor Society, participated in varsity sports and was awarded the Advanced Placement Scholar with Honors. "It is an honor to celebrate this milestone with you," Dastan said. "We did it. Many of us learned how to drive a car and some of us are still learning how to park." The Class of 2023 had a lot of shifting to overcome since starting high school in 2019. Dastan said his graduating class overcame TikTok trends, first relationships and the COVID-19 pandemic. "We played around with Zoom backgrounds and slept in class without being noticed," Dastan said. "We still managed to graduate." Principal Ryan Imke presented the class as students who have excelled in many areas including music, drama, career technical education, athletics and community service. "We are particularly proud of the academic success of the Class of 2023," Imke said. Findlay school board Vice President Laura Eier reminded them to laugh, be who they are and find joy in all the rest of the days in their life. Findlay graduated 332 students for the Class of 2023 commencement on Saturday, May 27. ANGELA LAROSA / The Courier