The Classes of 2008 (VIDEO)

The young scholars of Destin have officially marked their walk into the future by walking across their graduation platforms this week.

The fifth graders of Destin Elementary School and Destin Christian Academy and the eighth graders of Destin Middle School all celebrated the right of passage to the next chapter in their lives.

DCA held their commencement on Tuesday.

“Remember to always season your thoughts with whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about these things,” Carol Garrison, DCA’s fifth grade teacher, quoted from Philippians 4:8 to the students that she has molded over the past school year.

The students and their parents enjoyed a performance of skits. Principal Dean DeMarra then presented the fifth-grade class with diplomas, and Pastor William Colvin gave each student a Bible.

On Thursday, DES fifth graders graduated to the theme of “Picture the Future ...” in a packed house at the Community Center.

Students appeared excited, but relaxed, as they entered the gymnasium to stand before their family and friends to accept their diplomas and other awards for special achievements.

“I know you have waited for this day and so have we,” a humorous Mr. Dewrell told his graduating class and the audience.

Former DES principal, Sue Larrimore, was all smiles as she returned to see the students take their milestone walk across the stage.

On the same day, the DMS graduates said “Aloha,” meaning hello and good-bye, as pointed out by Charlene Couvillon, principal of Fort Walton Beach High School. In her speech to the graduating class, she illustrated the transition that the students were making in saying a bittersweet “good-bye” to junior high and an excited “hello” to high school.

The student council president, Cole Rowan, regaled his classmates with memories and reminded them to resist the peer pressures that they may encounter in the next phase of their lives.

The school’s accomplishments were highlighted in the presentation of the A+ Accountability Plaque by Okaloosa County School District Superintendent Alexis Tibbetts. The plaque honors the students’ stellar performance on the FCAT exams.

Tibbetts said that the students have taken her breath away as she has followed them over the years since she entered the Okaloosa County school system.

The best advice of the day came from Sandy Nelson, the proud grandmother of DMS graduate, Dylan Dupree.

“My advice is to always be true to yourself, and that you can be anything with hard work,” Nelson said.

The Log congratulates the Classes of 2008!

Destin Christian Academy
Zander Angelovic, T.J. Elkins, Christian Garner, Dakota Griffity, Nathan Kight, Josh Preston, Grant Sory, Elizabeth Taylor, Vonnie Vuagniaux, and Theron Whittle.

Destin Elementary School

Mrs. Barton’s Class
Taite Armstrong, Cade Chandler, Jessica Clark, Logan Collins, Kyle Colvin, Henry Connart, Courtney Corley, Madeline Corley, Madeline Cox, Darby Decker, Isaiah Denman, Sydney Ditmar, Lexye Devita, Brittany Duke, Alex Echols, Drake Elder, Kyleigh Farne, Taylor Forbes, Katie Fyock, Alyx Greer, Cody Moss, Chris Tanner.

Mr. Dewrell’s Class
Mia Garcia, Joseph Gargas, Dustan Garrison, Bailey Gibson, Tack Gillespie, Chloe Hagle, Garret Hamilton, Darren Hasch, Elliot Henderson, Yadira Hernandez, Karley Houston, Kaylyn Hromadka, Aaron Huerta, Shay Hullum, Devin Jackson, Trenton Jarosewicz, Mckinzie Jones, Seana Jones, Carly Kasch, Christopher Kelsey, Timothy Nguyen.

Mrs. Huggins’ Class
Nikki Kilpatrick, Krista Kingsbury, Faith Kroll, Kylie Kuntz, Mikayla Lawman, Alex Liebetreu, Payton Lockley, Alex Lovett, Lesley Lowrey, Justin Lung, Aden Mackenzie, Abbie Maclin, Shane Madeya, Paris Martineau, Cheyenne Matthews, John Luke McBee, Hannah McDaniel, Katie McDermott, Kerrie Miller, Taylor Motes, Tristan Smith.

Mrs. Jessup’s Class
Logan Agerton, Alexa Allen, Micah Allen, Natalie Anderson, Samantha Archer, Sydney Baker, Abbey Barker, Ashton Bedsole, Brie Duke, Joshua Birdsong, Isabelle Blackburn, Alexander Boswell, Jessica Boyd, Sydney Buchman, Ashli Buffkin, Naomi Bui, Joshua Butler, Shelby Campbell, Chasity Carnley, Kaytlynn Carr, Caleb Castle.

Mrs. Mara’s Class
Luis Avalos, Ryan Cole, Angelica Moran, Casey Ponder, Josh Ream, Nicky Riggi, Morgan Rooney, April Rowe, Bryanna Santos, Bailey Schultz, Alex Sharp, Austin Shaw, Beau Sheidy, Tanner Shelton, Travis Shirley, Michael Shock, Tommy Silva, Chad Smith, Haylie Starr.

Ms. Mathews’ Class
Anna Little, Stetson Miller, Cameron Mims, Katie Moore, Kira Moraca, Josh Moss, Nolyn Murphy, Chase Outzen, Bailey Parrish, Makayla Payne, Josh Penland, Callie Peterman, Jeremy Pfeiffer, Camron Phillips, Cheyenne Pope, Madison Prescott, Chasen Pridgen, Ashley Pullen, Daniel Rodriguez, Emanuel Sepulveda.

Mrs. Pack’s Class
Natalee Byrne, Daniel Cowles, Abbey Schmidt, Daniel Sorial, Victoria Strand, Lyric Swedenhjelm, Kyle Tindal, Alexis Tisza, Conner Tomasello, Braeden Treon, Katrina Tucker, Kelsie Turnpaugh, Ryan Van Aken, Owen Viveen, Marina Wagner, Lindsey Ward, Chase Watkins, James Wilson, Megan Wood, Sophie Zannetti.

Destin Middle School
Samantha Jo Adams, Gage K. Agnew, Alexander Alford, Shannon Allen, Angela Aretz, Laura Leanne Askew, Cooper Barrett, Richard Barrington, Wesley Bell, Martina Eva Berrios, Daniel Birdsong, Russell Blackledge, Chris H. Blossman, Bryce Dakota Boyet, Caroline Brady, Cassidy Ann Broady, Lauren Brooks, Logan Browning, Nina Bui, Lindy Burke, John Burns, Ben Butler, Arthur Daniel Butterfield II, Paige Nichole Carr, Virginia Catanese, Hannah Chandler, Joshua Chapman, Ben Cogman, Michael Coletti, Samantha Coughlin, Justin Charles Ray Cox, Katie Cox, Kasey Creel, Kelly Davis, Lindsay Davis, Summer Dawson, Darcy Ray DeMarra, Daniel Destin, Drew Destin Katelyn Dias, Abby Diekmann, Kelly Dossena, Christian Dugas, Kodie Dunn, Dylan Dupree, Zack Duval.

Robert Eliason, Will Ellison, Catherine England, Emma Francone, Chloe Doss, Harrison Freeman, Jacob Fudge, Christopher Chase Gaddis, Jessica Jamie Gagliardi, Giana Gallegos, Cody J. Geile, Seth Goins, Sarah Rosa Gold, Grecia Gonzalez Castillo, Blake Good, Bob Guercio, Ashley Gulledge, Taylor Hammonds, Avery Hatchett, Michael Haynes, Caige Hefner, Trey Hock, Connor Holley, Stephanie Hsaing, Lauren Huenergardt, Matt Hutchison, Coleman E. Jacobs, Neil Japson, Paris Jaramillo, Sky Jones, C.J. Jones, Stephanie Jurgensen, Ivey Kelly, Eliot Kemper, Brian Kennedy, Jonathan Kight, Elly Krafcik.

Jessie Larabee, Katrina Lathi, Nicole Lawrence, Brooke Lawson, Molly Breanne Ledford, Tyler Lesko, Meagan Lindner, Peyton Elizabeth LoCicero, Ellias Lopez, Stefany I. Lujan, Trey Marshall, Katherine Elizabeth Marshall, William F. Martin, Aliana Marie McAlum, Jessica McDonald, Pace McDonald, Niki McDowell, Jack McGee, Zac Menning, Madison Messenger, Zachary Morgan Miletich, Hanna Michael Mitchell, Tanner Moll, Stanley Austin Moore, Jane Dean Morgan.

Ray Nilsson, Dylan O’Shea, Brittaney Paradise, Andrew Parker, Tynan Parker, Jay Patel, Joshua Patterson, Jordan Pipes, Stephanie A. Podjed, William M. Prentice, Darby Nicole Price, Francesca Pugliese, Christian Redmond, Kyler Renneker, Chason Reynolds, Spencer Rhodes, Shaelyn Robinson, Diego Rodriguez, Amanda Nicole Rolf, Elizabeth Romair, Heather Kelly Rone, Baylor Rose, Cole Rowan, Jessica Renee Rudd, Tamra Jade Rustad.Isaiah Salazar, Cody Sanders, Carlee Anna Sansom, Maxwell Santos, Juliana Schmidt, Bernard Shalit, Dylan Shannon, Savannah Sharpe, Kieran Shelton, Brandon Sheppard, Tiffany Marie Sherlock, Braden Smith, Samm Snowden, Shea Steele, Hayden Stiles, Caleb Stokes-David, Banks Sumrall, Alina Swafford, Tyler Syzmczak, Emily Marie Thomas, Rachel Tilley, Emily Troell, Paige Alise Turner, Anthony Tusa, Kyle Van Atta, Taylar Vierheller, David Vincent, Tanner Viola, James M. Wagers II, Robert Wagner, Jarrett Wampler, Savanna Ward, Devin Watson, Bradley Weeks, Rebecca Welsh, Michael Wilk, Katherine Wilson, Darby Williams, Rebekah Woerl, Brianna Wollan, Lauren Villere Wright.