Ontonagon Area High School graduation features Army vet

By JAN TUCKER

news@yourdailyglobe.com

Ontonagon - Ontonagon Area High School graduation speaker Jim LaBine told  graduates Friday that "when you leave here you can be anything you want to be and I spent all my life figuring this out." He then  demonstrated the statement with his own life experiences.

LaBine, an Ontonagon native, graduated from the Ontonagon Area High School in 1986. He told graduates that he "flunked algebra" in high school and entered the Army, where he performed maintenance  and inspections on the Army's  observation helicopters. During a tour of duty in South Korea, he received the first safety award ever given in the Second Aviation Battalion for exceptional attention to detail and preventing a potential helicopter mishap.

After active duty, LaBine  served in the National Guard for  six years. He graduated cum laude in 1995 from Michigan Tech University with a BS in mechanical engineering and accepted a position as a research scientist at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, where he is currently employed.  He has had 20 years of experience in the management, design, development, testing and fielding of hardware used by deployed forces. His Grappling gun (the TAIL SYSTEM) has been featured on Myth Busters and the Military Channel.

LaBine told graduates he was surprised at every step of the way, from flunking algebra to his present status and described  how life evolves step by step. "You can become more than you can imagine," he  added. "Always be confident that you can become more," he urged.

Valedictorian Page Blake  noted that the class of 2016 grew up during "down time in this community. We said goodbye to many friends and  fellow classmates as their families had to leave town, we watched the school shrink. There are 20 fewer faces among us  than in our sixth grade year. Those of us who left became closer and learned how to cope with loss, making us stronger as individuals and as a unit." She urged  classmates to consider the impact they can make to those around them. "One act of kindness could change someone's world, what if I miss that chance," she asked?

Lucas Dean, salutatorian, in his address told classmates, "In order to succeed, we must first believe we can."  He echoed Steve Jobs' advice, "Your time is limited, so don't waste  it living someone else"s life." He urged the class to, "Work hard for what you want and stay positive in the  face of adversity."

Following  a slide show of the class of 2016, members of the Ontonagon Area Board of Education distributed diplomas to students.  Superintendent Jim Bobula then presented the class to the community.

Music for the ceremony was given by the OAHS band under the direction of Ben Mayer.

Immediately following the ceremony, the athletes eligible for the U.P. Track and Field finals left for Kingsford to be ready for early morning competition.