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Delta High School awards diplomas to Class of 2025; Pasco, Richland and Kennewick districts presented graduates
Summary
Delta High School held its 13th annual commencement where students from Pasco, Richland and Kennewick school districts were recognized, student speakers reflected on risk, quiet effort and perseverance, and district leaders presented diplomas.
Delta High School held its 13th annual commencement for the Class of 2025 at the school in Pasco, Washington, where Principal Casey Binion presented graduates and leaders from the Pasco, Richland and Kennewick school districts formally recognized students.
The ceremony opened with the Pledge of Allegiance led by ASB president Makena Abara and remarks by Principal Casey Binion, who described Delta as a STEM-focused school emphasizing character and 21st-century skills. Binion highlighted students’ academic and extracurricular achievements, including one student who earned 65 college credits and another who organized regular blood drives that collected 175 pints for the Red Cross.
Student speakers delivered remarks reflecting on the class’s experiences. Adam Martinez, the class gold-level speaker, urged graduates to embrace risk and independent thinking, saying, “If you don't take a risk, you won't win.” Silver-level speaker Elijah Konitsky (listed by school staff as a silver-level speaker) and salutatorian Calvin Sump emphasized quiet perseverance; Sump said, “This moment, right now, is worth slowing down for.” Student-selected speaker Elijah Renaga thanked teachers, classmates and family and offered personal reflections on belonging and gratitude.
John Keeney, the honored faculty speaker, gave the final address and closed with the senior motto he helped craft: “Don't be sorry. Be better.”
Representatives of the Pasco School District — President Amanda Brown and Superintendent Michelle Whitney — presented the Pasco graduates and confirmed they had met graduation requirements set by the Pasco School District board of directors and the state of Washington. Superintendents and boards from Richland and Kennewick also presented their district graduates during the ceremony. After the diplomas were presented, graduates moved their tassels from right to left and recessed; families were invited to meet graduates outside in the foyer.
Among other details noted during the ceremony: multiple students graduated with associate degrees from Columbia Basin College, approximately 26 graduates were announced as enlisting or having enlisted in the U.S. military, and several students earned professional certifications such as Microsoft and OSHA credentials while at Delta.
The ceremony combined formal recognition — district superintendents and board presidents reading graduates’ names — with student reflections on risk, service and quiet effort, then closed with instructions for the recessional and a reception area outside the auditorium.
