Missoula County Public Schools presented diplomas to Big Sky High School’s graduating class at the school’s commencement ceremony on Sunday, a program that included a land acknowledgment, a Native American honor song and multiple student and staff speeches.

Superintendent Micah Hill opened the ceremonial portion with a land acknowledgment and an announcement of the ceremony’s special performance. “We acknowledge that we are gathered on indigenous territory. The Missoula and Bitterroot Valleys are the original homelands of the Salish and the Pendre Kalispel people who inhabited this land since time immemorial,” Superintendent Micah Hill said, and introduced a Native American student-services drum group led “by Sean Whitegrass and Bridal Hunter” to perform an honor song for graduates.

The ceremony included remarks from Principal Jennifer Courtney and student leaders. “Good afternoon to all the families, faculty, and staff. Thank you for being here to celebrate the class of 2025,” student body co-president Ariana Balarde said during her address. Senior class co-presidents Aspen Grenier and Silas Jones also addressed the crowd; Grenier reflected on the passage of time and Jones led the tassel-turning ceremony.

Teacher and commencement speaker Zach Murphy delivered a personal address that emphasized human connection and mental health. “Being human is about connection,” Murphy said, and he urged graduates to “be the reason someone smiles” as they move into the next chapter. Murphy read a letter from a former student and described how small everyday interactions at school contributed to resilience and community.

The roll call of graduates and award announcements highlighted individual recognitions, including multiple students listed as Eagle Medallion award winners during the roll call. Principal Jennifer Courtney introduced the stage party and thanked staff, families and community members; the program also recognized Nancy Labbe, a staff member retiring this year.

Superintendent Hill formally presented the class to the school board of trustees and the assembled audience “by the authority vested in me by the state of Montana and the office of public instruction,” and pronounced the assembled students as meeting the requirements for graduation. In the ceremony script the class was presented as “the 2,025 graduates of Big Sky High School.”

The ceremony combined formal acknowledgments, musical performances, and student reflections and concluded with the traditional turning of tassels and a charge to graduates to take the next steps in their lives.

Attendance and timing: the program included multiple student performances and speeches, a roll call of graduates, and several formal recognitions over the course of the commencement program.