Eton Honors Nine Seniors at 25th Commencement Ceremony

Friday was a special day for the nine graduating seniors from the , each celebrating the day many thought would never come — high school graduation.

“No matter what, don’t give up,” said Jim Gwaltney, the ceremony’s keynote speaker. “And don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do it. Because you can. You’ll find a way.”

The graduation also marked a milestone for the school, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Founded in 1986, the Eton Academy is an independent co-educational school for students with reading, attention and other learning challenges. Each class has 10 or fewer students.

All nine graduating Eton seniors have been accepted to a college or university in the fall, marking the third year in a row for the entire Eton senior class to do so. According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, only 13 percent of similar students nationwide go on to college after high school.

“Typically, at least 80 percent of all our high school students are going off to college, and I’m very excited to see that this year and last year, we are at 100 percent,” said Pete Pullen, Eton head of school. “I think it’s a pretty impressive track record for our school to have.”

“My advice for Eton’s graduates is to enjoy every moment of life as you venture beyond Eton’s doors,” said Gwaltney, a 1997 Eton graduate and national contest and incentives manager at Ford Motor Co. “Too often, we find ourselves anticipating future events instead of taking advantage of the present.”

While Gwaltney’s story was held up as an inspiration and tribute to the potential of all Eton graduates, it was the seniors who were center stage Friday afternoon. 

“These students have overcome obstacles that would have deterred most other students,” said Pullen. During the ceremony, each graduate received special recognition for his or her time at Eton, with Eton teachers standing up to speak about the strengths, quirks and determination of each graduate.

Eton instructor Diana Pode-DeGroot, upon request from senior John Oster, gave her speech in iambic tetrameter and a British accent, noting — among other subjects — that “truly has been a pleasure getting to know you.”

Teacher Kate Vollmayer made sure she wore her special “Team Jacob” T-shirt as she spoke about the “incredibly sweet and funny” Jacob McGuire, who will attend Ferris State in the fall.

For senior and class speaker Amanda Sattmann, having a learning disability isn’t something that holds her or her classmates back, she said — it's only a challenge that they can, and will, overcome.

“I was given a disability because someone thought I was strong enough to handle it,” she said. “Most of us have struggled with our disability, but we have progressed.”

Part of what makes Eton unique is the way teachers prepare their students for the challenges they’ll face in college and beyond. Just as Gwaltney noted that he still uses Post-It notes to overcome his auditory processing disorder, Pullen said Eton students are instructed in the life skills they need to navigate through the rest of their lives.

“One of the biggest challenges for college freshman is time management, and many of them really struggle academically — not because of the rigor of the program, but because they don’t know how to organize their schedules,” Pullen said. “We really integrate and teach how to put these management systems into place so our students are prepared to be successful.”

Pullen said he’s confident the 2011 graduating class will go far.

“I’m really proud of these kids. They’re going to do well for themselves.”

These are the 2011 graduating seniors and where they’re heading next:

• Madison Bernstein: Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL.
• Alyssa Minnix: Beacon College, Leesburg, FL.
• Amalia Pardales: Oakland Community College
• Jacob McGuire: Ferris State University
• Drew LaNeve: Oakland Community College
• Oksana Malec: Oakland Community College
• John Oster: Southern Utah University, Cedar City, UT
• Amanda Sattmann: Rochester College
• Christine Ellison: Calvin College

Brittney Moody contributed to this report.