Rising above

PHOTO BY KRISTI PIHL STANWOOD/CAMANO NEWS Lincoln Hill High School teacher Penny Buse gifts graduating seniors with a poem as the school continues the tradition of having each graduate described by one of their teachers. A total of 39 students graduated last Monday, the largest class Lincoln Hill High School has had yet, said Dan Johnston, principal. Statistically, about 67 percent of the graduating students should not have made it to graduation, he said. However, all of them overcame challenging circumstances to successfully complete high school. "It was your own perseverance and resilience that has brought you to a successful completion of high school," Johnston said. "I never thought this day would come," graduate Kayla Donohue told the audience. "Here I am, and it's a wonderful feeling."