Stuarts Draft graduates urged at ceremony to reflect, move forward

By Bob Stuart

Published: June 5, 2008

HARRISONBURG — Stuarts Draft High 2008 valedictorian Laura Louise Hershey didn’t want tears for her fellow graduates during Thursday’s commencement.
“This is not a tearful goodbye, but a celebration of preparedness,’’ she said during ceremonies at the JMU Convocation Center. “It’s time for us to do what we have prepared our whole life to do.”
With that, Hershey told the 176 Stuarts Draft class of 2008 graduates: “It’s gametime.”
Hershey said now is the time for the next season of the graduates’ lives.
While Hershey attempted to help the class look forward to the future, the students were also urged to be reflective.
That hope was expressed by the keynote speaker, Todd Wilson, a 1983 Stuarts Draft High graduate.
Now a Tyson Foods executive, Wilson said he was reminded of the words of a song from country singer Trace Adkins in imagining what the graduates would later feel about leaving Stuarts Draft.
Wilson offered the words from the Adkins song:  “You’re gonna miss this; you’re gonna want this back; you’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast.”
Wilson fondly recalled his days at Stuarts Draft, remembering a teacher, Buddy Bosserman, who treated him with respect.
In honor of the deceased Bosserman, Wilson handed each Stuarts Draft High graduate a marble, as the graduating class of 1983 had handed Bosserman.
Wilson passed out the marbles as the students received their diplomas.
“Buddy had a self-deprecating humor and he put himself out for other people,’’ said Wilson in recalling the special teacher.
Wilson told the graduates never to forget the people who helped them achieve the milestone of finishing high school.
“You have accomplished a lot,’’ he said. “But you are going to miss this.”
In addition to Hershey, the class of 2008’s other top graduate was salutatorian Stephen William Paskvich.