Class of 2007 says goodbye to VMS

VAIL – Graduation at Vail Mountain School is like a loving and sentimental Friar’s Club roast. Headmaster Peter Abuisi stood by the podium with 21 seniors behind him Friday night at the Vail Marriott, and he had something to say about every single one of them.It was quite educational, and the audience learned several tidbits about their senior class. For instance, did you know Kelsey Ferguson wrote a novella set in medieval times about three of the seven deadly sins? She’ll be attending Middlebury College in Vermont, where she’ll double major in English and math.Lani Bruntz studied hips, and Tucker Sheldon studied ACL injuries, which isn’t to be confused with the American Civil Liberties Union, Abuisi said.Oscar Gaspar ran out of gas on the way to this graduation ceremony, poor guy. According to Abuisi, Gaspar sounds a bit like John Denver when he sings and plays the guitar and not so much like Enrique Iglesias, a good thing for a Colorado boy. He’ll be studying biomedical engineering at the University Technologico de Monterrey in Mexico.

Elle Tietbohl will be taking a bit of a detour before she starts college. She’ll be helping AIDS orphans in Uganda. Della Elrich will be doing community service in Oceania for a year before attending the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.Abuisi said Kristen Caples is a very competitive girl who studied corporate culture for her senior project. She’ll study international management and economics ad the University of Vermont in Burlington.After saying a little something about each student, Abuisi asked their families to come to the stage and present their diplomas. It’s a perk you can’t see at a large school where the seniors fly by on the stage with a quick handshake. Here, at this very small school, every family gets a moment with their senior in front of the audience for hugs and congratulations. There was also time for honors of a different kind. Seniors don’t even bother with putting on their cap and gowns. After their processional in front of the audience, their younger classmates in the Honor Guard placed the graduation caps on their heads and helped slip on their white and blue gowns.The kindergartners traditionally have a special friendship with the seniors as well, and they presented each senior with a yellow rose.Several students were handed achievement awards at the ceremony. Some of these include Della Elich for citizenship, Will Foster for visual arts, Holly Domke for performing arts, Joely Denkinger for intellectual curiosity, Kelsey Peck for service to the community and school and Karlie Moore for student athlete.Volleyball coach Michael Garvey also received an award for his 10 years of physical education at VMS.

=========================================The Vail Mountain High School class of 2007Emily AdamsLauren BieglerLani BruntzAlex BuscherKristen Caples

Madeleine ChalfantSpencer CookEilidh DorganDella ElichKelsey Ferguson Gregory Flynn

Elle FriedmanOscar GasparBianca GordonMallory KaufmannJanelle Kibler-SilengoMichael SeemannTucker Shelden

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Elle TietbohlGeorgia WettlauferRory Williams=========================================Staff Writer Matt Terrell can be reached at 748-2955 or mterrell@vaildaily.com.