GILPIN COUNTY — This year's Gilpin County High School Commencement began with a beautiful sunny day. Snow capped mountain peaks, and white puffy clouds idly set in the distance. Halfway through the ceremony the clouds darkened and a clap of thunder moved the ceremony inside.

Shifting gears was not “an unknown” to the class of 2026, because the resounding theme throughout the day was that they were built to persevere. A class that according to Gilpin High School Principal Sara Reich, who when sharing her pride about the class said: “They have worked so hard. They have gone through big struggles and they all came out champions today.”

Gilpin High School math teacher Rachel VanHoose was the keynote speaker. A teacher well known for her widespread support of all students shared how the class had taught her that perceptions change.

She commented that her initial perception of the Class of 2026 was based on the class's reputation from middle school and it was not great, but after working with them for a while she said: “My perception of you changed and what you taught me is that no-one is limited to a version of themselves that other people have already decided on. You changed my perception of you and throughout your life you have the ability to change other people’s perception of you too.”

Gilpin seniors take flowers to share with family members, other students, and Gilpin staff to show appreciation.

Photo by Curt Halsted

VanHoose went on to say that “In a world that moves fast, changing perception is slow work. It requires patience when you feel misunderstood. Discipline when no one is watching.  But what about your perception?  Your perception of yourself, your path, your world; what you choose to see.

“If you think about a time you struggled—really struggled. At the time, it probably felt overwhelming, maybe even unfair. But now, looking back, that same experience might feel different. Maybe it taught you resilience. Maybe it forced you to grow. Maybe it redirected you toward something better. The event didn’t change. Your perception of the event did.” 

This triumphant spirit was echoed by the presentation of the class gift. Graduating senior Leo Simpson-Molchnick presented the school with an inscribed bench commemorating past principal Alexis Donaldson for her 27 years of dedicated service as a teacher, coach, principal and mentor.

Seniors Dacio Pina, Mason Sechler, and JJ Johnson stand behind their class gift to past principal Alexis Donaldson for her 27 years of service as a teacher, coach, principal, and mentor at Gilpin School District.

Photo by Curt Halsted

Donaldson in her tenure at Gilpin County Schools led the school culture. A culture that in her speech Salutatorian Adele Fisher heralded with “Five reasons Gilpin didn’t suck.” She celebrated that, being a small school, Gilpin offers the limited number of students a wide range of opportunities. Her list in reverse order consisted of:

5. That you know everybody

4. Our teachers actually know us

3. Most of us have gotten really good at multitasking

2. The multitude of opportunities at Gilpin

1. Gilpin gave us a sense of community

Fisher’s lighthearted and thoughtful speech was followed by insightful remarks from Valedictorian Ally Webb. Webb compared the class's experience to NASA’s interstellar spacecraft Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. After being launched decades ago they have continued transmitting knowledge about deep space well beyond their mission.

She pointed out that they each contain gold records that are “...a message from humanity intended for whatever may someday discover it millions of years from now. The record contains music, greetings, and dozens of languages. Sounds of nature, and pictures of ordinary human life which raises an interesting question: if humanity had one chance to explain itself to the universe, what would matter most? Would it be proof of intelligence, of achievement, of success? Or, more likely would we send proof that no matter how many times humanity fails it continues anyway, because if there is one thing human beings have done consistently throughout history, it is to persist.”

Gilpin Valedictorian Ally Webb delivers her class speech to the crowd at the 2026 graduation ceremony.

Photo by Curt Halsted

Webb went on to say: “We survive disasters. We rebuild. We recover, and we adapt no matter how hard failure hits, and that same pattern exists in smaller ways here today. Graduation is a celebration of our success. It is proof of all the work we've done has finally paid off. But, I think what makes this moment meaningful is not perfection. It is perseverance, because nobody arrives here today untouched by failure. Every person at graduation today has failed at something important to them.

“And yet, despite all of that, we continued. That more than anything is what matters, because failure is unavoidable. It happens to everyone eventually. But, failure itself is rarely what destroys people. Stopping is. The people who grow are not the people who avoid mistakes, they are the people who refuse to let mistakes become permanent, and that is why the Voyager missions are still so fascinating.” 

At this point, with the threat of lightning looming outside, the ceremony took an unexpected turn and the beloved flower ceremony and presentation of diplomas was moved into the school gym. 

The graduates threw their caps to the air celebrating their accomplishments and looking to the future with bright eyes.

In pure happiness, Gilpin graduates throw their caps high ending the 2026 commencement ceremony.

Photo by Curt Halsted