{"id":15461,"date":"2019-05-25T16:25:13","date_gmt":"2019-05-25T22:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/?p=979228"},"modified":"2019-05-26T07:45:20","modified_gmt":"2019-05-26T13:45:20","slug":"graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/local-news\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free\/","title":{"rendered":"Graduating Rifle High School Bears ready to roam free"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery\" readability=\"6.7766871165644\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-979228-171\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Riflegraduation-gpi-052619-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | A RIfle High School graduate is embraced by family following the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>A RIfle High School graduate is embraced by family following the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.<\/strong><br \/>\nChelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Riflegraduation-gpi-052619-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | A RIfle High School graduate is embraced by family following the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free.jpg\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Riflegraduation-gpi-052619-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | The 2019 Rifle High School valedictorian, Ashley Manera, addresses her fellow graduates during the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>The 2019 Rifle High School valedictorian, Ashley Manera, addresses her fellow graduates during the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.<\/strong><br \/>\nChelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Riflegraduation-gpi-052619-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | The 2019 Rifle High School valedictorian, Ashley Manera, addresses her fellow graduates during the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free-1.jpg\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Riflegraduation-gpi-052619-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | A RIfle High School graduate is embraced by family following the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>A RIfle High School graduate is embraced by family following the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.<\/strong><br \/>\nChelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Riflegraduation-gpi-052619-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | A RIfle High School graduate is embraced by family following the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free-2.jpg\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Riflegraduation-gpi-052619-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | A 2019 Rifle HIgh School graduate cheers after recieving his diploma during the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>A 2019 Rifle HIgh School graduate cheers after recieving his diploma during the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.<\/strong><br \/>\nChelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Riflegraduation-gpi-052619-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | A 2019 Rifle HIgh School graduate cheers after recieving his diploma during the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free-3.jpg\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Riflegraduation-gpi-052619-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | The Rifle High School graduating class of 2019 takes a moment to recognize teachers during the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>The Rifle High School graduating class of 2019 takes a moment to recognize teachers during the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.<\/strong><br \/>\nChelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Riflegraduation-gpi-052619-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | The Rifle High School graduating class of 2019 takes a moment to recognize teachers during the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free-4.jpg\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/graduating-rifle-high-school-bears-ready-to-roam-free\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cBe Rifle Bears wherever you go,\u201d Rifle High School commencement speaker Kyle Mickelson told the graduating class of 2019 on Saturday. \u201cYou\u2019re Bear strong for life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After spending the past four years together at sporting events, classes, proms, tests and everything in between, the Rifle High School class of 2019 graduated just after noon on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Despite any differences they may have had or challenges they experienced along the way, their last time together was a celebration shared with parents, teachers and fellow classmates that may have helped them get there.<\/p>\n<p>Principal John Arledge gave the welcome address, as the day not only marked the last at RHS for the seniors, but the conclusion of his first year at the school.<\/p>\n<p>He thanked the teachers and staff at the high school and said each proved to be an integral part of every student\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n<p>Mickelson, a social studies teacher at Rifle High, has spent the past four years watching this year\u2019s senior class grow, and in some cases longer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of us go back to middle school,\u201d Mickelson said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a privilege to be part of your education journey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said he\u2019s had four years of tremendous stories he will keep with him for the rest of his life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have made your families proud and shown you can finish what you started,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>He also gave shoutouts to all the students who joined a club, took a Colorado Mountain College class, traveled for school events and more, as the students were asked to stand with their classmates.<\/p>\n<p>Valedictorian Ashley Manera started her address in an unconventional way on Saturday. She immediately gave the microphone to fellow classmate Luis Vera, the class\u2019s salutatorian.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLuis and I have spent all four years in every class together,\u201d she said. Both graduated with Academic Golden Bear honors as well as International Baccalaureate diplomas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThanks to everyone who has shown us love from afar and [helped us] make it here today,\u201d Manera added.<\/p>\n<p>She said she\u2019s terrified of what the future may hold, as she doesn\u2019t have \u201c2020\u201d vision, or even knows what exactly the year 2020 will look like. But she said she\u2019s proud of the memories she has shared with her classmates.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"mailto:azorn@citizentelegram.com\">azorn@citizentelegram.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A RIfle High School graduate is embraced by family following the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon. Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent The 2019 Rifle High School valedictorian, Ashley Manera, addresses her fellow graduates during the commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon. Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent A RIfle High School graduate is embraced by family following [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15462,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15461","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-12 00:29:25","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KRKY Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15461"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15466,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15461\/revisions\/15466"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}