The 28 graduating students showcased their achievements throughout their final year during an emotional ceremony at the Merredin Regional Community Resource Centre.

More than 100 parents, teachers and community sponsors gave a standing ovation as the students entered the room and were presented with graduation sashes.

Caitlin Tiller was awarded 2008 Dux for achieving the highest TEE score for the school in 2008, and she gave a speech in which she congratulated the students and encouraged them to continue pursuing their dreams.

“I have just finished my first year studying journalism at Curtin University and I have found it to be a very enjoyable experience, which I would recommend to anyone,” she told the students.

School principal Kath Ward also congratulated the students and spoke about the changes that would happen at the school in coming years.

“Although the school amalgamation will change the school, the friendships and memories you have made will always remain,” she said.

The Year 12 student councilors then gave speeches about the unforgettable experiences they had shared during their final year, including traveling to Perth for Country Week sport and attending the school ball.

Guest speaker for the evening was Lynton Hayes, who graduated from Merredin Senior High School 50 years ago and has had an impressive life journey, most recently as the executive director of Harvard Business School in Boston, America.

Along with Dr Hayes, the graduating class of 1959 attended the ceremony as part of their 50 year reunion.

Dr Hayes showed a slideshow of pictures of Merredin’s history and told the students to draw inspiration from the hard work of the early pioneers.

He said there were many environmental sustainability issues facing the Wheatbelt in the next 50 years and that the graduating students would play a big role in changing things for the better.