Cloudcroft and Tularosa celebrate 2018 graduates

OTERO COUNTY – The communities of Cloudcroft and Tularosa each gathered Saturday morning to celebrate the graduations of their 2018 senior classes.

Nestled in the Sacramento Mountains, the Village of Cloudcroft gathered at 10 a.m. in the Cloudcroft High School gym to send off 35 graduates.

"I think there are two things that set this class apart," said Cloudcroft High School Principal Tana Daugherty. "They are very determined. They're all going different ways in life from here on out but I think they're all very determined to make sure what they do is important and meaningful. The other thing that sets this class apart is just how close they are. No two are alike, they're all very different with different interests but during their four years of high school they've always stayed together with such a strong bond and just a love for one another." 

This graduating class holds a special place in Daugherty's heart, as they were freshman when she became principal four years ago.

Daugherty highlighted some of the Class of 2018's accomplishments, such as their efforts to maintain Cloudcroft High School's A grade in the state's ranking system for four years. This class received over $1.1 million worth of scholarships and seven of them are joining the military. 

Toward the end of awarding the diplomas, graduates began handing Daugherty lemons, a plastic jug, a spoon and lastly, a bag of sugar.

"Every year since I have started, the graduating class has chosen a special memento to give to me," Daugherty said. "Usually, it's been like pieces of a puzzle and we put them all together and make our team together. This year, I believe each lemon represented a student and that they wanted me take these lemons and make lemonade. They even gave me a jug and a spoon, they did a really good job." 

Down in the basin, Tularosa residents gathered at Bob Cerny Stadium at 9 a.m. to send off 60 graduates.

"Every class has something that sticks out that you kind of remember and this particular class they excelled in both the classroom and on the playing fields," said Tularosa High School Principal Johnny Joe Marrujo. "They are a really respectful group, they like to have a lot of fun. Sometimes they may be out of the ordinary but for the most part, they’re going to be great representatives of our school when they get out there in the community." 

Marrujo said he believes the staff and faculty at Tularosa High School did an excellent job of getting the Class of 2018 extremely prepared to move on to the next chapter in their lives.

Ashley Yarborough, Tularosa High School's Valedictorian, spoke to her classmates about their days together and the memories to come.

"The greatest people in your life will always be there to cheer you up, make you laugh and give you new memories," Yarborough said. "Even if at the time they don’t know they are. I think that perfectly describes my class. Throughout these four years we’ve all gone through many different stories. One day we will tell people about these stories, but today we are sharing our last story of high school together, and after today, we will have new stories."