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Show Coegratelatioes ootstadieg Glass of 988 9yy4y?yv44yy"' 3 t ' , , ' '?,',' 4 - ' $ , t - f ' p 1 r -i f i i ; in. utiiiil iiiiiiiiwrintirrf1 '' 'mmm tt i iiihihh i ' "i ' f f A " , $ ill i : .. y r V S i ' 'I ! - ......... vyw wiwhiium jilii WVVffm1 -Ak wmw i mmm mmm mm wi m ' "WWtH 1 W HI mm 'W1, a Hiwwwwii in,w t . : - STEVE PARRISH Q ANGIE MALLOY JOHN LAURISKI I . t , At a recent ceremony, Dr. Ray Briscoe of the Board of Education presented certificates to Monte Vista graduates Jason Steiger, Jerry Sethongkang and Rob Swan. Monte Vista graduates look forward to future DANIELLE ROMIJN ' ... V ' - ; -.V ' ; i v v By DONETA GATHERUM FARMINGTON "I'm scared a little bit," said Jason Steiger, one of the three 1988 graduates of Monte Vista School. Jason, along with Jerry Sethongkang Sethong-kang and Rob Swan, officially completed their education Thursday Thurs-day evening at a special graduation service and awards program held at the school. Students from Monte Vista and parents provided the " program. Kenote speaker was Dr. Mary Ann Williams, supervisor of special education for the Davis School District. The graduation theme was "Together We Belong." Be-long." Certificates were presented to the three graduates by Dr. Ray Briscoe, member of the Board of Education. Each graduate received a special ceramic pen holder created from a mold designed by Charlie's Ceramics. Graduation is a beginning for these special students. Immediately Immediate-ly they will begin either working at PARC or training at the Lakeview Hospital. They are excited. Rob Swan said, 'T'm looking forward to working with F-2s." Jerry Sethongkang, a Laotian native, said he "loves work." All are anxious an-xious to have the opportunity to earn money and become largely self-supporting. The PARC (Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Re-habilitation Center) has work contracts con-tracts with Hill Air Force Base to perform specific tasks such as sorting sort-ing nuts, bolts and other small fasteners fas-teners that would normally be discarded. dis-carded. PARC also contracts with private companies to do packaging and sorting. Monte Vista's graduates have been working at PARC on Tuesdays Tues-days and Thursdays and attending school the other three week days to prepare them for their careers. While they are frightened, they already have many friends at ' PARC and they are anxious to make new friends. Graduation has been a long-time goal for Jerry Sethongkang. He arrived ar-rived in Davis County with his family directly from Laos in 1978. After attending Wasatch Elementary Elemen-tary in Clearfield for a short time, Jerry was transferred to Monte Vista. He couldn't speak any English. Jerry was first taught some basic sign language then as he progressed progres-sed and became familiar with the American system, he learned English. En-glish. His progress has been steady and consistently good. Today, he speaks two languages and still remembers re-members some of the signing. The experience Jerry values almost as much as his graduation from school is that of becoming an American citizen. "I had to work hard for that," Jerry recalls. "It was just like school. Both are hard but both are worth it." MICHELLE ROGERS |