Lord Botetourt High School Principal Tim Bane presented diplomas to 234 members of the Class of 2011 during a rare morning commencement at the Salem Civic Center in Salem that lasted just over an hour on Thursday, June 9.
Forty-nine, over one-fifth, of the graduates were recognized in the commencement program for receiving more than 104 scholarships and awards.
Valedictorian Joshua Green, who came to LBHS in the 10th grade, thanked the teachers for making his transition easier.
He then used characters from one of his favorite movies, “The Wizard of Oz,” to encourage his classmates. He said as the Wizard of Oz told the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion, they already had what they were searching for. “The point is, the most important things in life can’t be given to us. They come to us on the journey,” Green said.
As for Dorothy, Green said she was looking for home. “Home for me is in the heart where Jesus Christ lives,” he said.
Class President Micah Luedtke welcomed the audience and Superintendent Dr. Tony Brads gave brief remarks before the diplomas were presented.
