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Battle Mountain High School’s 2025 graduates finish on a high note

The strength of this pack of Huskies? Diversity

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Phoenix Wellbaum gives the student address during Battle Mountain High School's commencement on Saturday at The Amp in Vail.
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily

The 235 graduates in Battle Mountain High School’s Class of 2025 each took a unique path to arrive at Saturday’s commencement at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail. And after receiving their diplomas, turning their tassels and tossing their caps in the air, each is headed out into the world to chart their own course.  

For one serene, sun-soaked afternoon, however, these Huskies were united as a pack to celebrate all they accomplished over four years.

Phoenix Wellbaum, the class salutatorian, challenged her classmates to define success on their own terms as they close this chapter in their lives and start the next.



Yaireth Ramos gives the Spanish Address during Battle Mountain High School’s commencement on Saturday at The Amp in Vail.
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily

“There is no one special thing that we all did to get us here today,” she said. “There is no one action that will lead you to be successful. In fact, without an apt definition beyond the confines of money and notoriety, your future success is up to one person — you. It is up to you to define success for your future paths. And is it up to us to define what this day, what graduation means.”

The strength of this pack? Diversity. On stage, athletic champions shared space with talented musicians, actors and dancers, debate champions and academic stars. The school awarded numerous students with seals of biliteracy, while 58 students graduated with honors for grade point averages of 3.75 and above. Twenty-one of those graduated Magna Cum Laude (4.0-4.25) and 18 graduated Summa Cum Laude with grade point averages above 4.25.

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The Class of 2025 also has four graduates entering the armed forces.

It was a packed house for Battle Mountain’s commencement on Saturday in Vail.

Gratitude above all

Yaireth Ramos, giving the Spanish address, spoke about all the opportunities she and her fellow graduates have had growing up in Eagle County. Among those opportunities, Ramos singled out her experience with Battle Mountain’s Advancement Via Individual Determination elective, known as AVID, where students receive additional academic, social, and emotional support to help them succeed in rigorous courses.

Ramos also thanked her parents and all of the parents who are immigrants who sacrificed so much to give their children a better life in this valley, adding that the diploma she received Saturday is not just hers but theirs to share.

Battle Mountain graduates proceed into The Amp for Saturday’s commencement in Vail.
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily

Brecklyn Honan, chosen to give the charge to the class, said among all the emotions she felt Saturday, the greatest of those was gratitude.

“Gratitude for the opportunities we have all been graciously given to by whomever we may believe in, the Battle Mountain staff, and what we have created for ourselves,” she said. “As we all move forward into different directions onto the next chapters of our lives, it is important to not only think about what we will accomplish, but also, more importantly, the type of people we will become.”

Honan said she wanted her classmates to be “bucket fillers,” a concept she learned from her kindergarten teacher.

Battle Mountain graduates toss their caps in the air at the end of Saturday’s commencement in Vail.
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily

“The idea was that everyone has an invisible bucket that could be filled with positivity and kindness towards ourselves and others,” she said. “Our words and actions affect how full our bucket is, as well as the buckets of those around us. What I have learned is that our biggest supporters, the best leaders, and the most unforgettable people are all bucket fillers. The key to becoming a bucket filler is to lead with kindness. Kindness is powerful. It makes others feel seen. It is a perfect representation of true strength.”

‘Just send it’

Jeff Krumlauf was chosen as the commencement speaker by students and covered a lot of ground in a 10-minute speech that Krumlauf joked was only supposed to last 6 minutes.

A transplant from Illinois who arrived in the valley in 2004, Krumlauf said there isn’t a more beautiful place to live and work, but added that what truly sets this valley apart is the people who call it home.

Decorated caps were plentiful at Battle Mountain’s commencement on Saturday in Vail.

“We live in a place where people vacation, but it is a community. It’s our community,” he said. “You may move away, you might stay put, but always remember where you came from as this place is special. Why? Because of the people that have made it their home.”

He added: “I am blessed in how Battle Mountain taught me what a true community looks like and how in my new job, I’m reminded how important community is and always will be.”

Brecklyn Honan gives the Charge to Class speech during Battle Mountain’s commencement on Saturday in Vail.
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily

Krumlauf then ran down a long list of thank yous to the Class of 2025, whose graduates taught him so much.

“Thank you for being you. Thank you for taking risks when it wasn’t a popular opinion. Thank you for making me better. Thank you for loving each other. Thank you for truly being there for each other when times were hard. Thank you for failing and learning from your mistakes,” he said. “Thank you for bringing me a frosty if you were late getting back from lunch, even though you were a freshman and you weren’t allowed to leave campus.”

Krumlauf then ended his speech the way “almost every freshman essay would end about four years ago.”

The Battle Mountain Altitude Choir sings “The Road Home” during commencement on Saturday in Vail.
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily

“In conclusion,” he said, “this class gave me an opportunity to speak today. And at the end of today, for the rest of my life, I would have regretted not being a part of your guys’ celebration. I can’t thank you enough. Seize the opportunities that all of you will have and bring the best out of yourself and each other. Flow like a river, be as strong as a mountain, and be brighter than the sun. At the end of the day, just send it.”

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