Sterling High School honors students for academic achievement at ceremony

Sterling High School used its auditorium Monday to put academic achievement in the spotlight, turning a school ceremony into a public show of support for students, families and teachers.

Assistant Principal Mark Appelhans opened the event by welcoming guests and underscoring a point that resonated beyond the stage, student success is not only about intelligence. The message fit a ceremony built around effort, discipline and the day-to-day habits that often decide who thrives in the classroom.

The recognition also came at a moment when RE-1 Valley School District is pointing to broader academic momentum across Logan County. The district says it has been recognized among Northeast Colorado districts with graduation rates above the state four-year average of 85.6%, a mark that gives added weight to ceremonies like the one at Sterling High. In a district that serves 1,913 students across 6 schools from its headquarters at 301 Hagen Street in Sterling, public celebrations of achievement help reinforce what the system says it values most.

That message is reflected in Sterling High School’s own public tagline, “Where we expect success and nothing less.” The ceremony aligned with that standard by recognizing students in front of the people who see their work closest, classmates, staff members and parents. Even without centering on a single award or one standout scholar, the event made the case that academic recognition matters as a schoolwide signal. It tells younger students what earns notice, and it tells families that the school is tracking more than attendance and test scores.

The timing also mattered. The Class of 2026 is set to graduate Saturday, May 23, at 10 a.m. in Wally Post Gym, so the spring recognition offered one more public marker of progress before seniors cross the stage. For a district led by Superintendent Dustin Hunt, the ceremony added a local measure of how Sterling High is shaping academic culture now, not just at graduation but across the full school year.