Their summer is half over and soon it will be August.

The Hayfield High School class of 2008 will be moving on.

College, the military, the work force, farming or other endeavors.

High school will be behind them. Fifty-six young men and women with high school diplomas.

The Hayfield High School class of 2008 was an A to Z affair: Ross John Akkerman to Katie Jo Zubke.

Brandon Macrafic, the high school principal, called the class of 2008 a “very tight-knit group of students.”

He said the mix of students was a “well-rounded” graduating class who were “academically gifted.

“A good percentage of the graduates plan to go on to post-secondary education,” Macrafic said. “Others plan to join the U.S. Armed Forces and a few will stay home and work on the farm or other jobs in the area.”

Macrafic said, “I know these kids better after being a part of their lives as the principal for three years,” he said. “I think we developed some good relationships.”

The class of 2008 was unique in many respects not the least of which was their decision to offer a poem for their class motto as graduates.

The poem titled “Facing Graduation” reads as follows:

“Faces of old and faces of new,

People we know and people we knew,

Growing together, then drifting apart,

Always an ending and now a new start,

At graduation we all grow nearer,

And all of our friends seem so much dearer,

And as we say our final good-bye,

One last embrace and one more cry,

A ‘Keep in touch’ and a ‘Promise I will,’

A “Remember when?’ but better still,

A place in my heart you will always stay,

This is what’s said as we go our own way.”

The class of 2008 chose blue, black and silver for their class colors and the yellow rose as their class flower.

Academically, the class had co-valedictorians.

Leslie Wilson, daughter of Bob and Donna Wilson, was one valedictorian.

Her activities included National Honor Society, Student Council, Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD), Target Team, STARS, band, basketball and volleyball.

Wilson plans to attend Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, and study nursing and play on the women’s basketball team.

Darin Wagner was the other co-valedictorian. He is the son of Corey and Jana Wagner.

His school activities included Student Council SADD, Target Team, Ruecker’s Rangers, football, basketball and baseball.

He plans to attend Gustavus Adolphus College and study pre-pharmacy or physical sciences and play varsity football and baseball.

The class salutatorian was Meagan Sergeant, daughter of John and Jill Kruger.

Sergeant was active in SADD, Target Team, STARS, class officer, Ruecker’s Rangers, National Honor Society, softball, band, choir, folk group and football water person.

She plans to attend South Dakota State University this fall and major in pre-pharmacy.