Graduation Season: A Milestone Week for 1,150 Watertown Graduates
- Steve Jurrens
- May 11
- 3 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The Watertown community is bracing for a “whirlwind” week of celebration as both Lake Area Technical College (LATC) and Watertown High School (WHS) reported that a combined 1,150 students are eligible to receive diplomas this month.
During Monday’s school board meeting, officials detailed a packed schedule of parades, cultural ceremonies, and traditional commencements that mark the end of the 2025-2026 academic year.
Lake Area Tech: Historical Firsts and “Grad Fest”
LATC President Tiffany Sanderson informed the board that 883 students are eligible to complete their programs by the end of the summer, with approximately 610 expected to walk during the main commencement on Friday, May 15, at 4:00 PM at the Civic Arena.
The Class of 2026 includes several milestones for the college:
· New Programs: This will be the first graduating class to include completers from the Uncrewed Aerial Systems program.
· Inaugural Choir: For the first time, a Lake Area Tech choir will perform the national anthem at the ceremony.
· High-Demand Fields: The largest graduating groups remain in Diesel Technology (120 graduates), Agriculture (93), and Licensed Practical Nursing (88).
The festivities kick off Thursday, May 14, with “Grad Fest,” featuring a parade starting at McKinley Park at 4:00 PM that travels down Kemp Avenue. The public is invited to campus afterward for games, music, and a chance to put instructors in a dunk tank.
“Commencement speaker this year is Matt Michels... his early career started in nursing, he served in the Navy, he was an EMT, so his early years reflect a lot of the work that our graduates will be entering into,” Sanderson noted.
Watertown High School: Student Leadership and Traditions
WHS Principal Patty McClemans reported a total of 267 high school graduates, with 260 participating in the ceremony on Sunday, May 24, at 2:00 PM. In a shift toward student-led celebrations, the ceremony will be moderated by student MCs and feature addresses by Sarah Lee and Allison Conrad.
One of the most anticipated traditions, the “Elementary Walk,” will take place on May 18. Seniors will return to the hallways of their former elementary schools to receive high-fives and encouragement from younger students.
“Our kids are excited to be able to go back in those hallways and have that experience,” McClemans said. “We love seeing the little guys at the schools, and they get excited when they get to do the high fives”.
This year’s ceremony will also feature a new recognition for students entering the National Guard or Armed Forces. Following a recent change in state law, these students will be permitted to wear military-issued stoles or sashes over their graduation gowns.
A Shared Celebration of Heritage
Both institutions will join together on Thursday, May 14, at 6:00 PM in the D.D. Miller Auditorium for the Native American Honoring Ceremony. A total of 32 students—17 from LATC and 15 from WHS—will be recognized.
The ceremony is deeply personal; WHS teachers make ribbon skirts for female graduates and ribbon shirts for males. During the event, families tie a medicine wheel into the students’ hair, and Lake Area students are presented with an eagle feather.
For those unable to attend the WHS commencement in person, the event will be livestreamed via Arrow TV.
Upcoming Graduation Schedule:
· Thursday, May 14: LATC Grad Fest Parade (4:00 PM); Native American Honoring Ceremony (6:00 PM).
· Friday, May 15: LATC Commencement at Civic Arena (4:00 PM).
· Sunday, May 24: WHS Commencement at Civic Arena (2:00 PM).
