Fairfield High School senior Haleigh Strickland delivers the commencement address during Sunday's graduation ceremony at Trojan Stadium. (Andy Hallman/The Union)

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FAIRFIELD – The Fairfield High School Class of 2025 closed the book on their K-12 education at Sunday afternoon’s graduation ceremony.

School board president Meghan Dowd Robbins gave the class her well wishes, and the class’s commencement speaker Haleigh Strickland reflected on life as a Trojan. Strickland was one of only two seniors on the basketball team, and she had three different coaches during her career. Strickland encouraged her classmates to always persevere in the face of adversity, reciting the famous aphorism, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

The Union caught up with a few of the graduating seniors to ask about their favorite memories in school, and how those experiences laid the foundation for their future career paths.

JOSH MINEART

Josh Mineart was active in yearbook, band, bowling, National Honor Society and FFA. His fondest memories are from pep band. He and the other drummers tried to play with as much enthusiasm as they could, putting every ounce of effort into their drum set.

“The percussionists’ goal was always to break a stick, to prove that you were playing really hard,” he said. “I never got to break one, but I was really close.”

He said that FHS social studies teacher Jake Engel was one of his favorite teachers.

“He always made learning very exciting,” Mineart said. “He was passionate about what he taught, and I really had an interest in history as well. He was just really excited every single day.”

Mineart plans to attend the University of Northern Iowa to major in psychology and minor in mental health to later become a clinical therapist. During the COVID pandemic, Mineart spent a lot of time talking with friends and helping them deal with problems. He realized that he had a passion for helping people in this way, and liked the idea of studying mental illnesses and how to deal with them.

SHAYLA PALMER

Shayla Palmer said she was not in many activities during high school, but on a whim, decided to try out for band and color guard her senior year, and she made it.

“I figured that since I had the time, I might as well,” she said.

This experience supplied her most cherished memories of high school. She said the highlight of her time in school was participating in the color guard and marching band during home football games.

“It was a very different experience from anything else,” she said.

Palmer said one of her favorite teachers was FHS social studies and history instructor Ian Stabbe. She said he was a hard teacher, and his classes were tough, but he’s also given her a lot of advice that helped her get through high school.

This fall, Palmer will enroll at Kirkwood Community College to study graphic design and possibly film studies, then later transfer to the University of Iowa.

“Graphic design is a very flexible major, and I know I want to do something art-oriented,” she said.

Palmer said that she was inspired to pursue art by FHS art teacher David Kraemer, another one of her favorite teachers, who she said has been very supportive.

MADISON YARNELL-SHAW

Madison Yarnell-Shaw was among the seniors who performed with Vox choir that afternoon. She said that her time in choir was one of the highlights of her high school career, especially the choir’s trip to Disney World in Florida over spring break a few months ago.

“We performed with some of the Disney people, and we got to visit all the theme parks,” she said. “It was exhilarating. I had never been before, and I definitely want to go back.”

Yarnell-Shaw said her favorite teachers are Robin Wendland, who she had for middle school band, and Lisa Myers, who she had for algebra. Yarnell-Shaw said Wendland is like a “mother figure” who will listen to any students’ concerns and give them feedback.

“She made me feel like I had a purpose in school, and that I could confide in her whenever I needed to,” Yarnell-Shaw said. “Even though she’s not family, she shows up for everything that I’m in.”

Yarnell-Shaw said Myers goes the extra mile to care for her students.

“She called my mom one summer just to check up on me, which was really nice,” she said. “One time I got sick for about a week, and she called my mom really upset. She was making sure I was OK, and I’ve never had a teacher check on me before.”

Yarnell-Shaw plans to attend the University of Iowa to study criminology, law and justice, with a minor in psychology. She said it would be nice to end up working for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, but if that’s not in the cards, then she’d also enjoy working with children.

“I just want to know why people do what they do, to know their thought process,” she said.

CAMERON MCLAIN

Cameron McLain has been helping on his parents’ farm and working with hogs since he was a boy. In fact, he and younger brother Calvin were making money power washing hog barns while they were still in middle school.

McLain said his favorite activities include participating in 4-H, FFA and showing cattle at the fair. His favorite classes in school involved agriculture, and his favorite teachers are FHS ag instructor Elly Stremsterfer, FHS math teacher Lisa Myers and At-Risk Coordinator Nate Watson.

McLain’s immediate plans are to work at Iowa Repair Shop on the west edge of Fairfield. His long-term plans include farming and building his hog business.

When asked to think about his greatest memory from school, McLain said that everything he did was memorable.

“There was not a thing I regret, not a thing, I can tell you that,” he said. “I lived life to the fullest.”