With tears, cheers and a heartfelt thank you to retiring principal Kiffany Kiewiet, 345 Westminster High School seniors received their diplomas Thursday night at the C.U. Events center. 

“Trust your mind and trust your voice, because you matter," said Valedictorian Samantha Morales-Jurado who will be attending CU Denver to study Human Biology. “You matter when everyone around you believes in you and you matter if the only person that believes in you is yourself.” 

While Principal Kiffany Kiewiet kept the focus on her graduating students, including her son Mason, everyone was aware that it was her final year as principal. Next year she is moving into the WPS Human Resources Department. 

Superintendent Jeni Gotto thanked Kiewiet for ten years at the helm of the school. “Your impact can’t be measured just in years, but in the lives you’ve touched. You’ve been more than a principal, you’ve been a mentor, a cheerleader, a listener, and a steady leader,” Gotto said. 

In her remarks, Kiewiet asked the students to carry with them the words to a Rascal Flatts song that has meaning to her.

Let your dreams stay big and your worries stay small.

“There’s so much wrapped up in that simple lyric,” Kiewiet said. “Let your dreams stay big— not just in size, but in courage. Don’t shrink them to fit the mold." She later added, “And let your worries stay small — not because life won’t bring challenges, but because you’ll know how to face them.”

Students also heard from Salutatorian Lindeiwe Manyotwane who is headed to Howard University in Washington D.C. to study biology. 

“And now, we stand on the edge of something brand new. It’s scary, exciting, uncertain — and completely ours to define,” she told her classmates. “So, as we move forward into the next chapter … let’s remember one thing: If we can survive four years of random dress-up days, awkward dances, and crazy passing periods, we can handle anything life throws at us.”
 

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