Baker High School’s class of 2022 has had a wild few years, with the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in the spring of their sophomore year.

But after enduring months of distance learning as sophomores and juniors, the Class of 2022 will conclude a much more normal senior year with graduation set for this Saturday, June 4.

The ceremony is slated to take place at 2 p.m. at Baker Bulldog Memorial Stadium, Ninth and East streets. The alternate location, if the weather doesn’t cooperate, is the BHS gymnasium.

The National Weather Service is forecasting rain showers on Saturday, with a high temperature of about 65 degrees.

Graduation has traditionally been scheduled for Sunday.

But BHS Principal Skye Flanagan said that over the years school officials have had frequent requests from families and friends of students to move the ceremony to Saturday.

“When you have it on Sunday, it kind of limits people’s ability to travel home and that kind of stuff over the weekend,” Flanagan said.

The Baker School Board decided to make the change starting with the Class of 2022.

The senior class chose as its speaker Joe Wilson, a language arts teacher.

Wilson, 38, has been teaching at BHS for three years. He lives in La Grande.

Wilson said he was surprised when the students invited him to address them on such a memorable occasion.

“But it feels good,” he said. “I’ve been working with these kids for three years, so it’s kind of a nice little end cap for them or for me.”

Wilson said his message will be “focus on who you want to be, and less on what you want to do.”

The Class of 2022 has four valedictorians: Emma Baeth, Caitlin Lien, Sarah Plummer and Phoebe Wise.

Megan Hurley is the class salutatorian.

Other academic and athletic awards were handed out during senior awards night on May 25.

BHS honor students, top 10% of graduating class

Emma Baeth, Caitlin Lien, Sarah Plummer, Phoebe Wise, Megan Hurley, Brianna Stadler, Sydnee Hallett, Sydney Lamb

BHS honors diploma, 3.5 GPA or above for 7 1/2 semesters with six honors courses

Emma Baeth, Caitlin Lien, Sarah Plummer, Phoebe Wise, Megan Hurley, Brianna Stadler, Sydnee Hallett, Sydney Lamb

Academic excellence award, 3.5 GPA or above for 7 semesters

Emma Baeth, Caitlin Lien, Sarah Plummer, Phoebe Wise, Megan Hurley, Brianna Stadler, Sydnee Hallett, Sydney Lamb, Owen Higdon, Savannah Brown, Gauge Bloomer, Silas Carter, Julie Robinson, Alexis Conant, Jesse Maldonado, Daniel Wachtel, Wyatt Hawkins, Iriana Rosales, Gavin Stone, Katherine Wilde

Outstanding Senior Girl Athlete

Brianna Stadler

Outstanding Senior Boy Athlete

Silas Carter

Outstanding Senior Girl

Savannah Brown

Outstanding Senior Boy

Gauge Bloomer

PATHWAY AWARDS Agriculture

Emma Baeth, Ronald Borello, Lacy Churchfield, Gerardo Gonzalez, Majestic Grove, Quinton Johnson, Zach Morrison, Emrie Osborn, Kadence Parsons, Ricardo Rodriguez-Duran, Iriana Rosales, Kevin Stellman, Katherine Wilde

Business

Jose Arenas, Caitlin Lien, Phoebe Wise

Computer Science

Jose Arenas, Zack Morrison, Sarah Plummer

Construction

Adrian Allen, Gerardo Gonzalez

C

ulinary Arts

Desmond Dommeyer, Alex Hobbs

Engineering

Caitlin Lien, Zack Morrison

Health Services

Emma Baeth, Lacy Churchfield, Promise Hughes, Sydney Lamb, Iriana Rosales, Gavin Stone, Katherine Wilde

Performing Arts

Dakota Ballou, Promise Hughes, Sebastian Penning, Aiyana Radford, Alanda Torres, Ayden Welk

Visual Arts

Alexis Conant, Kailyse Fuss, Sydnee Hallett, LaKota Horal, Megan Hurley, Jasmine Martell, Brianna Stadler, Phoebe Wise

Manufacturing, Welding & Metal Technology

Adrian Allen, Gauge Bloomer, Ronald Borello, Connor Chastain, Connor Chavis, Mariano Duran-Puente, Quinton Johnson, Marco Rosales, Cody Skidgel, Austen Zemmer