The 100th annual commencement of Bexley High School was held on Sunday May 29 in the Carlton Smith Stadium. The program featured the presentation of proclamations from State Representative Kristin Boggs and Bexley Mayor, Ben Kessler. High School Principal Kristin Robbins read a proclamation recognizing the occasion from Governor Mike DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted. Student commencement addresses were given by Roshan Sivaraman and Quinn Hall. The keynote address was provided by Kyle Peterson. A 1983 Bexley alum, Peterson is former executive director of the Walton Family Foundation, which donated $2.3 billion to children’s education and environmental initiatives between 2014 and 2018. Peterson gave three pieces of advice: go out and explore the world, embrace regret and become someone who can solve problems.
The Class of 2022 is the 89th class to graduate from Bexley’s current high school on Cassingham Road which opened for classes in 1932 with 500 students in the six upper grades. The first class to graduate from “the new high school” in 1933 numbered just over 100. The first Bexley High School is now Montrose Elementary School. The first high school actually housed students in grades 7-12. Graduating classes throughout the 1920s averaged between 20 and 40 students, compared to the 2022 Bexley High School graduating class of 180 students. Additionally, the first Torch yearbook (now called the Bexleo), published in 1926, noted that of the 20 members of the senior class, most intended to attend college after graduation, indicating the long history of academic excellence that continues today.
A recording of the commencement is available here.