Published: May 08, 2008 11:49 pm         

Enid’s Lincoln Academy holds its Senior Appreciation Night Thursday

As Amanda Vaughan practiced the speech she would give during Lincoln Academy’s Senior Appreciation Night on Thursday, she wiped away tears.

“I’m going to cry tonight,” Vaughan told Jarry Hillman, Lincoln’s director.

“It’s perfect. Don’t change a thing,” Hillman told her.

Vaughan is one of 50 seniors who will graduate from Enid High School via Lincoln May 16.

In her speech, she mentioned how Lincoln’s teachers care about the students “beyond the classroom.”

“We’re not just a name in the grade book,” Vaughan said. “We’re like a family here.”

Fellow senior Chris Caffey agrees.

“The smaller class size makes it easier to get things done,” he said. “You can get more attention from the teachers.”

They are full of praise for their soon-to-be alma mater and want to dispel the notion Lincoln is for “bad kids” only.

“People ask what I did to go there,” Caffey said. “But I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Hillman said this class will be advocates for the school as they pursue post-graduation activities.

“I think they will be very successful,” he said. “This class is intelligent, well-behaved, very responsible and mature.”

Both Vaughan and Caffey plan to attend Autry Technology Center after receiving their high school diplomas. Vaughan said she wants to obtain her real estate license at Autry but eventually wants to become an archaeologist. Caffey plans to study the automotive industry.

In its 16th year of existence, Lincoln Academy has provided opportunities for students to learn at their own pace.

“It has filled a void and serves students who would have fallen through the cracks,” said Kent Chesser, vocational training instructor.

Hillman said the only rule set in stone is there are no rules set in stone.

“We try to adjust to meet students’ needs,” he said.