‘Don’t give up’

The quiet is what appeals to New Vision High School senior Ray Hansen when he goes hiking or fishing. He enjoys getting away from the noise of the city and simply being in nature.

He’s been eager for June and warmer days to arrive so he can hike the two miles into his favorite lake near Cataldo and do a little fishing. Attempting the hike in the middle of May proved impossible because of the amount of snow still on the ground.

Hansen has just one credit left, and he’ll be finished with high school, and he anticipated receiving that credit this past week. Then it’s the formality of graduation Thursday. Looking forward to next fall, he intends to continue his education at North Idaho College.

Ray hasn’t decided if he’ll pursue computer science, following in his dad’s footsteps, or whether criminal justice is more appealing to him.

As for attending New Vision High School, “I didn’t like the early mornings,” he said. “I did like all my teachers. They gave us a lot of one-on-one time.”

Senior adviser Peggy Harriman said Hansen came from Post Falls High School lacking 12 credits to graduate. “He was on the verge of dropping out of school, but with encouragement from family and friends he decided to stay,” she said.

Not only did Hansen earn his necessary credits to graduate on time, he also worked hard and was allowed to play varsity baseball for Post Falls High.

“We did okay,” Hansen said of his team. “We competed well against the other schools.”

He is the son of Anna Danez and Greg Hansen. Hansen has an older sister and a younger brother.

Soft spoken, Hansen’s voice filled with warmth and pride as he told what it took to get to graduation.

“There were times I thought I wasn’t going to make it and fell behind a lot, but I didn’t give up,” he said.

His advice to other students is the same: Regardless of your challenges, “don’t give up.”