The Routsong Family Story: Graduation 2026

Thursday, May 28, 2026

Graduation 2026

Cooper has officially graduated from high school. How can that be? Where has the time gone? He was nominated from his class to be the 2026 graduation peer speaker at the ceremony. My mom and dad, Grandma And Grandpa Hutchinson, flew in from Salt Lake City for the graduation ceremony and Cooper’s grad party this weekend. That was special to have them here this time. This group of kids that is graduating is a special group. Nate has coached many of them in basketball since middle school and Those players hold a very special plate in his heart. They all are doing amazing things and spreading across the country and the world.

Cooper speech was phenomenal. He usually procrastinate, and he did the same with his speech, but he worked hard on it and couldn’t get it down to less than 25 minutes. He had a lot to say and a lot to share. He shared the story about Boy Scout, summer camp, and eating minnows with the older Scouts. He shared the shame and guilt he felt from that experience. He was able to bring that story around and learn a significant light life lesson from that experience. He was able to understand that his perspective as a child was so limited And narrow. He also experienced quitting something and encouraged the group not to quit because of fear or embarrassment, but to push forward and keep going. It’s very mature for him to be able to take an experience that impacted him so intensely and be able to turn it around and find a life lesson out of it. I’m a proud mama!

The graduates walked across the stage and took their diploma and we clapped and cheered. Cooper has had some amazing mentors at the high school. Those teachers have stuck with Oak farm high school for a very long time now and their presence has impacted the high school significantly. Cooper can call upon any of those teachers as references, mentors, and seek advice from any of them, and they would happily support him.