Twenty-nine students were in the Winter Sports School 2024 graduating class. Most started their day on the slopes of Park City Mountain for opening day.
The publicly-funded school follows an alternative schedule: classes run from April to November so student-athletes can focus on their chosen sport during the winter season.
That’s why senior Dyllan Guay enrolled. As a freestyle aerial skier, she said she missed too much class time before attending Winter Sports School. Now, Guay is excited to graduate.
“I’m so excited, four long years, but it's really cool that we were able to really push the limits in our sport because of it,” she said.
Guay will compete this winter and said she might take a gap year to compete next year as well. After that, she wants to ski at a Division 1 college.
Senior Cate Mceneany said she attended the school for the small class sizes and to have flexibility in the winter.
“I came from Park City High School, so coming to the Winter Sports School is a big change, but I have loved it so much. I've gotten to know every single person in our class and just have a true connection with everybody,” she said.
Mceneany will compete in alpine skiing this winter and attend college next fall.
But the Winter Sports School isn’t just for students who compete in snow sports. Senior Finley Clark joined the school when he was a ski racer. But when he switched to a summer sport, he stayed for the community.
"It was a really good environment. The teachers are amazing there, and it's just such a friendly environment that it's hard to move away from that,” he said.
The school’s small class sizes lend themselves to intimate graduation ceremonies. Head of School Tess Miner-Farra wrote personal letters to each student in the graduating class and shared anecdotes about students during her speech, including Guay and Mceneany.
“I'll be pining recalling the indefatigable, joyful energy with which Cate seems to move through life,” she said.
Izzy Worthington recalled fond memories during her speech.
“Xander Demers and Austin Glidden, aka glitz. Some people bring sandwiches or maybe leftovers for lunch, but not Austin Glidden and Xander. No, they would bring five-course meals,” she said. “I swear I would be in the middle stressing over an English assignment, and behind me, Austin or Xander would be sitting there casually eating an entire rack of ribs like it was the most normal thing in the world.”
Olympic gold medalist Picabo Street gave the commencement address. Her message to the graduating class was to find their tribes; having a support system is the key to success.
Picaboo Street said the Winter Sports School is one of the students’ tribes, and they can belong to it for the rest of their life.
