Friday, Sherman High School 2024 Valedictorian Leif Inocian and Salutatorian Rachel Hammett, along with hundreds of their classmates, will make that walk across the stage into the world of post high school life.
The graduation ceremony will take place at Bearcat Stadium, 200 N. Rusk Street. Gates open at 5 p.m., and the ceremony will start at 7 p.m.
Named after the Viking Leif Erikson, Inocian, is a musician who plans to become a doctor. Hammett, also a musician, plans to be a doctor as well, but her patients will be animals as she plans to become a veterinarian.
“I am a Filipino-American whose parents, Lyle and Cleo Inocian, migrated to the U.S. from the Philippines in 2002,” Inocian said when asked to describe himself. “I have lived in Texas for a good chunk of my life. I love to travel to new places and I enjoy playing music with my violin and piano. I spend my free time reading an occasional book, playing video games, and watching Formula 1.”
The 18-year-old transferred from a Durant, Oklahoma elementary school to Neblett Elementary School when his father’s work brought the family to Sherman.
“Switching schools was a challenge as I had to start over in making friends,” he recalled. “I must have loved my new school as I remembered getting an award for perfect attendance.”
Inocian said his life in high school has revolved around music.
“It must be from the influence of my relatives. My aunts and uncles, most of them, play an instrument,” he said noting that his first instrument was the piano which he has studied for 14 years with the Lesa Hicks Piano Studio.
“I participated in the Sherman High School Chamber Orchestra because I find the most enjoyment in music. I started off in the first violin section, the leader of the cleanup crew, then the club secretary, and eventually its concertmaster during my junior year,” he said
But music wasn’t his only extracurricular activity. He was also a member the school’s National Honor Society chapter. ”
The responsibilities I took on as an officer helped me develop as a leader,” he said of the experience. In addition, he was a part of the United Way of Grayson County’s Philanthropy Internship in the summer of 2021.
“What started as just volunteer work is now a part of my weekend routine. I made meaningful connections with the people at St. Mary’s Church Choir, the Grand Central Station – The Dining Car Soup Kitchen, the nursing homes, and the local hospital. They all have become my extended family.
Inocian will be spending his summer after graduation getting a jump on his future career goals.
“I am starting EMS school this summer to start building up a portfolio for a medical school application,” he said. He has always wanted to be a doctor, he said, since a family member suffered a medical emergency and was saved by doctors.
“Physicians are indeed miracle workers and I want to be in that position to keep a family together,” he said.
Inocian will be pursing that goal of becoming a doctor at Texas Christian University on a four-year, full tuition scholarship.
“I first heard of Texas Christian University from Mrs. Truly, my AP English Language and Composition teacher, and whose son is an alumnus of TCU’s medical school. I did my first campus visit in my junior year and found TCU to be very welcoming,” he said noting that the school’s proximity to home isn’t a negative thing either.
“I am a Sherman Bearcat turning into a Horned Frog. I will do my best to not just be worthy but to make Sherman High School and TCU proud of taking a chance on me for this opportunity,” he said.
The Sherman High School Chamber Orchestra was a favorite part of Inocian’s high school career.
“It was where I found my niche. As an ensemble, the orchies collaborated to prepare for concerts and UIL competitions. We put in many hours of practice time especially when we started to learn new pieces of music. We felt that sense of pride and accomplishment after a great performance and when we earned sweepstakes at UIL competitions. Best of all, Michael Moore (our orchestra director) was always there and supportive in the best possible way, challenging us to reach our potential. Although I was unable to continue with the school orchestra in my senior year because of AP class schedule conflict, I had the chance to be a part of the Sherman Symphony Orchestra for two seasons. I had the best time rehearsing and learning from professional musicians,” he explained.
Music also played a part in the thing he enjoyed most about his senior year.
“The ‘Oklahoma!’ musical was a blast. It was a challenge being a part of it, especially that I had no prior experience on being an instrumentalist for a musical. Though it was very demanding (time-wise) preparing for the performance dates as we were crunched for time, the late hours of rehearsals were all worth it. Being part of something which the musical players, dancers, choreographers, and the crew all had passion for was what drove me to keep on going. It was special<” he said.
Studying with friends to get keep their high GPA standards is something Inocian is going to miss when he leaves Sherman High.
“The last stretch of senior year was tough considering the goals in getting a good GPA and test score. Friends of mine formed a study group and we sure did bond trying to understand problems and concepts. We have helped each other out to stay in the game. I will miss that bond especially knowing that we will take different career paths and will attend different universities. I will miss all my teachers for they have challenged me in the best of ways to do well.”
He also remembered his experience as a statesman to the Texas Boys State in the summer after his junior year as a meaningful activity.
“I was eager to go but at the same time apprehensive because I knew that Texas Boys State was not just about leadership, but debate and athletics as well, which were not my strong points. I went out of my comfort zone, ran at the games, sought office, and won a congressional seat. The week-long experience, together with over 800 juniors from 362 high schools in Texas, was memorable. I hope others would apply to join juniors from across Texas in the next summers in Austin,” he said.
Hammett, 18, started school in Sherman from the very beginning and her family was musical as well.
“My family is a band family; my parents and older sisters all enjoyed being in band, so it was a natural choice for me to join the band too,” she said.
But music wasn’t her only artistic outlet.
“I have been drawn to art from a very young age, so when my older sister raved about how much she loved her high school art teacher, I knew I wanted to pursue art at the high school level so I could have Mrs. Young as my teacher,” she explained.
The aspiring veterinarian said she has always loved animals and that love led her to start a rabbit project through FFA. She also enjoyed being on the school’s golf team in her junior year.
In addition, she loved being involved in service organizations.
“Leo Club, a service club affiliated with the Lions Club, has been near and dear to the hearts of all the Hammett girls. My oldest sister played a key role in growing the popularity of the club nine years ago when she was in high school, and since then all four of us have held officer positions, with three of us being presidents. My favorite thing about Leo Club is that it’s completely optional. Most colleges and scholarship committees don’t even know what the club is by just hearing the name, so everyone that joins genuinely has a passion to serve the community,” she said.
She was also a member of the National Honor Society, serving as president her senior year.
“Our sponsor, Mrs. Truly, is the reason I chose to be more involved with the organization. I was drawn to her passion and commitment to getting things done orderly and efficiently,” Hammett said.
In the fall, she is planning on following a family tradition for college.
“I will be the ninth person in my family to attend Texas A&M University. Not only does A&M have a great school atmosphere and many Christian organizations to get plugged into, but it aligns perfectly with my future career plans. I have wanted to be a veterinarian since kindergarten career day, and A&M has a top ranked vet school that I hope to attend after undergrad. I will be majoring in Business Honors at Mays Business School, a degree I believe will be valuable when operating a vet clinic in the future.”
Hammett said she is going to miss being a part of so many different groups within Sherman High School.
“I loved being a part of the mellophone section in the band, I’ve met some of my best friends there. I
loved volunteering with Mrs. Wroe and the Leo Club, it was so fulfilling and fun at the same time.”
She will also miss her teachers and special classes.
For instance, in her senior year, she enjoyed AP 3D Art and learning how to make ceramics on a pottery wheel.
“I love that I can create physical objects that will always remind me of high school.”
Additionally, she said, “I’m going to miss my teachers. I have had some of the kindest and funniest people as teachers and I will miss them. I have had some teachers for multiple years, and I’ll miss seeing familiar faces in the hallways every day.”
In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to Sherman High School, 2907 West Travis Street.
“A decision to relocate the graduation ceremony to Sherman High School due to inclement weather will be made by 3 p.m. the date of the ceremony if needed. Relocation information will be shared with parents and students via phone call, email, text message, district website, and social media. If no announcement is made, graduation will continue as scheduled,” the district’s website said.
