Devon Bunselmeyer talks with case manager Jamee Calentine before summer school graduation on Aug. 1, 2019 at West Salem High School (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter)
Devon Bunselmeyer wasn’t on anyone’s list of potential summer graduates.
The Sprague High School student failed every class he took his senior year and was five credits shy of a diploma when the rest of his class graduated in June.
Like many classmates short on credits, he enrolled in summer classes, hoping to make up the difference. Salem-Keizer summer school staff thought it was too many classes to do in one summer and assumed he’d enroll as a fifth-year senior.
“I told them every single day, get that cap and gown ready, because I’m walking,” Bunselmeyer said.
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On Thursday night, he walked across the West Salem High School auditorium stage with about 30 other summer graduates from every high school in Salem-Keizer.
They were among nearly 50 students who weren’t able to graduate in June but have crossed the finish line over the past two months. Not all opted to walk at the ceremony.
In a brief but emotional ceremony, district leaders acknowledged the extra work students did to finish high school.
“For some of you, it would have been easier to quit,” Superintendent Christy Perry said to the group. “You could have given up and you didn’t. You chose the finish line even though it was a little harder.”
Newly-elected school board member Danielle Bethell mingled with students before the ceremony, asking about plans and sharing encouragement.
She spoke after Perry, telling the group that she struggled to finish high school and spent some of her teenage years homeless. Bethell finished three credits shy at McKay High School and had to make up the work over the summer.
“I’m an elected official … I’m a mom, I own three businesses. I didn’t graduate with the rest of my class,” she said, to cheers from the graduates and their families and friends.
Salem-Keizer school board member Danielle Bethell speaks at summer school graduation on Aug. 1, 2019 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter)
Bunselmeyer said he’s struggled to stay engaged in school for most of his life. His home life was difficult in early years, and his father was a drug addict who was rarely around.
Eight years ago, Bunselmeyer’s father got sober and encouraged him to attend Alateen meetings to talk with other young people whose lives had been affected by a family member’s addiction. It was something he looked forward to.
“It allowed me to talk about my feelings every day,” he said.
As a freshman at Sprague, he was diagnosed with ADHD and began performing better after starting medication, but by sophomore year, his grades were beginning to slip again. He understood lessons well but had trouble turning in homework.
By senior year, he rarely attended classes.
He said teachers told him, “You act like one of the smartest kids in class but you don’t prove it.”
After senior year ended, Bunselmeyer said he looked back and decided to make graduating a priority. In summer school, he was paired with Jamee Calentine, a case manager who called him daily to check on his progress.
“He wanted to prove everyone wrong because he was told he couldn’t get it done this summer,” Calentine said. She told him, “It’s not up to anyone else what you can do.”
To finish his classes, he woke up around 7 a.m. daily and worked until 1:30 p.m. before heading to his job stocking shelves at Walmart. When he got off work around 10 p.m., Bunselmeyer said he’d continue his studies, sometimes staying up until 2 or 3 a.m.
He finished his last test July 24 and called Calentine to let her know.
“He thanked me for staying on top of him and keeping him going and not giving up on him,” she said. The phone call made her year.
“It was just so thoughtful. Not everybody would do that,” she said.
Devon Bunselmeyer embraces his father, Douglas, at graduation. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter)
At graduation, staff read each student’s name and a sentence about their plans. One was heading to the U.S. Army. Several listed colleges and universities, while others said they simply planned to get a job or live their best lives.
Bunselmeyer enjoys working at Walmart and wants to continue, heading into a management role. He’s planning to attend Chemeketa Community College and wants to study business, eventually earning a four-year degree.
His father has been his biggest advocate, celebrating when Bunselmeyer finished his summer classes.
“They called up my dad and he started crying over the phone,” he said.
Reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
