Niles Project Graduation

05/09/2026

Today's Senior Spotlight is Ailin Cruz-Hernandez!

Next year she plans to continue her 5th year program at Lake Michigan College as she pursues her goal of becoming a Pediatrician with an intention of transferring to University later.

Her favorite band memory was creating a second family and making unforgettable memories together, especially at football games.

Congrats, Ailin! Excited to see you helping little ones in the future!

05/08/2026

✨Top Ten Spotlight✨

Graduating seventh in her class is Rose Bulmer. Rose is the daughter of Nicholas and Jennifer Foster. During high school Rose was involved with the New Tech program, attended YLS 2025 conference and dual enrolled for junior and senior year. After high school Rose plans to graduate from LMC then transfer to another higher school. Rose’s hobbies include gaming, reading, dystopian world building in media. Her advice to underclassmen: Stick to your plans.

05/07/2026

Today's Senior Spotlight is Erius Bower!

Erius will be attending the University of Rhode Island to study Marine Biology. A favorite memory of his time in band were the times spent singing on bus rides when he was a Freshman.

We will miss your incredible positive influence and attitude, Erius, good luck!

05/06/2026

✨Top Ten Spotlight✨

Graduating eighth in her class is McKenna Albright, daughter of Heather and August Albright. McKenna is a four-year varsity softball player, earning All-Conference Honorable Mention in 2025 and Academic All-State recognition. She has served as President of Business Professionals of America (2024–2026) and previously as Historian (2022–2024), as well as President of National Honor Society (2026), President of Environmental Club (2026), a four-year Class Officer, and a School Representative for the Berrien County Student Advisory Council (2022–2026). Her academic and professional achievements include being a BPA State Champion in Video Production Team (2025), placing 2nd in the state (2026) and 7th in Broadcast Video Production (2024), and earning all levels of the BPA Torch Awards (Executive, Ambassador, Statesman, Diplomat). McKenna has been accepted into the National Technical Honor Society, named to the Southwestern Michigan College Dean’s List, and has completed 36 credit hours through Southwestern Michigan College and 9 credit hours through Lake Michigan College. She has also received the Joan Schmit Volunteer Award, Outstanding Student Awards in English, History, Science, and Math, and the 3 R’s Award for Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience. After high school she plans on attending Indiana University South Bend to study elementary education with a concentration in special education and study abroad during college. After college, she plans to become a kindergarten or special education teacher. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with friends and family and making the most of every moment. She loves going to the beach, traveling and exploring new places, as well as playing softball. In her free time she also enjoys video production, creating and editing content to bring ideas to life, listening to music, staying active, and being outdoors. Her advice for underclassmen: Start showing up for yourself now and take advantage of everything that is offered to you. You do not have to have everything figured out, but you do have to be willing to try, even when it feels hard or uncomfortable.

05/05/2026

Today's senior Spotlight is Devin Osborne.

Devin will be attending Western Michigan University in the fall to study Music. Some of his favorite memories in band revolve around Football Fridays and (I'm sorry Mrs. Asmus) "Staying after school for football games and playing hide and seek around the school".

We're excited to see where Music takes you, Devin! And yes, this is the photo he provided me.

05/04/2026

Project Graduation ticket sales begin tomorrow, May 5th and run through May 20th. Bring $25 (exact change only!) and your emergency contact info to sign up and purchase your ticket during the following times. Talk to your friends and sign up for the same color bus. NO SWITCHING BUSSES ONCE YOU’VE SIGNED UP! This is a tech free night! NO CELL PHONES!

05/04/2026

✨Top Ten Spotlight✨

Tied for ninth place in her class is Erica Tackett, daughter of Amanda and Daniel Tackett. One of Erica’s most notable high school achievements is her perseverance. Despite undergoing two chest surgeries and missing a significant amount of school, she remained dedicated to her studies and still graduated in the top ten of her class. As Erica shares, “I missed a lot of school, but I still made it—and finished with grades that reflect how hard I worked.” Erica plans to attend the University of Michigan, where she will major in Biochemistry and minor in Astronomy and Astrophysics. She has a strong passion for science and enjoys reading, writing, flowers, and anything related to the stars. Her advice to underclassmen is simple: work hard, but make time for yourself. Focus on your academics, but don’t take everything too seriously—one quiz won’t matter much a few years from now.

05/03/2026

Today's senior spotlight is Joshua Becraft --

Joshua will be attending Western Michigan University next fall to study Aviation Flight Science.

Some of his favorite memories are being able to perform with friends in concert band and the bus rides to and from events.

Best of luck, Joshua! One day you can fly the band to Detroit so we can skip the detour to Ohio...

05/02/2026

Here at Niles High School we dedicate the month of May to our graduating seniors. Among our graduating students of the class of 2026, are ten that stand above the rest. Our “Top Ten” students were announced last month and over the course of the next ten days, we will celebrate them on our social media.

This year's class has two students tied for ninth place. We begin our celebration with one of our ninth place graduates Audrey Kuehn, daughter of August and Cindy Kuehn. Audrey was very busy throughout high school: Student Council President, Class President, Students Against Destructive Decisions Vice President, Business Professionals of America Chapter Vice President of Communications, National Honor Society Secretary, National Technical Honor Society Secretary, Four Flags Area Apple Festival Associate Board Member, Miss Apple Festival 2024, Gospel City Kids' Worship Team Leader, 12-time Student of the Month recipient, 5-time Student of the Quarter recipient and Stephen Tyler Award Recipient. Her BPA awards included State Executive Council Parliamentarian, National Qualifier, 3-time State Qualifier. After high school she plans to attend Western Michigan University to get a dual degree in Sport Management and Business Administration. After graduating from college, she plans to work her way up to a Stadium Operations Manager in either a collegiate or professional sports team. She enjoys volunteering, hanging out with friends, painting, reading, and learning Spanish. Her advice to underclassmen: Join everything you can when you start high school, then stay in and be active in the ones that are most interesting to you. High school becomes so much more than just classes and homework when you join clubs and athletics and spend time in your community.

04/30/2026

04/29/2026

Handicap Seating for Graduation: We need to plan for the number of guests who will need handicap seating, as space is limited. Please have your senior email or see Mrs. Lingle in the guidance office by May 22nd for a special handicap pass for our guests who can’t climb stairs easily. We will need the names of the guests who require these passes. Handicap passes are not for guests with strollers. Outdoor ceremony handicap seating is on the track for our handicap guests, and the lowest row of bleachers is what we offer for indoor ceremonies. Please speak with all of your guests for these arrangements and make sure they bring their ticket and their handicap pass to the ceremony. Handicap passes will be given to students when they pick up tickets earlier in the day at practice.