Lindbergh Class of 2012 Graduates 480

The Class of 2012 threw their caps high into the air Tuesday night at Chaifetz Arena. Principal Ron Helms welcomed students, faculty, friends and family of the 480 graduating seniors.

Scholarships totaling $13.39 million were awarded to various members of the Lindbergh Class of 2012, equaling to 711 earned scholarships. Scholarships include 29 Missouri Bright Flight, 184 A+ candidates, 35 athletic scholarship recipients, and 15 for music, theater and art. Helms also noted that the graduates led the entire student body toward coveted National School of Character and Missouri Gold Star honors during the 2011-2012 school year.

“You have shown that you know what it means to live out LHS’ six pillars of character education,” Helms said to the crowd. “In fact, these seniors have given more than 4,000 hours of service back to the community, in addition to excelling in the classroom.”

The night ceremony at Chaifetz honored classmate , who passed away this year following a battle with osteosarcoma, and longtime employee , who suffered a fatal heart attack. Both were lost in January.

Ninety percent of the graduating class will attend 90 different colleges; four percent are enrolled in schools of advanced training; one percent will serve  in the military; and five percent will go directly into the workforce. Six foreign exchange students plan to return home to continue their education.

Graduation comes on the heels of LHS' "triple crown" of rankings—America’s best high schools by , U.S. News and World Report and the .