Whitnall Aiming High for Commencement Speaker

Do you remember who the speaker was at your high school commencement ceremony?

Whitnall High School is hoping this year's will be unforgettable.

The school submitted an application for the Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge, a competition established by the White House in partnership with Viacom and the Get Schooled Foundation.

The top prize: a speech delivered by President Barack Obama at the winning school's commencement ceremony.

According to the White House website, the contest was open to public high schools nationwide and invited schools to demonstrate how it prepares students for college and a career.

Applications for the 2011 contest were due Friday, and included essay question responses and statistical information from the school that illustrated how it promoted college and career preparedness while "establishing a culture of student success and academic excellence," the website said.

Applicants also could include a short video. Whitnall's video was written, filmed, directed and produced by WHS students.

The number of applications received for the competition were not known as of Monday, but there were more than 1,000 entries in the 2010 contest. Those applications were whittled down to six finalists by the White House Domestic Policy Council and Department of Education, and the finalists' short videos and essays were made available to be rated online by the public.

President Obama selected a winner -- Kalamazoo Central High School in Kalamazoo, Mich. -- from the three schools with the highest average online ratings.