WINIFRED – U.S. Sen. Max Baucus gave the commencement address to the Winifred High School Class of 2009 over the weekend.
Baucus was invited to speak to the eight students and their families Saturday by Dan Wichman, whom the Senator first met in 2005 at an anti-meth rally at Lewis and Clark Middle School in Billings. Wichman told Baucus then that he had been taken away from his mother because she used meth.
Wichman, who was living in a group home, e-mailed Baucus when he could and Baucus visited him whenever he was in Billings. The two stayed in contact after Dan moved to Winifred as a foster child of Gordon and Mary Wichman. The Wichmans adopted him.
Baucus told the graduates they would face decisions and challenges that folks his age can’t even imagine, but was confident they would go on to do great things.
He told Wichman he was proud of him and gave him a watch as a graduation present.