A sister is one of those things that makes life complete. The confusion of the feminine, close enough to see and learn to understand without the danger of getting too close to it. Without sisters, men would not learn how to deal with girlfriends, or female coworkers. So in saying all of this I am simply stating that sisters are a privilege to have, a gift from the gods. But there is always the responsibility that comes with a gift. That is just to love and care for a sister as yourself, and the joy will never cease.

– for my sister, Faith Rebekah

“I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.” (Job 36:3) We have found our knowledge in many places and it is in the acquisition of that goal the we have come to conclude this portion in the story of our lives.

The book of Hebrews says “…who, through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions, quenched the violence of fire…These, out of weakness were made strong…and turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

It is in the pursuit of our education that we have conquered these kingdoms of fear, ignorance, and apathy. Out of our weakness, we have been made strong, and it is to those who have guided us out of that weakness that we are indebted. The challenge of education was given to us the day our parents chose to teach us Truth, and that challenge has grown in precedence to become forever internalized in the conception of our thoughts.

We are challenged first of all to reflect on our past. But it is not by chance that we are all here today. All of us were born children of the family of God, a somewhat different legacy than is given to the majority of young people today. The effects of that legacy are so clearly seen in us that it is impossible for us to deny that the Hand of God has been a integral part of our lives. The kingdoms we have subdued and the knowledge that we have gathered are a testimony to His hand on our parents, our teachers, and on ourselves.

We all possess the God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Yet, we have come to realize that happiness is not found in the actions of egocentric behavior. True happiness is the ability to see beyond selfish desires, and to build hope for others. Our parents have done so in their answers to the call of God, for their standards of integrity and morality have shaped us. Our teachers have found happiness in the decision to make a difference in our lives, to write upon our souls the knowledge and wisdom of education. The elders have taken the yoke of leadership and given their lives to cultivate a field of souls. Alone, each of them would find such a task impossible, but they knew that in unity, much could be accomplished. In their unity, these leaders became a community whose business is to instill such values in others. The strength we find in our leaders inspires us to find unity for ourselves and all that we are a part of. This why we can graduate today with honor.

It has always been difficult to form a secure learning atmosphere with the components of so many different lives and backgrounds. The members of our class have come from Canada, Alaska, New York, Texas, and Minnesota to join those already here. A class of individuals, we could be called, for each of us have always had our own plans or ideas for the ways things should be done. We know this has been quiet obvious to you, for our struggles have been frequent and apparent to everyone. We all have had to look daily at the contrary elements of our personalities and allow our teachers to root them out, however painful it has been. Yet school is more a glory than a struggle. We have been taught to cross bridges and to not fear stepping out of our comfort zones. In this process, we have learned to merge concrete thought with abstract thinking to find our own solutions to the difficult problems we will always face. At times it has seemed as though we could stretch no more, like very time Mrs. Herlin handed out yet another endless essay. As you can see today, we have risen to these challenges, each in his or her own way. Our work has paid off, and we are here to receive our reward for twelve years of study. Though we are all individuals, we, in the pursuit of diplomas, are unified, and have come to be a part of a body of students dedicated to the excellence of Graduation. We are one in our struggles, corrections, decisions, and determinations, standing here today, ready to realize the next chapter of our lives. We have subdued the kingdoms of despair and weakness to obtain the promises of life.

You stand with us this evening as you have stood and fought the fight for our lives. Our teachers have thrown off all restraints to give us hope for a future. Thus, in realizing our goal, we have found an eternal challenge. What will we make of our futures? Only through time can we tell our story, but here we find hope for that story. The foundations that you have laid are the cornerstones on which we will build. We are a part of you as you are a part of us. It is impossible to give back what you have given to us, but that is the challenge that we face tonight and for the rest of our lives. We will pass on that hope to the next generation, as you have done for us. This is our dedication to you, to carry on always, to pass on our legacy. Some of our thoughts we now voice in this poem…

Many people work for a goal
Yet only one person gets the reward.
We know that it cannot be achieved
Without the help that others give.
The tears of agony,
The tears of joy;
These we have seen
As we have walked this path.
For this part of our lives
You have supported us
As we have explored
As we have stumbled and fallen -
You, our parents; our siblings;
Our teachers; our counselors;
And our friends
Have shed those tears
As we have journeyed.
You have earned these diplomas
As you have helped us to earn them.
We will carry them into our futures
In memory of your commitment to our goal.

We are now ready to take on the responsibilities that come with this step of our lives, the step into the adult world. We go forth today to build, and to be those examples to the next generation as you have taught us to be. As you have come to celebrate and salute our accomplishments, we see the future that you have built, the future that we will continue to build. We, the Class of 1998 salute you, our parents, our teachers, our elders, our life — Thank You.

– David Marshassault
– James Linden

Learning is the process that is approached by school, that institution that many young people believe God made to curse them. In fact, the theory behind school is very simple. School is meant to teach, to show young people how to learn and how to think. It is the application of these principles that makes school life so complicating. There may be many ways to explain school to someone, but here is my theory. Several factors are involved in the school environment. The first is a place to apply oneself to one’s studies. The next is a teacher. Here I must interject a definition. Webster’s Dictionary says that “teaching is the act of showing or guiding the practice of studies.” This definition is in fact only partially correct. Teachers are people who know that they do what they love to do. They are students of a higher school, that is to say, they learn as they teach and they are not above saying that a student may have a better grasp on certain knowledge. Because the very nature of the profession demand that they teach today’s knowledge and not last year’s curriculum, they are continually staying abreast of the latest findings in their field. Teachers are scientists at heart; they experiment until they get it right. Of course, there are basic laws governing the field. For example, if a student does not understand a principle the first time, the teacher will find another way to explain it, and continue to do so until the principle is not only understood but internalized. Finally, teachers are artists. They take the mind of the student, flatten it, mold it, flatten it, mold it, and fill in details, then mold it again until the thought is indelibly sculpted on the face of the mind. The third part of the school environment is the willingness to jump. When I say “jump” I mean to move out over the chasm of knowledge to find a path from thought to thinking. The teacher can only begin to show the way to thinking. It is the responsibility of the student to find motivation to continue. Only when these three factors are present can one find learning.