Riverside High School Class of 2021 valedictorian Ian Hughes told his classmates during commencements exercises Friday evening that the hardships they face in life do have a purpose, and encouraged them to look for the good in their life circumstances.
He shared James 1:2-4 with his fellow graduates, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Ian related that one difficulty that has tested his faith in recent months was the death of his friend, McKinzie “Kinzie” Marie Noggler, on Nov. 7, following an automobile accident. “Kinzie” also was a member of the Riverside Class of 2021 and the school recognized her family with an honorary diploma at the graduation. Her classmates also filed around a seat containing Kinzie’s cap and gown in the gymnasium.
“On that day, we lost a daughter, a sister, a cousin, a friend. She deserves to be with us in person today, but she is here in our hearts,” Ian said. “This was such a difficult trial we’ve had to persevere, but I’ve learned the value of friendship and to not take any moment for granted. Each day with our loved ones is a blessing. I was blessed to be a friend of Kinzie’s and I’ve also been blessed to be a friend of many of yours as well.”
As the graduates move forward and carve new paths, the class valedictorian urged them to stay true to their beliefs and “make sure your beliefs correspond with your actions.”
Class salutatorian Sierra Snow encouraged her classmates to take advantage of their newfound freedom, but to also be true to themselves and mindful of keeping their values and where they came from.
“We’ll fly to greater heights than we ever have before. We’ve always been looked after every day; we used to get three warnings and then a consequence,” she said.
Sierra related that she and her classmates started kindergarten feels like it was just yesterday.
“If we’d only known how fast the time would go, we would have enjoyed it a little longer. Everything you’ve done in high school has helped to broaden your horizons for the future. We’ve made it, with a lot of joy, tears and relief.”
During the presentation of diplomas, class president Lauryn Sanford read her classmates’ names.