HOULTON, Maine — It was a tight-knit group of seven who graduated from the Greater Houlton Christian Academy last Saturday morning at the Military Street Baptist’s Church on the Hill.
Prior to the ceremony, students were laughing and joking; posing for selfies and with friends, while also reflecting on what their friendship has meant through the years.
Three students started at GHCA and finished their high school days there — Aaron Holmes, Joshua Winslow and Caitlin Miles — while joining the group later on were Alex Angotti, Ashley Kelley, Noah Jacques and Caleb Savage.
During his speech, Salutatorian Angotti recalled the times of dressing like pilgrims and Indians and marching around the school during the Thanksgiving Parade held annually at the school to being dressed in their graduation robes and getting ready to march into the rest of their lives.
“We’ve had many memorable experiences over these past years, and there are some I will never forget,” he said as he listed several highlights.
Angotti noted that though coming to the end of high school, the students did not get there by themselves.
“There were many people who helped us along the way,” he said. “Our teachers invested themselves into our lives and set a godly example.”
As he closed his remarks, Angotti challenged his classmates.
“We’ve overcome many difficulties to get to this point, and we have many more yet to conquer,” he said. “As we leave to step out into our adult lives, I would like to leave myself and my classmates with a challenge. Stay strong in your walk with the Lord. One thing that will help us overcome any difficulty is a steadfast faith in God.”
“We have learned a lot as students at GHCA, and that is because of the combined efforts of many people,” said Valedictorian Kelley. “All of these things that we have learned over the years will be important to us as we move forward in life. But I definitely think that the most important thing we’ve learned is that we need help in order to succeed.”
Kelley noted that students learned to depend upon each other, while learning those around them cared about their success. She noted that the class could not have accomplished what they did without God’s help.
“Nothing we accomplish is done alone,” she said. “We need help in order to be the best we can be.”
When Kelley joined GHCA her junior year after being home-schooled, she was nervous about the new atmosphere and the possible difficulty of the curriculum.
“But the teachers saw my potential and they knew I could succeed if I pushed myself and tried my best,” she said. “They all encouraged me to try my hardest and to truly understand what I was learning, because they knew it would help me later on in life.”
Kelley thanked her parents and her teachers for their willingness of “pouring so much of yourselves into our academics.”
“You made it more than a job, you made it your purpose to see us succeed,” she added.
Addressing her classmates, Kelley talked about signing each others’ yearbooks and saying goodbye.
“There will be hugs and there will be tears. We’ll do our best to stay in touch, but we will be living separate busy lives soon,” she said. “Classmates, I’d like to encourage you to keep the bigger picture in mind as you go forward from here. Being young, it’s easy to focus on the problems that arise in our lives that turn out to be much smaller than we thought they were. Don’t let the difficulties of life trip you up and discourage you. Remember that it’s OK to ask and receive help whenever you reach those difficulties. Keep your eyes on God and seek His guidance in every area of your life. Because let’s be honest, He’s the only one that really knows what He’s doing.”
As a final thought, Kelley quoted Hans Balthasar, who said, “What you are is God’s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.”
As Jay Lee, secondary math teacher at the academy, addressed the class, he reminded the students though they were leaving school, they should always continue their education. He tactfully spoke on the three Rs that have faded in education — reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic — which are of great value and importance even today.
He spoke about the students’ math abilities and told a funny tales about each one. But, on a serious note, he applauded the seven for their hard work and their aptitude for learning. He noted that the students were ready for the world, but he hesitated when saying, “Is the real world ready for them?” A remark that drew laughter from the audience.
Lee said with conviction that he would put these seven up against any seven in the nation, and know with confidence they would stand. Educationally, they are well suited. But, more importantly, they each possess character.
“Parents you should be very proud of these young men and women,” he added.
