Calvary Lutheran High School graduated 39 students Saturday, in a ceremony that inspired students to live their faith as they enter into the wider world.
The Rev. Jeffrey Schanbacher gave the sermon, as the commencent ceremonies were incorporated into a worship service. Schanbacher said it was his first commencement address, and also notable because he later got to hand a diploma on stage to his graduating son, James Schanbacher.
"It's also an honor because kind of from behind the scenes, I've (gotten) to watch each and every one of you these four years," the elder Schanbacher said to the seniors.
"I've watched as you went up and down the halls. I know they were a lot shorter that freshman year," he noted of the expansions to the school the class of 2017 has seen in its four years. "You've been blessed to have a gym, a ball field that you call your own. You've got an auditorium that both drama and fine arts can be expressed (in)," and a cafeteria, too.
Above all else, though, "of all the things that I'm thankful for, and all the things that I hope you realize, is that your faith is important," he said, comparing the students' faith to superpowers that will give them strength to live with integrity as graduates.
He said faith will get them through the painful times, too, as when they and the community mourned the death of classmate Robert Ashbaugh III, 18, and faith provides the hope of uniting with him again in heaven.
Ashbaugh died on May 28, almost a year ago to the day of graduation. His visitation and funeral were held at the school.
Ashbaugh's name was not printed in the program, but when it came time for students to walk across the stage to get their diplomas, his father Rick went up in his place when his son's name was called. He received a standing ovation from the audience.
However, before that moment came, Remington Wilson gave his speech as the class valedictorian.
"To start, I'm just going to be honest. I Googled 'world's best valedictorian speech,' and this is the first one that came up," Wilson opened with, getting a lot of laughs from the audience.
He began to read a speech with a lot of common platitudes about post-graduation accomplishment and success, but then ripped the paper in half.
"Let's just be honest, it's probably not going to happen. Not everything's going to be buckets of unicorns and rainbows. For instance, you probably thought this speech was going to be all inspirational - 'yeah, you, go change the world' - well, it's not."
He jestfully deflated the egos of a few specific classmates by name, getting a few more laughs and applause.
"We're not all going to finish college, find the perfect person to marry or make a bunch of money. Not all can have a big house, a nice car or a perfect job. So, why I am telling you you're going to be failures at a commencement speech? Because, inevitably, failure's part of life, but that doesn't mean you give up."
He used the story of two mice who fell into a bucket of cream. One mouse quickly gave up and drowned in the cream, but the other kept treading until its thrashing churned the liquid cream into solid butter that enabled the mouse to get away.
"Later in your life, you'll have disappointments. They won't end just because you're out of high school. But, God works them all out for good in the end. We can't give up. We have to keep kicking."
"Success in God's eyes is eternal," he explained. "God has already overcome our failures, and overcome the world."
He plans to attend Purdue University in Indiana to major in engineering.
Caleb Fischer was salutatorian, and he plans to attend Concordia University in Nebraska to study secondary education and in the pre-seminary department.
One student each has enlisted in the Army as an infantryman and the Marine Corps. Another student plans to enlist in the Army, and another plans to attend the U.S. Military Academy Prepartory School at West Point, New York.
Three students plan to enter the workforce after graduation. All the other graduates are going to various colleges and universities in-state, with the exceptions of two more going to Concordia, and another who plans to attend Maragoni College in Milan, Italy to study fashion business.