A 2012 Lighthouse Preparatory Academy graduate returned to the school a decade later to tell the new crop of graduates to embrace failure as a way to succeed.
Rachel Alexander, a business owner and MU Research Support Librarian, said when she graduated from Lighthouse, she had the next chapters of her life already planned: She was going to get a degree in biology, go to medical school and join Doctors Without Borders. She was going to meet her spouse, get married and have children.
But not everything went as planned. She lost a best friend, her fiancee left her and she was diagnosed with meningitis for the second time in her life.
So she re-evaluated her life and decided to focus on people who would lift her up, not bring her down.
"Look for the 'balcony' people and surround yourself with them," she said.
She told them not to fear failure, as it brings opportunities to grow and learn.
"When I failed to meet many of those goals, I struggled with who I was," she said.
Eventually, she met many of her goals, but not all of them, she said.
"Always remember that being a doer is better than being a dreamer," she said.
"Don't let your failures and disappointments stop you from being a person of action," she said.
Disappointment is a tool to evaluate your priorities and is "one of the best catalysts for growth," she said.
She told the graduates their plans will change, but to chase their dreams and use failure as a chance to reinvest in themselves and have a "deeper relationship with our Savior."
Sunday's graduation ceremonies were held in the Capitol Rotunda.
Also at the ceremony, Lighthouse Administrator Karen Crawford said she became the administrator when the graduates were in sixth grade and has seen their development.
"This is the end of our 15th year as a school, which is wonderful to think about the Lighthouse history," she said. "And in those 15 years, our mission has stayed the same: To strengthen families by partnering with parents to develop witnesses for Christ through academic excellence and character development."
She said the graduates have achieved those goals and are ready to go out into the world and be witnesses for Christ.
"We're proud of you, we love you, and we're cheering for you," she said.
Of the 21 graduates in the class, 15 graduated Summa Cum Laude.
The class motto was: "Each for the other and all for Christ."
For its Scripture passage, the class chose Romans 8:18: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
Class members recalled memories from their different years of school, including a school campout in which they had 27 people in one minivan performing a "Chinese fire drill" in which everyone had to get out, run around the van and get back in.
During a summer excursion, they enjoyed cliff jumping and wake-boarding and tubing.
In their junior year, they enjoyed lunches at Hy-Vee and winning a state basketball tournament in Joplin.
Graduate Sara Gilbert said during their senior year "we made every moment count."
Among other things, she said they rode go-carts and danced their hearts at school dances and cried at times too.
"We're so excited about the future God has in store for us, but we will never forget the memories we made at Lighthouse," she said.
Zachary Skelton takes a selfie-photo of the graduating students prior to Lighthouse Preparatory Academy's 2022 Graduation Ceremony held in the Capitol Rotunda on Sunday, May 15, 2022. (Shaun Zimmerman / News Tribune photo)
Graduating students make their way down the grand staircase in the Missouri Capitol Rotunda Sunday, May 15, 2022, during Lighthouse Preparatory Academy's 2022 Graduation Ceremony. (Shaun Zimmerman / News Tribune photo)
Rachel Alexander -- MU research support librarian, business owner of Simply Rachel and PhD candidate -- addresses the assembled crowd during the Lighthouse Preparatory Academy's 2022 Graduation Ceremony held inside the Missouri Capitol Rotunda on Sunday, May 15, 2022. (Shaun Zimmerman / News Tribune photo)
Graduating students including Meg Barninger, Ashton Bethards, Philip Crawford, Sara Gilbert and Abrah Taggart share class memories Sunday, May 15, 2022, during the Lighthouse Preparatory Academy's 2022 Graduation Ceremony in the Missouri Capitol Rotunda. (Shaun Zimmerman / News Tribune photo)
Graduating students in the "Rend Collective" perform "My Lighthouse" Sunday, May 15, 2022, during Lighthouse Preparatory Academy's 2022 Graduation Ceremony held in the Missouri Capitol Rotunda. (Shaun Zimmerman / News Tribune photo)
Graduating students Grayson Janeczko, Isaac Muenks and Harrison Sheppard welcome those attending Lighthouse Preparatory Academy's 2022 Graduation Ceremony held in the Missouri Capitol Rotunda on Sunday, May 15, 2022. (Shaun Zimmerman / News Tribune photo)