Seniors encouraged at baccalaureate

“Remember your roots.”

Baccalaureate, a ceremony to encourage and inspire graduates, was sponsored Friday night by the Pea Ridge Ministerial Alliance.

Music was provided by a band from The Ridge Church.

The speaker was Patrick Meador, youth pastor from First Baptist Church, who said 2021 is the 10th year anniversary of his high school reunion and he admitted he did not remember anything from the speakers at baccalaureate and graduation, thus inspiring him to relate something the seniors would remember.

“I’m going to share something the great Mike Tyson said,” Meador said. “When asked about the fight he was going to go into, Tyson said everyone has a plan until he gets punched in the mouth. Apparently if you’re Mike Tyson and you get punches in the mouth, you go to your back up plan and you just bite the dude’s ear and rip it off.”

“What does it mean for you? Because it goes way past boxing.”

“What are you going to do when life punches you in the mouth?” Meador asked.

“You guys are living proof — you can go with the flow, you can take and roll with the punches,” he said, referring to the changes presented over the past year with the pandemic and school became virtual and sports and other events were canceled.

“Be fluid, because life is going to throw punches your way,” he said.

“Life is going to throw punches your way,” he said. “and you can have a plan but you can’t plan for everything. What are you going to do? It’s going to knock you off your feet so you need something, someone you can lean on.”

Friends and family surrounding you and faith in a Savior, Jesus Christ, provides the hope to go through trials.

“Remember your roots. Remember Pea Ridge! Remember this school. Remember your teachers… counselors, coaches, band director… family… friends… you can always lean them.”

“Jesus is the one who can’t be knocked down, so why not just lean on Him,” Meador said.

Officials with the Ministerial Alliance said financial contributors included Combs & White Pea Ridge Dental Clinic, Arvest Bank, Sisco Funeral Home, Starner Tax Group, First Baptist Church Pea Ridge, Dye Hards Gym and The Ridge Church. Others thanked included Jennifer Clark of Choice Slides for production of the video, the school PTOs and school district officials.

A band from The Ridge Church provided the special music for the 2021 Baccalaureate ceremony Friday in Blackhawk Arena. Band members are Jerry Fitzner, Charie Snyder, Lorrie Merritt, Amy Jasay, Emily Marler, Cassie Dunn, Pam Cecil and Juie Austin. Sound was managed by Chase Marler and Jason Dunn. The Ridge Church youth pastors Cody and Tiffany Keene spoke at the 2021 Baccalaureate ceremony. The main speaker was Patrick Meador, youth pastor of First Baptist Church.

TIMES photographs by Annette Beard Senior Dillon Brouse presented a flower to his mother, Shaye Brouse.