San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
New Braunfels Christian Academy
Good morning, parents, faculty, Mr. Reeves, the board and the New Braunfels Christian Academy graduating class of 2021.
Today marks a significant cornerstone for the rest of our lives, a place from which we will be able to launch our dreams and ambitions. Graduation is just the end of one chapter, and the hopeful beginning of a life not only dedicated to God, but also to a strive for excellence, perfection and enterprise.
Some of us have been at NBCA for all our lives, others only a few years; however, we all share in this one moment of jubilation and triumph. The memories, experiences and victories over the past four years not as individuals, but as one body bound together by a sense of drive and determination, will help prepare us for the future.
Our tenure at NBCA has been filled with idiosyncratic experiences, some moments of joy and success, some filled with humor or emotion. These sentiments have been shared over these last few years to create an environment of camaraderie and bonding within the senior class.
Today commemorates the end of a chapter in our lives and leads us on to much better and
greater things. Though we as a class have learned many things here at NBCA, there remains a plethora of things to discover and experience which will help mature us into leaders in our respective fields in the future.
The frontier of every person in this class is endless and can only be marked by the sheer determination and drive found within every one of us.
As former president Ronald Reagan said, “There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination and wonder.”
Though our future remains an enigma shrouded in doubt and uncertainties, every one of us has the fortitude to push onward and forge our own path determined by our effort. With the encouragement and support of friends and family, there is no boundary to our growth and our drive as humans will never be truly capped or dimmed.
As we celebrate today, it is important to reflect on our times at NBCA and how we each have individually grown as people, maturing into adults that look forward to the future with an insatiable initiative.
Our zeal to continue life must not overshadow our memories at NBCA, as the past will hold a candle to provide us with a clearer vision on our path towards success. As President Abraham Lincoln said, “The only way to predict your future is to create it.” Use our time at NBCA to help prepare us for this future, whether it be spending a couple extra hours studying for an exam or building up a resume for a job interview. The application of skills and lessons will be invaluable in our lives and will provide us with the ground needed to steady ourselves for future challenges.
One of the greatest lessons to be taken away from our time at NBCA is that we have the absolute power to define our future and that no amount of outside interference or criticism can make us fail. We have all learned to live our lives in our own guidelines and to not let others change us through pressure or adversity. Outside influences have the potential to alter our course for the better or worse, and it is our judgment that is responsible for keeping us on a path to success and triumph.
While doubters and detractors may stand in our paths, it is important to remember that many great people throughout history have faced the same opposition. Through this resistance, the strongest of wills are forged, with which a person will be able to overcome insurmountable odds and achieve enormous success in life.
Thank you, parents, for all the endless amounts of encouragement, advice and prayers for us leading up to this special moment. Thank you, teachers, for lending us a helping hand towards the right answers while imparting to us the necessary skills to advance our education and to help us succeed in life. Lastly, thank you and congratulations to the class of 2021 for reaching this momentous point in our lives and the best of luck to faithfully continue running the race. May God bless us all.