ACCA Graduation 2008

On June 1st, Adams County Christian Academy said goodbye to the largest senior class in school history. Sixteen students, including five of our own, walked across Memorial’s stage to receive the piece of paper that represented their life’s work to this point.

Abbey Stiles was recognized as valedictorian, and Faythe Grace as salutatorian, although the margin of difference between the two was very slim. Both fought back tears as they remembered years gone by and challenged their classmates to live their lives for Christ.

Other students were also recognized for their achievements. Jared Day received a scholarship in memory of Adam Cole, a local firefighter who was killed in the line of duty last year. The award was presented b y Cole’s uncle, Greg Cole. Day is currently taking classes to become a firefighter and EMT. A special Fruit of the Spirit Award, which was determined by the vote of the senior class, was awarded to Brittany Opperman.

Pastor Steve Baker had the privilege of delivering the commencement address, which was full of humor, personal stories, and challenges for the graduates. Mr. Roy Frampton, a favorite teacher among the seniors, also offered some parting words to the class.

The evening was also filled with music, as the ACCA band and choir lent their talents to the occasion. Brittany Opperman showcased a song that she penned called “Through The Years,” and the entire senior class, accompanied by Abbey Stiles on piano and Jared Day on guitar, ended the night with their rendition of “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.”

Overall, it was a wonderful evening of marking milestones, recognizing achievements, reminiscing and praising our Creator.

___

Ok, so that was the formal, official story. Here’s some of my random thoughts about the evening and some of the funny stuff that didn’t make it into the story for the church’s site.

--The choir sang “I Hope You Dance” and the seniors sang solos. Brittany definitely opened the floodgates during her solo, if you know what I mean, and I was just like, “this is going to be a long night.” Not that I’m against crying at graduation; I was just concerned for her, because I knew she had to sing again later. The time came for her to sing the song that she had written, though, and everything went amazingly…except for a technical glitch that Alex and Jared had to help fix. The song, though, is amazing, and she sang it flawlessly. I could honestly see that song becoming a hit and being played at graduations across the country some day.

--The ceremony almost ended about 30 minutes early. I’m not sure what exactly happened, but Mr. Arrison gave his parting words and asked the audience to stand and acknowledge the graduates. The problem was that there was still a song to be sung and a tribute video to be shown. I wish you could have seen the looks on the graduates’ faces when he almost skipped all of that. Priceless. :) They got his attention, though, and the rest of the ceremony went off without a problem.

--The sanctuary was PACKED. It has been quite awhile since I’ve seen it so full for something other than a funeral.

--For the record, I would just like to say how grateful I am for ACCA and all of the people that serve the Lord there. It is such a sacrifice to teach at a Christian school, and I thank you all for your service.

CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS!!!