Hope High Graduation

Hope High School held it’s graduation ceremony on Friday (5-17. The theme of the event seemed to be the courage to dream, willingness to take risks and learning from failure as well as remembrance of those who had supported the graduates in the process. Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Crossley used the analogy of the turtles on the fence posts to the students saying they hadn’t gotten there alone.   While he commended the students for being there, he stated that many of their greatest lessons from now on would be from failure and encouraged the students to take risks anyway and not to be afraid of failing. He encouraged the graduates to think big.

For the student speakers the first was Brencu Cabriales – the Class President. She thanked first of all God, her parents, her sisters (one for being a role model and the other for having a big heart and making her laugh), her family as being something she could count on, showing up for all her games and believing in her when she didn’t believe in herself. She thanked her coaches for their dedication, the school as being a place they could call home, the teachers who taught them. Cabriales stated what matters in life is who we are. God has the power to shape and guide and family will always be important. Once a Bobcat always a Bobcat.

The second student speaker was Amber Cisneros. After giving thanks to those who helped her reach graduation, she talked about what the class had overcome. Cisneros asked her classmates if she knew how diamonds were formed and used the analogy for her classmates. As diamonds are created by heat and intense pressure the students were molded by pressure and called her fellows graduates diamonds in the rough. Cisneros talked about the importance of taking risks and embracing what you care about, staying strong with your ideals. She stated she had to remind herself to take risks and encouraged her fellow classmates to do the same. She also encouraged remembrance of the origin as well as the goal stating the best days were ahead of them. She stated change was not easy but well worth it.

The keynote Speaker was Senator Linda Chesterfield from District 12 in Little Rock.  Senator Chesterfield was a teacher for 30 years.  Senator Chesterfield spoke about the tragedy not being failure to reach the goal bit rather not having a goal.  Senator Chesterfield also talked about people who had bet upon the graduates as her parents and grandparents did on her. She said being great was not about being rich or a politician but treating others well and being the best one can be. Senator Chesterfield talked about having to work hard to achieve and running with it when the goal was achieved. She wanted the graduates to understand that nothing comes with a struggle. The Senator talked about her background of growing up in Hope, having others bet on her, and how she succeeded.  Senator Chesterfield ended with the three s’s of public speaking – stand up to be seen, speak up to be heard and sit down to be appreciated.