“Thanks for the adventure,” Englin told his fellow members of the South Central Calhoun High School Class of 2018 during the graduation ceremony on Sunday in Lake City. “Now get out there and have a new adventure. The world is waiting.”

New adventures and change are familiar to these graduates. While the 69 members of the SCC senior class didn’t start kindergarten together, since the unification of the Southern Cal school district and Rockwell City-Lytton district was still in the future, they now share a common bond as SCC graduates.

The class found inspiration in lyrics from a country music song, with a class motto of: “Chase the road that will lead you home again.”

Chasing dreams motivates many of the leaders of the South Central Calhoun class of 2018 who were honored during the graduation ceremony, including Jessica Hicks (valedictorian) and Katelyn Sander (salutatorian).

-Messenger photo by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby Members of the South Central High School senior class shared their thoughts about their future through the messages on their mortarboards. 

Englin received the Bernie Saggau Award, which honors a student who best exemplifies a patriotic spirit, strong religious and moral convictions, and qualities of honesty, integrity and sportsmanship.

During the presentation of awards, SCC Athletic Director Mark Schaefer caught everyone’s attention as he held some dead tree branches in the air to share some life lessons.

“I have maple trees and birch trees in my yard and had to clean up 320 sticks — 300 from the birch trees, and 20 from the maples,” said Schaefer. “Don’t be like birch trees, where people have to constantly clean up around you.”

Realize, however, that you will make mistakes sometimes, as will those around you, he added.

“Be willing to forgive people,” he said. “Ever think how poison and prison are just one letter apart? You’ll build a prison for yourself if you let bitterness poison you.”

Schaefer also mentioned Jacy McAlexander, a 17-year-old SCC student who had planted trees for a community service project before he passed away May 16 from Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare type of cancerous tumor.

“In your life, plant a shade tree for someone,” Schaefer advised the SCC graduates. “Do something good that’s bigger than yourself.”