Turning moments to memories

Fifty seniors from Nodaway Valley and Orient-Macksburg walked into the Nodaway Valley High School gym Sunday as students and left as graduates, carrying with them the assignments completed, projects finished, performances given, games played and memories made along the way.

The graduates were honored before a large crowd of family, friends, teachers and community members. They wore black caps and gowns, with the ceremony accented by the class flower, white carnations dipped in purple.

Nodaway Valley’s valedictorian was Caroline Britten, who finished first in the class. Orient-Macksburg’s valedictorian was Addy Shinn. Nodaway Valley’s salutatorian was Kylie Nelson, and Orient-Macksburg’s salutatorian was Emma Boswell.

Britten and Nelson each spoke during the ceremony as representatives of their class. Longtime activity bus driver and current custodian Russ Armstrong — affectionately known as “Russ the Bus” — also gave remarks at the request of the class.

Though each speaker brought a different perspective, their messages shared a common thread: Do not rush past the moments that shape a life.

Britten thanked parents and guardians, staff members and teachers for the impact they had on her classmates. She then turned her attention to the graduates, reminding them that people may not remember every accomplishment, grade or activity, but they will remember how others made them feel.

“So I urge you to act in such a way and conduct yourself in a manner that makes people feel inspired,” she said. “Be kind to others. Show compassion and empathy. Travel. Be yourself and speak your mind, honestly. Find something you are passionate about and pursue it ambitiously, relentlessly, for as long as you can. Innovate. Be a leader. Dream big.

“Treat others well and fight for yourself, and I am positive that you will be ready for whatever life has in store for you,” Britten continued. “Take on the world. I can’t wait to see what we do with it.”

Nelson’s remarks also centered on memory, gratitude and the importance of recognizing the value of ordinary moments before they become part of the past.

She said graduates often move quickly from one event, season or school year to the next without stopping to take in what those experiences mean.

“So often, we move from one thing to the next without really stopping to take it in, and only later do we realize how much those experiences meant,” Nelson said. “And now, standing here at graduation, we’re starting to understand just how valuable each moment was. As Dr. Seuss says, ‘You never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.’ The laughs, the conversations and the time spent together are what stay with us long after everything else fades.”

Armstrong offered practical advice as someone who has spent years driving students to activities, watching them grow up and seeing them move from one stage of life to the next.

He urged graduates to keep learning, work hard, have faith and maintain a good attitude when life becomes difficult. But one of his strongest messages was also one of the simplest: put the cellphone down and look around.

“There are so many things out in the real world to see with your eyes, not through a screen. Just put your phone down for maybe one day a week, talk to people face to face, go for walks or hikes, ride a bike, go play with the neighbor’s dog or your own. These are small beautiful things that are out there in the world,” Armstrong said. “All you have to do is put the phone away and just look up around you. Life is too short to be wasting your time on coloring and playing silly games on your phone.”

Armstrong said learning new things requires ambition and a willingness to make mistakes, because mistakes are often how people grow.

“As you all go off today, go get a job, find a companion you want to spend the rest of your life with, buy a home, start a family — it doesn’t have to be in that specific order — none of this is going to be easy,” Armstrong said. “It’s going to be tough, so you have to be tougher, and I know you have it in you. Keeping your faith and a great attitude will help you overcome every obstacle and every tiny and large bump in the road along the way.”

The ceremony capped a busy final week for the senior class. Numerous awards were presented during senior awards night last Tuesday, and the Nodaway Valley Ministerial Alliance sponsored a baccalaureate service for the seniors last Wednesday.

On Friday, in conjunction with graduation rehearsal, seniors walked through the high school and elementary school, giving younger students a glimpse of the milestone ahead of them and giving the graduates one more walk through the halls that helped shape them.