HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP – Families crowded the bleachers at SPIRE Academy Sunday afternoon, May 31, as the Geneva High School Class of 2026 accepted their diplomas and honors at a commencement ceremony.
After thanking faculty and staff for their contributions to the class’s education, Geneva High School Principal Michael King explained by turns the meanings of the various honors cords and sashes, called on students in honors programs and who’d received their career certificates from A-Tech to stand and be recognized, and called for a round of applause for the sole graduating senior who’d decided to enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Class speaker Amelia Armington asked her classmates to think of their path forward like a trip.
“It’s time to go on a last field trip,” she said. “It’s going to be the best one yet – we’re going on a hike.”
Armington used the example of the animated film “The Croods” to illustrate the importance of being brave enough to take risks.
In the film, the patriarch of a prehistoric family forces them to live in a dark cave to stay safe from the dangers of the outside world. His daughter disobeys him eventually and saves her family.
“Let’s just say breaking that one rule changed the family’s life for the better,” Armington said. “I’m not saying ‘break the rules.’ I’m saying, ‘take a chance.’”
Returning to her metaphorical path, Armington asked her audience to imagine a fork, with one side being safe and familiar and the other being unfamiliar, steep and frightening.
She said she’d learned that while people may say they can’t pursue their goals because they lack the resources, money or connections to pursue their dreams, a good, supportive network of people is what really makes it possible.
“It’s about understanding human connection, collaboration and diverse perspectives are invaluable assets,” Armington said.
The second class speaker, JoAlexander Sanchez, piggybacked on the theme of overcoming barriers and pursuing goals.
“Standing here today, I do not just feel accomplished – I feel proud; proud of every single person sitting before me,” he said.
Sanchez asked his classmates to look around them and recognize that everyone has their story and while high school is challenging, everyone finds a way to make it through.
Part of their education, according to Samchez, lay in times when, for example, they bombed a test but found a way to pass the class – realizing their strength through struggle.
“If I’ve learned anything, it’s this: life is not defined by titles, popularity or profession,” he said. “It’s defined by people and here at Geneva, we have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by teachers, coaches, mentors and staff members who saw potential in us long before we saw it in ourselves.”
The Class of 2026 is graduating into a world of division and uncertainty where it’s easy to lose faith, according to Sanchez.
“The only thing stronger than hate is love itself,” he said.
As they move on to whatever comes next, Sanchez asked his classmates to think of the Taylor Swift song, “You’re on Your Own, Kid,” when pursuing their dreams.
“Pursue them fully, work for them, believe in them and never let anyone convince you that you do not belong in the room you are trying to enter,” he said.
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