This episode captures the moving commencement speech delivered by Emelia Koch to the graduating class of St. Mary's Central High School (SMCHS), reflecting on their journey and the guiding principles they learned.

Emelia reminisces about watching the older graduates walk the halls as a child, marking the significance of this final walk as their chapter closes after up to 14 years within the Light of Christ Catholic Schools system.

She expresses deep gratitude to the Light of Christ Board of Directors, Bishop Kagen, the teachers, staff, and faculty for providing a Catholic education that helped students encounter Christ and for being role models of service. She also thanks the family members for their sacrifices.

The core of her speech focuses on the attributes represented by the word SAINT, a theme often featured on posters within the SMCHS classrooms:

• S - Support One Another
  • This value was evident in moments of high celebration (like winning State Know Your Faith) and deep sadness (praying for families in need).
  • The unexpected can throw us off course, and supporting one another, guided by faith, is essential.
• A - Act with Virtue
  • From a young age, students were taught that how they act matters, whether it was walking the wall during recess or having silent lunches.
  • Experiences in teams, clubs, and projects taught them to act with virtue, even if it meant admitting one's own opinion wasn't the best.
• I - Integrity at All Times
  • Integrity means staying true to oneself, including standing up for what you believe in—from faith and morals to opinions on Taylor Swift.
  • The school taught them to remember their own dignity and the dignity of others, even when debating.
• N - Never Give Up
  • This was seen in competitive events like the Homecoming Buff 'n' Scuff games and Catholic Schools Week bowling.
  • Most importantly, events like the Rock and Assistant Chaplain's Retreat taught the importance of perseverance and never giving up on faith to fulfill their vocations.
• T - Treat with Respect
  • The golden rule, "Treat others the way you want to be treated," was a repeated lesson.
  • SMCHS taught them to love others in a respectful way, following the example of Jesus.

Emelia concludes with confidence that these attributes, rooted in faith, have formed the graduates into adults who are ready and able to change the world. She leaves them with the final instruction: "Make it a great life or not, the choice is yours.".

Being a SAINT Changes Lives, and when you give a gift to support our SAINTS, it changes your life too.

Choose YOUR impact at lightofchristfoundation.org.