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| Good afternoon, teachers, faculty, parents, family, friends, and fellow classmates. I feel honored to have this opportunity to speak to you today. First, I would like to thank everyone who has sacrificed so much to equip us and make this day possible. Thank you parents and families for your endless support. You are our first teachers and the people who we know we can count on to be there for us. Thank you teachers for keeping us on track, and when we weren’t on track, for having the patience and love to guide us back. Thank you for the sacrifices you make in teaching at HBA and for the hours of your free time that you give up to make our high school experience so much better. Thank you to all the people who have supported HBA throughout the years and given of themselves to promote the quality Christian education it offers. And thank you God for sacrificing Your Son to give us hope and new life. Class of 2001, congratulations on making it to this day. We have faced many struggles and obstacles to get here. We have endured academic, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual trials. We have encountered the challenges of lack of sleep, illness, relationship problems, balancing multiple activities, college applications, grueling lessons that we thought we’d never understand, and keeping up with homework by fighting the procrastination bug. But we all made it through. The fact that each of us is here today is evidence that we have survived. We are here today not because we have succumbed and given up but because we have persisted and succeeded and are stronger from our struggles. Again I must say congratulations, graduates. But graduation is not the end. Rather, as the word commencement suggests, it is also a beginning. It is a milestone, with a past to remember and a future to look forward to. We, as graduates, are like travelers. We anxiously await the journey ahead of us carrying our bags packed with the knowledge and experience which our families and HBA have equipped us with. We are standing alongside the milestone of our graduation. Behind us is the past. Ahead of us are many paths leading in all directions. Class of 2001, ahead of us, we will be faced with many more decisions. At the same time we are graduating, we are also entering adulthood. With our new independence, we will have more choices that can greatly affect our lives and the lives of those around us. We take the steps of our journeys through the large and small decisions we make daily. Fellow travelers, I would like to offer you some Travel Tips I have learned in my own life and from the experiences of others who have been journeying longer. Paul says in Philippians 3:12-14, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward the day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.” The first tip is to seek to travel the right path. Focus on the goal and make every step bring you closer to it. We must not look back lest we start to waiver in our direction; everything from the past that we need we have with us in the lessons we have taken in and the relationships we have built. We must press onward, avoiding the detours and dead ends and conquering obstacles and harsh conditions that we come across. Second Travel Tip: bring a big bag. Make sure you always have room in which you can pack the new skills and lessons you will pick up on the way. Since none of us is perfect at this moment, this is an absolute must. I know people are often saying, “Don’t change,” but don’t be afraid to allow yourselves to grow. Find ways to acquire knowledge and always be willing to learn. Be willing to seek new experiences and step out of your comfort zone. In college, this may mean passing up a class where you are sure to get an easy ‘A’ and taking that more challenging but fulfilling class. In life, this means not being closed to trying new things or meeting new people. Don’t miss out on opportunities to grow as people. Third Tip: make sure you have your compass and road map – that is, the Bible. Throughout our HBA years, we have been taught through lessons and through example about this tool. Now, as we leave we should not forget about it or leave it behind. 2 Timothy 3:14-17 says, “But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true. For you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It’s God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.” Like a compass, the Bible offers a standard for comparison of right living. Like a road map, it gives insight into which path God would like us to take. I want to encourage you all to cherish this most valuable tool. Fourth and most importantly, remember that you will never be alone on this journey. God will always be there beside you, waiting for you to come to Him. He is the best guide for your journeys because He is the only One who knows what is to come in the future. He knows the decisions you will have to make and will give you the strength to keep walking in spite of trials. I encourage you all to seek out His will for your lives. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.” So here we stand ready to embark on our journey. We have a goal in mind. And our bags are packed with the essential equipment. Along the way, if ever you become disoriented or discouraged as all travelers do, remember our Alma Mater. “They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength, / They shall mount up with wings as eagles. / They shall run and not be weary, / They shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Congratulations, Class of 2001. May the Lord’s grace be with you all in your journey ahead. |
| Valedictory Address Hawai'i Baptist Academy Class of 2001 June 2, 2001 |
| -- Krislin Renee Lee |
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