COAL TOWNSHIP - Thirty-five graduates of Our Lady of Lourdes Regional High School were told Thursday night to never give up, savor the journey for itself and use everything in life to achieve their dreams during commencement exercises in the Lee Korbich Memorial Gymnasium.
Commencement exercises featured speeches by 2011 class valedictorian Christopher Brokus, salutatorian Kiana Motto and 2002 alumnus Dan Hauer, remarks by the Most Rev. Joseph P. McFadden, Bishop of Harrisburg, and a welcoming address by school administrator Sister Margaret McCullough.
High school Principal David Becker, who noted the graduating class attained approximately $1 million in scholarships and grants for higher education, presented the seniors, while McFadden conferred diplomas.
Following an invocation by the Rev. Robert Yohe, who serves as Lourdes chaplain, and the singing of the national anthem, Motto addressed the audience.
"Never give up," she said. "What does it mean to never give up? It means to have dedication and perseverance to continue on even when challenges arise. It means to live our dreams even when we struggle on the path to fulfillment. It means to never lose faith in ourselves and our abilities."
She added, "Our class seated here this evening is living proof of what it means to never give up. High school wasn't always easy. It had its challenges; its ups and downs. Each of us at some point struggled in some way. We may have struggled academically. We may have struggled athletically. Yet, no matter the challenge, we have found a way to overcome, to get through, and to never give up."
Motto thanked all the teachers, coaches, family members and friends who have supported the graduates through the years and helped them attain Thursday's milestone of earning their high school diplomas.
The salutatorian, who recalled various memorable moments from her high school career, concluded, "Many of our plans for the future may change. However, it will be an exciting time. We will use the knowledge and experiences we have gained to meet whatever life may throw at us. In the next few weeks, people will be giving us a lot of advice. Yet, I feel that the best advice comes from Winston Churchill, and that is to never, never give up."
McCullough then introduced Hauer, who was born and raised in Irish Valley, and graduated from Lourdes in 2002. He earned a degree in elementary education in 2005 from King's College and has served as a kindergarten teacher at G.C. Hartman Elementary School in the Southern Columbia Area School District for the past five years.
The son of Robert and Lonnie Hauer, Irish Valley, is currently enrolled in a master's program in classroom technology through Wilkes University.
Hauer, whose two brothers, Bob and Aaron, also are graduates of Lourdes, is co-owner with Geno Welsh of Brewser's SportsGrille in Coal Township, a popular sports theme restaurant and bar that was named 2009 Brush Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year.
He is married to the former Chelsie Appel and they reside in Elysburg, where they are members of Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Church.
Hauer, who walked 75 miles to the state Capitol in Harrisburg in 2007 to raise money for a charity, told the graduates, "We all have dreams. Some achieve those dreams, while others let those dreams only ever be dreams. Tonight, you don't have to remember who I am and you don't have to remember what I have done in my life. The only thing I ask of you is to remember these four words - Dream It, Achieve It."
The commencement speaker said the late Father Charles Slough, former long-time pastor of Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Church and a staunch supporter of Lourdes, was one of the most influential people in his life. He described Slough as a "true spokesperson for God." He said Slough was a great motivator who wouldn't let your dreams go unfulfilled.
The Lourdes alumnus recalled a letter he received from Slough that stated, "Dan, it is through true hardship and disappointments that make us bitter or make us better. But you need to know that there is no future in bitterness. Bitterness never motivated anyone to a higher place in life. We can only achieve this by overcoming hardships. Hardships are necessary for emotional and spiritual maturity."
Hauer provided the graduates with the following advice that he learned from his five-year-old kindergarten students:
- Never, ever give up on your dreams.
- If you have a dream, go for it. Use everything you got in your life to do your dreams.
- Everyone helps me in my family.
- You will be proud of yourself if you keep working at it and finally get it.
- God will help you achieve your dreams.
Hauer commended everyone who assisted the graduates during their lives, including parents, teachers, coaches, staff members, relatives and friends.
He said, "Graduates, with believing in yourself, the support of the people behind you, and most of all, your faith in God, you will achieve your dreams."
Hauer concluded, "The education you received here at Lourdes has you ready for whatever is going to be thrown at you. The teachers here at Lourdes made sacrifices to see you achieve this dream tonight."
Brokus told the audience, "Anyone who knows me knows I want to see the world, to travel all my life. My passion for this has been fueled by the literature on journeys we've read in English class, especially my favorites, "The Odyssey" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." But I think Robert Louis Stevenson piqued my interest the most when he wrote, 'To travel hopefully is better than to arrive.'"
The valedictorian said all too often people get caught up in reaching their destinations that they lose sight of the journey and opportunity to experience life. He said, "To travel hopefully means to savor the journey for itself, for the taste of arrival may still be far off."
He added, "We stumbled through our first research paper, into our first science lab. We made it through our first sports game and through our first musical. By not worrying about our destination, we were able to learn from our journey. But in our wishful travels, perhaps the most we learned was about each other."
Brokus said the laughs, tears, fears and joys leading up to Thursday night outweigh the milestone of graduation.
The valedictorian said, "We sit here tonight as the product of our four years at Lourdes. At the same time, we sit here as the result of one big, wishful, hopeful adventure, floating to discovery like Huck and Jim. This step of our journey may be over, but another, even greater adventure awaits us. Let's take the next steps with courage and travel hopefully. The journey will be worth it."
Following Brokus' address, the bishop told the graduates they have grown in wisdom, age and grace through their years at Lourdes. "You must live your faith," McFadden said. "You must love one another and help the Lord build his kingdom. You must know that God loves you very deeply and relishes your life."
McFadden thanked the administration, teachers and staff at Lourdes for preparing the students for graduation and organizing year-end activities for the seniors. He also praised parents for making sacrifices to provide a Catholic education for their children.
He said, "Your sacrifices will pay dividends in this life and beyond."
The bishop commended Hauer, Brokus and Motto for their inspirational talks that stressed the important messages of never giving up, following your dreams and enjoying life's journey.
"God has given you the intelligence to do many things," McFadden said. "All the Lord asks is that you always give your best effort. I will pray for you and I ask that you pray for me. God bless you."
The bishop then offered benediction before the graduates and faculty recessed from the gymnasium following the singing of the alma mater.
The following are members of the 2011 senior class at Lourdes:
Michelle Lynn Albert, Heather Avellino, HollyAvellino, Cierra Bendas, Marissa Berry, Christopher Brokus, Kyle Burns, Kayla Conetta, Dylan Daubert, Devan Dyszel, Alexander Garancheski, John Gilger, Julieann Gusick, Shannon Kenney, Neal Khanna, Matthew Knauer, Sarah Kornaski, Tesia E. Laskoski, Dylan Lawrence, Christopher Loftus, Kyle L. Madison, Brandon Maguire, Kyle McAnnaney, Amanda Miller, Kiana Motto, Emily Musser, Gabriella Owad, Kaitlin Peeler, Joseph Phillips, Francesca Pupo, Nicole Shipe, Jared Shutt, Andrew Troutman, Amanda Warwick, Martin Williams Jr. and Kurt Yasenchak.