County graduates receive their diplomas

Friends and family members greeted 198 high school graduates at Scurry County’s three public school districts on Friday.
The seniors walked the stage to receive diplomas and then celebrated with friends most of the night.
But the honor graduates of Snyder, Hermleigh and Ira high schools had a message for their classmates.
Snyder High School valedictorian Kellee Martini said she had three points to share with her classmates, “Find your place, find your purpose and find your people.”
“I know that everyone sitting in front of me today is nervous or worried about the future. But, from what I’ve learned so far, you don’t have to stress over finding that one perfect place in the world because what’s perfect for you is always changing, and change is something we have to accept,” Martini said of finding your place. “When you reach a plateau in your life it’s OK to change or leave. We only have one life, and if we spend our time hating our time we’ll never find peace.”
Martini used a Scripture from Psalms to illustrate finding purpose.
“Psalm 34:19-20 says, ‘One who is righteous has many adversities, but the Lord rescues him from them all. He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken,’” she said. “These verses explain why good people often go through the worst pain. Pain is a test of character, through it we learn what paths we should and should not take.”
For finding people, Martini said, “We come from a high school where even a princess gets her hands dirty in the FFA and even a cheerleader can be valedictorian. Even though we had our own little friend groups we always put aside our differences to lift each other up as a family. My relationships with God and these people made life fun and worth living. Life is about the lives that we touch before we leave; it’s about love and community.”
Snyder salutatorian Jordan Phillips talked about the friendships she made in Snyder.
“The friendships I have made at Snyder High will not be forgotten. I wish I had gotten the opportunity to know everyone, but with a class of around a 160 students, that can be a little difficult. That’s true for all of us,” she said. “We find our small group of people that we stick with. It’s not as important for the ones that started with you, but the ones that were there with you in the end.”
She said friendships will last because of how they are built.
“You may see many come and go, but the ones that stay around are there for a purpose. Friendship is built on encouragement, accountability, laughter and so much more,” she said. “Many of you have found just that at Snyder High. Just because this is an end to a chapter in our lives, doesn’t mean we have to throw it all away and forget it. The people sitting around you helped build you into the person you are today. Don’t lose hope in friendship especially from the classmates who you started it with since kindergarten.”
Ira High School valedictorian Ben Fonville said he made friends throughout high school, starting with Brenna Hartman, Isaac Cabrera, Mattie Martin and Macie Hanshew, who started school together in kindergarten. 
“And we picked up almost everyone else not long after that. And as we all know, after all that time together, we’re starting to get on each other’s last nerves,” he said. “However, I am very proud to be able to call you my friends, and I know that one day even the most cynical of us will look back on our times together fondly. I believe that everyone on this stage has the ability to achieve whatever they want to in life, and I hope you all have that belief in yourselves as well.”
Fonville told his classmates to learn from mistakes.
“What is most important in life is that we learn from our mistakes, as they can never be avoided entirely,” he said. “Your reaction to what happens to you is always immensely more important than the event itself, and if you learn to control how you respond to life’s adversities in a positive way, you can accomplish anything you want to in this life.”
Co-salutatorian Alyssa Cowan thanked her classmates for all the good and bad times they shared.
“The past four years have been a rollercoaster of learning experiences and in my case, emotions. They have been filled with many, many laughs, but hard times as well,” she said. “As a class we have learned to cherish the small moments because we know they make the best memories. And the hard times, the hard times have been the reason for our growth.”
Cowan then challenged her classmates.
“Class of 2019, I challenge you to play big, follow your dreams and trust in God with all your heart. I hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smile, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities and to the most special places your heart has ever known,” she said.
Martin, who was also the co-salutatorian, addressed the younger students in attendance.
“Tony Robbins once said, ‘Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being excited about what could go right.’ This quote to me sums up high school and is a good rule to have in life,” she said. “Throughout high school, kids get caught up in all the wrong what-ifs, and it wasn’t until this year that I realized that I was making many of my choices on what could go wrong. We all worry about what will happen if we miss the shot, or if we miss the perfect touchdown pass or strike out with two outs on the board, and the answer is simple. You might lose that game, but life will always go on.”
Hermleigh valedictorian Ciera Digby said she has grown as a person since giving her eighth grade valedictorian speech.
“I could not understand why they made the top student in the class suffer by speaking in front of the town of Hermleigh. Trust me, 200-plus people in one small gym is frightening to an eighth grader,” she said. “Although I have grown since then and I have become a person who likes to take a challenge, I might cry this time because I am leaving such a special place behind.”
Digby said Friday night started the next chapter in their lives.
“We get to start our journeys and go our separate ways,” she said. “However, our memories will keep us together.”
Salutatorian Bailey Pierce said choosing to go to Hermleigh was the best decision she made.
“This school made me feel apart of something, from the teachers who made sure I felt safe here to being a part of the basketball and softball teams for almost all four years,” she said. “I was so dedicated to each and every one of you, and I love you all dearly.”
Pierce, who broke her ankle and is planning to have surgery next month, said her classmates need to move forward.
“This is exactly the way life will treat you. It will never be picture-perfect,” she said. “There is always going to be something standing in your way, no matter how big or small that may be. It is your job as a person to fund the light in situations. It is your job to laugh at the small things and never take life seriously.”