Katelyn Munn’s Story
Pastor Monroe, Mr. Berry, Faculty and Staff, Family and Friends, and last but not least the Class of 2020,
I would like to welcome and thank each of you for making this day possible.
Pastor, without your sacrifices, vision, and dedication to start a school whose purpose is to foster an environment of faith and learning, this wonderful place from which we are graduating today
would not exist.
Mr. Berry, without your tireless effort to ensure this school runs smoothly, we might not even be having this graduation today. On behalf of all of us, I thank you.
Teachers, from the moment I stepped onto this campus fourteen years ago, you have always been there. Every one of you truly sees this as more than your job; it is your mission field. Not only do you educate us in the areas of your study, but you also pour out knowledge of your Savior who you are incredibly passionate about. It is because of you and your too often unappreciated efforts that many of your students have come to know Christ during their time at Florence Christian
School and will be in heaven. Because of all you have done for me and so many others, a thank you hardly will suffice, but please just know how grateful I am for you.
Other members of the church and school staff, I have been so blessed to have you as a part of my life. From Mr. Edwards and every Sunday School teacher I have ever had to coaches and mentors, you have poured yourself into me and assisted me in both my spiritual and physical walk even though you might not have even been aware of it. Because of this, I extend an eminence amount of appreciation to you for all you have done.
Family and Friends, you are quite literally that backbone of every student in attendance tonight. Without your constant encouragement, guidance, and aid, we would not be able to accomplish the feat we are accomplishing today. You are the shoulder we cry on and our rock when things get hard. You are there through thick and thin again and again. I do not even have to words to thank you enough for all you have done.
And now Class of 2020, we have been our built-in support group, friends, and I would dare say family for some time. I have been here with some of you since 4K and treasure every moment we have had together. This being said every new addition has only added to our family. Whenever you came to FCS, you have made an impact on this class and have contributed to our journey. I could not pick a better class with which to attain this milestone. Each of you is irreplaceable and
cherished.
My hope for every one of you is that we realize how blessed we are to have this place. A place where Mrs. Stone will not start class until she has prayed for any needs her students may have, a place where Mrs. Timmons can simultaneously teach you every part of speech there is and the beauty of God’s creation, a place where Mr. Jones makes the Bible come alive, a place where Mrs. Bohler stretches you and yet shows you the grace of Christ, a place where
Mrs. Miles will listen to your life problems and pray with you, a place where Mr. Miles reminds us each day to live for the eternal more than the temporal, a place where Mr. Edwards opens God’s word every Wednesday to challenge and encourage us, a place where Mrs. Watts cares about you more than you will ever know and still checks up on you even after she has retired. These people and so many others here exemplify the very love of Jesus. I can truly say this school is like no place else.
As we go out on our separate journeys, I pray that we will not forget what and who all helped us get here. May we stay humble and acknowledge everything that happens in our lives is a gift from God. May we stay diligent and strive to glorify Him in everything we do. May we exemplify the love that God has so mercifully shown to us so that when others look our way, they see the light of Jesus. As we embark on our future endeavors to college and the workforce, I implore you to stand strong in the faith because it will be tested. We might no longer have individuals who uplift us in Christ and we must make our faith our own. Be brave and be bold. Stand up and proudly carry the name of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Additionally, if you have been within these walls there is no doubt that you have heard the Gospel, but if you have been putting it off, I urge you to settle the searching of your soul tonight because Jesus is truly the only thing that will satisfy you. This quarantine has given me time to reflect on this fact in a mighty way. You have no idea how fragile your identity can become if you place it in the hands of men and the titles they give.
Personally, I have spent way too much time worrying about how I can impress others and have often forgotten what matters the most. When I refuse to find my identity in the eyes of man and place it in the hands of God, it is only then that I can be complete. No matter what life throws at us, even if it is a global pandemic, we can triumphantly rejoice because we are children of the King who has overcome the world.
Florence Christian Class of 2020, I am so incredibly proud of everything we have and will continue to accomplish. We have shown enormous potential and I cannot wait to see where the future will take us.
Finally, I would like to leave you with this passage in which the final verse was announced at the beginning of each football game as the players took the field:
Isaiah 40:29-31. It states: “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But 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; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Thank you to everyone in attendance and congratulations to the Class of 2020.