Rusk High School valedictorian challenges graduates to strive for excellence
JAYANNA MAGRUDER

JAYANNA MAGRUDER

As I look into the crowd tonight I am pleased to see so many familiar faces-family, friends, faculty, and of course, the Rusk High School Class of 2007. On behalf of my class, I would like to thank each and every one of you for joining us here at Eagle Stadium as we celebrate reaching a great milestone in our lives. To my fellow graduates, I say, "Congratulations! A job well done. We did it! It is finished." And as Mr. Scallon would say, "I'm not lyin' this time." Many times it has seemed like a never-ending road, but I'm glad we have all made it this far. I'm so grateful to my Savior, Jesus Christ, who has given us the strength, abilityand grace to make it through high school.

I want to begin by thanking our families; because without you, we all would have given up a long time ago. In the past years, you all have consistently been by our sides. You, our families, not only cheered us on when we succeeded, but you also encouraged and came to our rescue when we failed. You helped us count in kindergarten, called out spelling and vocabulary words in elementary, assisted in building science and history projects in junior high, attended numerous awards assemblies, pep rallies and games in high school, provided irreplaceable moral support, and not to mention, probably bought about 50 Eagle t-shirts. We truly appreciate your commitment, faithfulness and unconditional love; nothing you did for us was left unnoticed. If there is one thing that I have learned throughout the past eighteen years of my life it is this: the love of a family is indeed life's greatest blessing. In the near future, when we set out on our own to take on the world, I hope and pray that we all become people that you will all be proud of.

To the faculty at Rusk ISD: "Where do I even begin?" Each of your classes has taught us something different, and each of you will remain in our hearts forever. Through hard work and dedication, you have sufficiently prepared us for life outside of high school. Our teachers here have not only exemplified grace and dignity, but also patience and endurance when dealing with us throughout the years. They have enabled each of us to develop our personal character by instilling wisdom and knowledge into our minds.

There are three teachers here at Rusk that made a huge impact on my life. I have the highest respect for these three women, and to them I'll forever be grateful. Although it's sometimes hard to think way back to primary school, this is where our education really started. So at this time, I would like to sincerely thank Susan Birdwell, my kindergarten teacher, for planting that special seed into my spirit so long ago. She successfully laid a foundation in my life that I have continued to build upon all the way up until now. Next, I want to recognize Sissy Crysup. Wow! After completing two years of her class, I can promise you that I know how to study. But see, she didn't just teach us about Algebra and Pre-Cal, she taught us about life; and even today, inside her classroom important life lessons are being learned by many students.

And last, there is Mrs. Turney-the greatest biology teacher ever. Of course I had to thank her for putting up with our crazy class for three whole years; we made so many fun memories with her, and learned how a true Rusk Eagle should act. And to all of the other teachers we've encountered in the past, Thanks! You've given us the formula for success and the recipe for prosperity.

Now I have a few words for the Class of 2007, the people that I've been in class with for the past thirteen years. As we graduate tonight, this ceremony marks an end-point and closes a door in our lives that will never be able to be opened again. It is our job to choose which door we open next, and which road we decide to take; "Don't follow where the path leads, but instead go where there is no path and leave a trail." Some of us will go directly into the work force, while others may continue their education elsewhere. No matter where our lives take us, our futures are critical. Charles Kettering said, "We should all be concerned about the future because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there." Tomorrow morning, when we wake up, we'll be living in a new stage in our lives. Soon we will each experience a new-found freedom that is very exciting, but somewhat overwhelming. I urge everyone to take on these privileges in a responsible and mature manner. I also want to strongly encourage all of you, my friends, to dream big, set your goals high, and reach for the stars. You can do anything if you set your mind to it. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." I say, "I know not what the future-holds, but I know who holds the future." So tonight, I leave you with a scripture; one that everyday, by faith, I choose to live by. Jeremiah 29:11 reads: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope for the future." Lastly, to all my fellow graduates and classmates, as your Rusk High School Class of 2007 Valedictorian, I leave you with a challenge - one that I have recently vowed to take on. I challenge each and every one of you, from here on out, to always strive for excellence, never give up, and continue to fight, forever, like a true Rusk Eagle. Thank you.

The speeches of the RHS salutatorian and high ranking student will be published in a future issue of the Cherokeean Herald.