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Pleasant Home graduates give their caps a celebratory toss after commencement Friday night. Photo courtesy of Cindy Martin

Pleasant Home School’s valedictorian Bella Worley’s graduation speech is all about the future.

“I want to talk about some of the things that I feel are instrumental lessons to carry with us as we leave Pleasant Home and enter out next step of life,” Worley said. “As we enter this next phase of life, fear is usually at the forefront of our minds. Life at Pleasant Home is all we have known for so long, and graduating is a big change. But when you think about it, what are we afraid of really? That we won’t be successful? That we won’t be enough? Am I really going to be good at this? Is this the path that I am meant to follow? But actually, who are we not to be?’ “

She went on to compliment her classmates, saying that they are capable and talented people.

“If anyone is meant to be successful, it will be the ones sitting up here tonight,” Worley said. “Each and every one of us are children of God, and that in itself is a reason to be confident in your abilities. But instilled in us a glory that is there to be manifested. What good is your playing small going to do for the world? Every single one of us has the ability to impact, whether it be on an entire community, or in the life of one person. All we have to do is be brave enough to use it.”

Life at Pleasant Home School has been one of the biggest blessings in Worley’s life, she said.

“I know that the future ahead will hold so much love and so much life,” Worley said. “Be confident in the abilities that you possess and the glory of God within you, and go wholeheartedly into whatever you pursue, because after all, someone will succeed, so why not you? In the words of the great icon of our childhood, Hannah Montana, I will say, ‘Life is what you make it, so let’s make it rock.’”

Salutatorian Hailey Hardy spoke about the past and the memories that she made at Pleasant Home School.

“I will always cherish the memories we made here at Pleasant Home,” Hardy said. “Some of my favorites were the dance parties in Mrs. Sims’ room, constantly ‘milking it to class,’ as Coach Mercer would say, and Mrs. Ward roasting Josh on a daily basis.”

She went on to talk about how her classmates are more like her family.

“This class is a family,” Hardy said. “We’ve had our ups and downs, but I couldn’t have made it to this point without you guys. I just want to say that no matter where life takes us, each one of you will always hold a special place in my heart. Many of us have been here since kindergarten, and others have came from different schools, but this class wouldn’t be the same if even one of you weren’t apart of it. Looking back, I wish that I had listened when people told me that high school would fly by. They always said that I would blink and it would be over. At the time, I just brushed it off because it really didn’t seem to be moving so quick, but standing here tonight, I can tell you I was so wrong.”

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