The end of the beginning for the Class of 2026

They were in sixth grade when their world changed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. After that experience, they determined they could survive anything. Now, six years later, the Class of 2026 is preparing to go out and change the world, and in the words of guest speaker Custer High School English teacher Cherri Block, “We are counting on you.” 
At the Custer High School Commencement Ceremony in the Armory May 16, Custer School District superintendent of schools Dr. Tim Frederick said graduation reflected the class’s hard work and determination. 
“But understand the word commencement suggests today is not just an ending, it is a beginning. You now step into the next chapter of your life,” said Frederick. 
As the graduates begin the next chapter, Frederick encouraged them to stay driven but also stay present, not letting the rush of the future rob the gift of the present. 
“Recognize who you are, where you have been and where you are going. Trust your path, keep moving forward and remember that growth rarely happens in a straight line. Remember your community, and always remember this—you are not alone. You are cared for,” said Frederick. 
Even as the graduates head off in different directions, Frederick reminded them that they have a community that believes in them, even when they doubt themselves. Along these lines, Frederick urged the students to choose their inner circle wisely and surround themselves with people who will lift them up and support their ambitions. 
“Choose to be around those who will help you grow, who will challenge you. It will put you in a position to realize what might seem impossible,” said Frederick. 
Finally, Frederick challenged the graduates to impact others as they step forward into the world.
“Your journey is not just about you and personal success. It’s about the impact you make on others around you. Even light in times of darkness is a source of hope for others,” said Frederick. “The world today, we need your courage. We need your kindness. We need your vision. Shine brightly and help others find their way. We are incredibly proud of you. Go forward with strength, with hope and with confidence that your best days are ahead of you.” 
Of the 52 graduates, Keira Nelson was chosen to be the class speaker at the commencement ceremony. Nelson reflected on the adventures of the last 13 years, starting with their oversized backpacks in kindergarten.  
In elementary school, they had contests to see who could make the biggest snowball, played mad scientists at lunch, enjoyed holiday classroom parties, decorated their first lockers, played sharks and minnows, screamed during the homecoming pep rallies and got silly songs stuck in their heads. 
Then, in 2020, at the end of their sixth grade year, they transitioned to virtual classes before heading into the “mask era” of seventh grade. 
“It was a crazy year with every other week someone being sent home, but we made it through and were able to enjoy the thrills of middle school and high school,” said Nelson. 
Their backpacks got heavier over the years as they climbed the stairs and rushed from class to class. Nelson said homecoming got even more exciting with building floats, playing class games and choreographing killer lip sync routines. 
“Our high school days were filled with finding ways to get our teachers off topic so we didn’t have to do school work and hunting down kids who just took a test to see how bad it was and if we should start panicking,” said Nelson. 
Speech days were a favorite, as were the home games when the students dressed up to cheer on the Wildcats. 
“There were definitely days we never thought we would make it through, but here we are on the day we thought would never come. As the door closes on this chapter of our lives, new doors open. We are now entering a new chapter, each of us setting off on a different path. What’s to come, we do not know— which is scary, maybe even terrifying. But the mystery is what makes the journey all the more exciting,” said Nelson. 
Nelson left the class with a final blessing, “May the roads rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rain fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”
Looking out at the graduates, Block said this is what potential looks like.
“Commencement means a new beginning. From here, you get to go out and reinvent yourself and be who you really want to be,” said Block. “The world is huge, and you’ll find your place in it.” 
Block said getting this far required a lot of work from the graduates.
It wasn’t always easy, “but if it were easy, it wouldn’t be much of an accomplishment, would it? It took effort, hard work and grit.”
Grit, she defined as perseverance toward a long-term goal, or in the words of Newt Gingrich, “perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of the hard work you already did.” 
This, Block said, includes the graduates’ mental toughness, determination, stamina and courage in the face of adversity.
“At the beginning of the year, I tell my classes, ‘No one cares how smart you are. Your value isn’t in your intelligence. Your worth depends on your work ethic.’ That perseverance is what will help you most in all aspects of your future,” said Block. “You’re ready for all of those things that go along with being an adult because that grit has been instilled in you.”
When presented with challenges in the future, Block encouraged the graduates to look back on all of the things they already accomplished at Custer High School.
“You’ve been building yourselves since elementary school, and every day, every decision you make helps define who you are and who you want to be. So my advice to you is keep striving toward that goal. Don’t limit yourself. Don’t tell yourself you can’t do something. You’re capable of more than you know. And if you have a goal that scares you, good. It should scare you a little bit. That’s what makes life exciting,” said Block. 
No matter where the graduates go or whether they return to Custer County, Block encouraged them to remember where they came from, who they are and how they got there.
In closing, Block said, “Go out there and change the world, because my friends, we are counting on you.”
Student body president Kasen Adam closed out the presentation portion of the commencement ceremony with a few final thoughts. 
As a student body family of 13 years, Adam encouraged the graduates to hold their memories of their time together in a special place in their hearts, “because love it or hate it, we made each other who we are. The world that we are walking into right now can seem a little scary and a little broken, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We are in charge of our futures. No one else, and I believe in us.” 
Adam believes that the Class of 2026 can spread love and not hate, joy and not pain and do anything they put their minds to as long as they try. 
“Life is a beautiful thing and is not to be taken for granted. Someone very wise told me it goes faster and faster every year, so make the most of it. I think that’s true because it has gone faster and faster every year. Chase your dreams and make them into realities, but don’t forget who you are,” said Adam. 
With that, the Class of 2026 received their diplomas, flipped their tassels and headed out of the Armory for the last time as students of Custer High School, surrounded by their loved ones.