Sandy Creek Christian Academy wrapped up its 40th year of existence on Saturday by celebrating six seniors reaching a milestone and moving on to new challenges.
But before they left the school on the east side of Seymour with diplomas in hand, Valedictorian Noel Roll asked the five other members of the class — Juleimy Alvarado-Rodriquez, Jacob Hernandez, Alexis Persinger, Abraham Soto Hernandez and Cyrus Wilson — to remember a few things.
“I challenge you that as you move forward, not to lose focus of the one who matters,” Roll said. “Not to forget who spoke the universe into existence. The one who knew you before you were in your mother’s womb. And if he can do all these things, surely he can carry you through every storm.”
She said if her classmates want to be successful, they should keep their eyes on God.
“You’ll notice that when you seek God’s kingdom first as it is requested of us in Matthew 6:33, you’ll start making good grades, you’ll start finding the right job opportunities, you’ll find the right spouse, you’ll find love, joy and peace,” she said.
“Everything will start falling into place, even when it looks like it’s falling apart.”
“Praise is the key to every door,” she said as her parting words to her classmates. “Don’t ever forget that. And remember if you aren’t laughing, you’re doing it wrong.”
The Rev. Aaron Arrowood, the school’s present principal, said during a recent ceremony he attended, he wondered why they willfully ignored the God who had made everything they were doing that night possible.
He said he was so thankful to be part of an institution that seeks to not only acknowledge that there is a God but to honor him in every single thing that people do.
“There is a God, and his name is Jesus, and everything that we are and everything that we have we owe to him,” he said. “So I want to say thank you, parents. None of this would be possible without you. Thank you for allowing us to work with your students, allowing us to honor God and teach your children the principles of God as best we can.”
Arrowood also introduced the keynote speaker, who just happens to be his father.
“I also want to acknowledge our founder in 1982,” he said. “Pastor Larry Arrowood founded Seymour Christian Academy and has stuck by it except for a couple of years when he was not in Indiana. For the other 38, he supported the school emotionally, spiritually and financially.”
During his keynote address, Pastor Larry Arrowood said he believes in the significance of education in a Christian environment.
“So that is why 40 years ago, SCCA was founded, and through the years, God has helped and God has blessed in so many ways,” he said.
He also talked about the acquisition of a 36-acre campus with a building that now contains both the school and the church in recent years.
“And of course, all the dreams that are in the planning stages for the future of SCCA,” Larry said.
He announced that he and his wife have donated $1,000 to start an endowment fund to facilitate the future of the school and challenged alumni to consider annual gifts to the fund, as well.
“We have never had an endowment for our school,” he said.
The fund would be use to help students who might want to attend SCCA in the future, he said.
Minutes before commencement started, Wilson said he thought it was really cool to be a part of the school’s 40th graduating class and to have the ceremony in the church since its recent move from downtown Seymour to the site of the school at 5707 N. Sandy Creek Drive.
Wilson said his future plans include attending a trade school for two years to become an electrician or go through an apprenticeship for the same thing.
He said he’s going to miss all of the friends and bonds he has created over the years at Sandy Creek and teachers.
“The teachers are really supportive,” Wilson said.
Alvarado-Rodriquez said she was super excited about graduation arriving.
“I feel like we have been waiting for this and then it came so fast,” she said.
Alvarado-Rodriquez said she plans to work this summer and start college in the fall in pursuit of becoming a social worker.
She said she is going to miss the environment of the school.