Commencement Address 2017

By Art Middlekauff

July 1, 2017

You were my first homeschooled student, and so we did quite a journey together, because we were both learning as we went. And I know I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but I did my best to try to prepare you for the future.

And when I think about everything that you accomplished and all the hard work that you did, I like to think it may have felt like a journey, but I really don’t think of it as a journey. I think of it as if you’re about to go on a journey, a long one; the first thing you have to do is pack a whole bunch of suitcases, and you have to figure out what are all the clothes you’re going to need, and all the personal items you’re going to need, and if you’re going to a remote place, you have to think about what kind of tools you’re going to need, and what kind of survival things you’re going to need, and food, and everything like that.

So I felt like we just spent the first 18 years of your life just packing a whole bunch of bags and loading them up, and now I think I would say that all the bags are finally packed, the suitcases are locked up and sealed, and it’s all now in your court, and now it’s time for you to actually start the journey, and I think you’ve got everything you need. So congratulations on graduating from high school. I’m very proud of you.