By LILY MILLER
CCA Class of 2026 Valedictorian
Good evening members of the board, faculty, parents, friends and, most importantly, the Class of 2026.
I want to start off by thanking parents, teachers, coaches, staff and everyone who made all these years everything that they were.
I also want to thank the Class of 2026 for all of the memories we made. You guys are my second family.
Tonight, we stand at the edge of a new beginning looking out at a future that is ours to shape.
All year long we have heard the phrase, “For his Glory.” It’s been on posters, in chapel messages, and it is in the culture we built here together.
But tonight, that phrase stops being a theme and starts becoming a mission.
Our verse, 1 Peter 4:11, ends with these words, “To him belong the praise and and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
That final word, “Amen,” matters. Because “Amen” does not mean “the end.” It means “let it be so.” It’s not a period. It’s a declaration. A transition from words into action.
So tonight, this graduation is our “Amen” moment. This is the moment where everything we’ve learned, everything we’ve prayed, everything we’ve struggled through, and everything God has done for us finally moves beyond these walls.
Think about what it took to get here. The hard work. The late nights. The stress, the deadlines, the practices, the tests. The uncertainty about the future. The moments we felt unqualified, overwhelmed or ready to quit.
And yet, here we are.
Not because we had everything figured out, but because God was faithful through every step.
Some of us came into high school unsure of who we were. Some of us found lifelong friendships here. Some of us discovered gifts and passions we never knew we had. And all us were shaped, day by day, into the people sitting here tonight.
But this is not the finish line. It is the launchpad.
The world does not need more people chasing attention for themselves. It needs people willing to live for his glory. People who lead with integrity. Who serve instead of being served. Who carry faith into classrooms, workplaces, relationships and communities. People who remember that success means nothing if it points only back to us.
And honestly?
The future may feel uncertain right now. Some of us know exactly what is next, while others have no clue.
But here is the good news. God is already in our “what’s next.”
He was faithful in the chapters behind us, and he will be faithful in the chapters ahead. The same God that guided us through high school will guide us through college, careers, callings, victories, failures and every unknown in between.
So as we walk out of these doors, let’s not leave behind what we built here. Take the faith. Take the values. Take the lessons learned in both victories and failures. And go make an eternal impact.
Class of 2026, this is our doxology. Our declaration. Our Amen.
Not the end of a story, but the beginning of living it out.
“To him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever.”
Now, let it be so.
Congratulations, Class of 2026. Now let’s go!
