‘Study the main character,’ Bradenton Christian seniors told, as they receive Bibles alongside diplomas
While a group of singing kindergartners could upstage anyone, the 39 seniors graduating from Bradenton Christian School during a ceremony at Bayside Community Church on Friday night did not seem to mind.
The youngsters serenading the graduates is a BCS tradition, where seniors get an adorable sendoff from the “Cubby Buddies” they have mentored throughout the year.
Other BCS traditions were on full display throughout the night. Most notable was the tight-knit community, evidenced by English teacher Shirley Hudson’s commencement address.
Hudson shared memories with the high school seniors, poking fun at them for failed attempts at romance on class trips and laughing about her own eccentricities in a speech filled with anecdotes about the class of 2017.
“To the parents, I will only believe half of what they tell me about you, if you only believe a quarter of what they tell you about me,” Hudson said.
Hudson mentioned lessons the students told her they had learned from the literature they studied during high school. Characters from “The Great Gatsby,” “The Screwtape Letters,” “Lord of the Flies” and other novels had taught the students much, but she closed her speech urging them to study the Bible they would receive along with their diplomas.
“This book is filled with short stories, parables ... there is a protagonist, an antagonist,” Hudson said. “The conflicts are many, and the lessons are great. I urge you to study the main character.”
Senior speaker Gina Sturiano encouraged her classmates to continue to care for one another, even as they diverged onto 39 different paths.
“Graduating from Bradenton Christian School is different,” Sturiano said. “Looking at these rows in front of me I don’t just see my friends and classmates, I see my family.”
Bradenton Christian School
Graduates: 39
Graduating class: 41st
Speakers: English Department Chair Shirley Hudson and senior Gina Sturiano
Shining moment: Sierra Spring Shontere, praised for her smile and kindness, was awarded the Faculty Outstanding Senior Award.
Interesting fact: Seven of the 39 graduates have attended Bradenton Christian School since they were in kindergarten.
Best quote: “We are children of God, loved by him, and created for a divine purpose,” Sturiano said.
This story was originally published May 26, 2017 at 9:59 PM with the headline "‘Study the main character,’ Bradenton Christian seniors told, as they receive Bibles alongside diplomas."