just receive but to give . It can be so easy , especially at a place like CPA when we are surrounded by people who care for us and pour into us daily , to get comfortable just being on the receiving end . Now don ’ t get me wrong , being on the receiving end is integral to our growth . In college , it ’ s going to be vital for us to receive : to receive an education , a community , and so much more . While all of this is good , I don ’ t want us to succumb to the danger of becoming solely focused on ourselves , of only receiving and not giving . I don ’ t want us to forget that we are called to impact others and to be a blessing to others wherever we go .
Mr . Ellis didn ’ t challenge me with having a giving mindset because he thought this would be a nice thing to do . He didn ’ t challenge me to pour into the lives of the people around me because he believed the CPA community needed my help . He challenged me with giving because he knew this is what we are called to do as followers of Christ . In 1 Timothy 6:18 , we are commanded “ to do good , to be rich in good works , to be generous and ready to share .” In John 13:35 Jesus said , “ By this all people will know that you are my disciples , if you have love for one another .” Here Jesus tells us the greatest way to identify ourselves as disciples is to love , to give , to invest in the lives of those around us . This type of giving can be extremely difficult to live out , especially in new , challenging stages of life like the one we will be in soon as we head into college . Christ , of course , is the perfect embodiment of this sacrificial love , so it is Him that we need to look toward . Christ lived by example and explained how we , too , can be rich in good works . During His time on earth , He revealed how we can fulfill this calling of giving even when times get rough , even when we are entering an unfamiliar place . When Jesus appoints the first two apostles , Simon and Andrew , He tells them “ Follow me and I will make you fishers of men .” There are two parts to what Jesus tells the apostles here . The first thing is “ follow me .” The apostles had
“ Wherever we are , we are called to learn and grow , and to pour into others , and it is following Christ that enables us to do this .”
to follow Jesus and be taught by Him daily . It was this that empowered them to carry out the second part of what Jesus told them : to be fishers of men . This meant giving up their time , their money , their entire lives as they knew them , so that they could bring others to Christ . Just like the twelve , we are all disciples of Jesus , and therefore , are called to be fishers of men . Wherever we are , we are called to learn and grow , and to pour into others , and it is following Christ that enables us to do this .
So , Class of 2022 , I want to challenge all of us , as we leave this place and enter our next chapter in life , to learn , to receive , to be taught by those around us , but to remember that the Lord has called us all to be disciples and therefore , fishers of men . I want to challenge all of us to enter this new stage of life with the same mindset that Mr . Ellis challenged me to have as I entered my seventh grade year : the mindset of “ what can I give in this situation , not just what can I receive .”
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’ m sure I can speak for the senior class when I express my utmost gratitude for how much this community has poured into all of us , and we wouldn ’ t be standing here today if not for the countless hours of dedication from our parents , teachers , coaches , and other mentors . I know I certainly would not be who I am today if not for the constant encouragement and support from my parents and siblings . We are all so lucky to have these people in our lives who constantly point us back to the most important part
of a CPA education , the way that God is at the center of all we do . As I reflected on my time at CPA , I struggled to pinpoint what exactly makes the Class of 2022 what it is . I quickly realized that what sets our class apart is the abundance of shared moments that defined our grade ’ s path over the years . I would venture to say that this graduating class has gone through more together than most graduating classes do . The story of our grade is built on these communal experiences that shape how we interact with each other and those around us . We ’ ve laughed together , cried together , traveled together , studied together , celebrated together , mourned together . But no matter what , we are always together .
In the epic poem , “ The Aeneid ,” originally written in Latin , Virgil traces the journey of Aeneas from the fall of the great city Troy at the end of the Trojan War to his new home in Italy . His journey is fraught with danger , and it seems like the odds are constantly against him . After a terrible storm at sea causes Aeneas and his men to shipwreck on the shores of northern Africa , Aeneas addresses his men with these words : “ forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit ,” which means , “ and perhaps it will help to remember these things at some time .” In other words , Aeneas is encouraging his men by reminding them that one day they will look back on this journey fondly and with a fresh perspective . What ’ s so striking about this line is that Virgil is able to do what I cannot ; he encapsulates the entire story of a journey , of a people , in one word : haec . This Latin word is translated as “ these things .” These things he is referring to include all the turmoil of their journey and all the devastating losses from the war that preceded it . However , haec also refers to the good times they had along the way , the shared meals , and the community they created .
And so , as I attempt to sum up our grade in a few words , I want to give you the same message that Aeneas gave his men when they didn ’ t know what the next step for them looked like . Perhaps it will help to remember these things at some time . For us , these things that we remember aren ’ t war and shipwrecks , but these shared memories are what make our grade who we are nevertheless . As we go our separate ways and forge new paths , I want each of us to remember the journey that we shared together .
When you leave this place and feel burdened by the pressures of adult life , perhaps it will help to remember the rush and exhilaration you felt as
Jacob Stoebner , Salutatorian , Class of 2022
CPALIONS . ORG 19