Valedictorian and class president Lydia Dice opened her remarks by thanking ACS teachers “for empowering us with the Word of God, for loving us, and being so much fun and easy to impersonate,” making a reference to a show-stopping humorous senior classskit performed at the annual talent show last fall. Dice went on to describe her class as “a class that believes in the power of prayer,” evidenced by their decision to create a prayer “War Room” in the school as their legacy gift. Each senior wrote a favorite Bible verse on a wall of that room and Dice included many of those verses as part of her remarks. Dice will be pursuing a degree in Christian ministry at Lancaster Bible College.
Student body chaplain Alejandra Pagoada, who delivered the Christian character address, joined Dice in encouraging her classmates to keep prayer at the center of their lives. “Remember to pray continually, to pray for what we consider to be the most miniscule things, and to wait on God’s time rather than our own,” Pagoada said.
Commencement speaker Rich Aspenberg, pictured at left, challenged the graduates to stay firmly focused on the Word of God as their guidepost in life, to remember the important spiritual lessons they have learned and seen modeled by their teachers and coaches, and to surround themselves with people who will encourage them in their Christian walk. Aspenberg is the youth pastor at Mission Point Church in Somers Point and a former middle school boys’ and varsity boys’ soccer coach at ACS.
Salutatorian Robin Simpson, who will be entering the honors program at Neumann University to study nursing, reminded her classmates about the importance of perseverance, reciting 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 as one of her favorite Bible verses. She encouraged her classmates to persevere through the roadblocks and trying times ahead. “When you grow tired and frustrated, dig your heels in and don’t stop until you reach the finish line,” Simpson said. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to look back and say I did my best and God will bless you for that.”
Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen noted that this class distinguished itself both spiritually and academically, with 70 percent graduating with honors or highest honors and every senior moving on to higher education. Ten awards and scholarships were given to the graduating seniors.
Dice and Simpson each received $500 academic achievement scholarships. Simpson also received the $500 1st place PTF Scholarship as part of an essay contest. Dice received the $400 Spiker Family Math Achievement Award and the $250 second place PTF Scholarship. Jacob Mouliert, who will be attending Lancaster Bible College to major in student ministries, received the $200 COMPASS Missions Award, given to a student seeking to answer God’s calling to ministry, and the $250 Mazzitelli Memorial Music Scholarship. Bailey Carney, who will be studying nursing at Charleston Southern University, received the $100 3rd place PTF scholarship and a $300 Character of Joseph Scholarship, awarded to a student who has exhibited integrity and perseverance in overcoming personal adversity. Sarah Kimmerley, who closed the commencement ceremony in prayer, will be majoring in elementary and special education at Rowan University, and received the Thomas H. Heist Community Service Award.