James River High School valedictorian Olivia Baker challenged her classmates to “take a leap of faith” during her address last Tuesday evening, May 22 during the Class of 2018’s commencement.

Rain drove the commencement into the school gym where a full house watched and cheered for the 130 seniors who received their high school diplomas.

Baker told her classmates they live in a close knit community where she said people “think they know what’s good for us.”

“But we have to step back and figure out what’s best for us,” she said.

Salutatorian Tara Malloy talked about “the most unknown of all things, the future.” She urged her classmates, “Do what you love without regret.”

Class President William Fowler said the class has had some good times and bad times and urged the graduates to use the mistakes they made to brighten their futures. “Focus on the future and remember the past,” he told them.

SCA President Marcella Allison also spoke of the future, and asked her classmates to consider three questions that Alice was posed with in “Alice In Wonderland.”  “Where are you now? Where are you going? What are you going to do when you get there?”

Principal Jamie Talbott recognized a number of students who received scholarships and other awards. He said the Class of 2018 received $402,000 in scholarships and listed more than two dozen colleges and universities the graduates will be attending in the fall.

He noted, too, that 26 members of the class are Knights Scholars with grade point averages of 4.0 or higher.

He also recognized three graduates who have already received associate degrees in health sciences from Virginia Western Community College, Olivia Baker, Kristen Dyer and Lydia Sydnor.

Talbott urged the graduates to follow their dreams and embrace their failures.

“This is a special place,” School Superintendent John Busher III told the audience. “It’s special to be a River Rat,” which elicited applause from the class and family and friends in the audience.

Busher told the graduates to use their heads and hearts to make wise choices and to look for opportunities to help others.

He urged their parents to keep tabs on them even though they are young adults. “Take time to really listen to them. Listen to them. Listen to them,” he said.