Making a difference was the theme of Bethany's 54th commencement address on Sunday, May 25.

Wes Bontreger, pastor at Yellow Creek Mennonite Church, challenged the 44 graduates to attain the high mark of becoming fools and failures: fools for not conforming to society's superficial standards of success and failures as a mark of having at least tried to make something better. He urged graduates to elevate faithfulness above success by learning from failure and to make a difference in their commitments, community, and caring.

In their student addresses Alex Brew and Elizabeth King mentioned every classmate and thanked teachers for "caring about us, beyond our grades." To classmates, Elizabeth said, "If we take the gifts that God has given to each of us and think every day about how to use those gifts in a way that serves God, some great things can happen." And Alex concluded, "The themes of community, hard work, and treating people with compassion-themes we learned at Bethany-will be the foundation upon which our lives are built."

The class gift included funding to buy a DVD recorder for classroom use.

Listening to the student speakers

Receiving bowls as gift for recessional

Class sponsor Christine Stuzman, affectionately known as mom, gives a graduate a hug.