Grace Christian Academy 2018 class valedictorian Grant Christopher Eichenberger summed up his address to his fellow graduates with these words: A new chapter in their lives is about to begin.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to congratulate my fellow classmates on the milestone that we reached in our education. We all worked hard and tonight a new chapter of our lives begins,\u201d said Eichenberger in last Friday\u2019s commencement exercises. \u201cWe\u2019ve encouraged each other and grown together. We supported each other through both the good times and the challenging times.\u201d<\/p>\n
He thanked their teachers and pastors for helping them prepare for the next step in their adult lives. \u201cWe are blessed not only on the quality of education at GCA but also with the values that they taught us through the morality [they] lived everyday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eichenberger also recalled the times that they spent in and out their classroom at GCA, a story that drew laughs from his classmates, families, and friends who witnessed last week\u2019s ceremony.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve done everything, from joking about our teachers, making class phrases, and singing karaoke at Zooms, to performing cringy pep rally dances,\u201d he said. \u201cWe had a great last year at Managaha, barbecuing, swimming, and throwing cucumbers at each other. We also had grown close with the juniors. We\u2019re such lucky to experience all of this together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eichenberger added that despite their differences, they\u2019ve become a family. \u201cSometimes, we had problems with each other because of our different personalities and interests. But the important words that I have to say to my fellow graduates: We had such an amazing time that we\u2019ve become a family. I want you to remember that we should continue to support each other as a family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eichenberger also received the President\u2019s Academic Excellence honors and was runner-up for the prestigious Eagle Award to Art Matthew Mamaril, who also received the most valuable player and most inspirational player citations.<\/p>\n
Kristina Tenorio was named the Outstanding Female Graduate, receiving the honors from Women\u2019s Affairs director Doris Drew and was also the recipient of the Barnabas-Encourager award.<\/p>\n
The other academic and service awardees were Franchesca Edralin Dalusong (salutatorian), Miku Matsumura (third graduating with honors), Dianne Arnold (fourth graduating with honors, Citizenship Award, and Mock Trial Prosecution Star Attorney), Yujin Kim (fifth graduating with honors), Min Sung Kim (Christian Disciple), Charlestone Kim (Diligence).<\/p>\n
Dalusong was also the high school girls\u2019 volleyball team MVP, while Amir Abes earned the high school boys\u2019 most improved player award and Pathompong Lamonrattanayothin received the most inspirational player honors.<\/p>\n
Peter Jin Chen Deng, Sumin Kang, Joo Young Kim, Jon Ernest Lacorte, Miku Matsumura, Joshua Peter Tenorio, and Ezi Yan were the other graduates of GCA\u2019s Class of 2018.<\/p>\n