Four-letter word every Federal Hocking graduate needs to know

STEWART — Federal Hocking High School’s Class of 2024 celebrated its commencement service on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

“Pomp and Circumstance” played as the seniors marched into the Lancers’ gymnasium and took their seats in front of a big crowd filled with family, friends, faculty and staff — the whole Fed Hock community.

Class of 2024’s co-valedictorians are Magnolia Ballew, Emma Lucas and Trenton Wilkes, and co-salutatorians are Emma Amlin and Katelyn Miller.

Distinguished Fed Hock alumnus Joe Rader, Class of 1970, gave the keynote address. Rader is a Navy veteran, corporate officer now retired, civic leader, and statistician for the Lancers’ football team.

Rader shared with the Class of 2024 several four-letter words — the good kind — that seniors need to understand as they are about to embark on their new journey of life.

“We’re all here to celebrate this special day and recall the journey, which I’m sure seems to have been coming for a lifetime for these seniors. So to the class of 2024, ladies and children, you’re not kids anymore,” he said. “You spent your first 18 years with your parents, with teachers and others told you not to use four-letter words. Well, I’d like to present to you today four-letter words that you need to consider using as you step out for the rest of your life into the real world. Not words you shouldn’t say, but words that you need to live or understand as you begin this new journey of your life.”

Rader’s first four-letter word of advice: free.

“You may be free from high school, but today you’ll begin to experience life from a different perspective,” he said. “You need to spend a few months enjoying that freedom, take a trip, sleep in every day, or just enjoy and do nothing. Then you can begin your surge for what it is in this world that is free. I assure you that free will be hard and fun. I get that about every time I leave a store and they say, did you find everything? And I say, well, I didn’t find the free sale.”

Rader’s next four-letter word of advice: work.

“This world has changed so much since I graduated. It’s harder to find a job in the last you, the last 40 to 50 years. It can be done, but you will need to know what work means and that you’ll be spending 40 hours or more a week to support yourself and your family as you build that nest for the day of retirement. I hope you get there. I pray you’ll find work that you’ll love where you can be successful.”

Rader’s third four-letter word of advice: love.

“Learn how to love. I’m sure that you learn just a little bit about love, but hopefully we’ll find love and it will bring you a happy life for the next 50 to 70 years,” he said.

Rader pointed to his high school sweetheart — they’ve been married 52 years. And he talked about the love for children.

“Learn what it is to love your child for the first time,” he said.

Rader shared these words of advice.

“If you’re going to see the world differently and you’re going to develop a new sense of what love is, achieve their personal goal, creating something with your own hands; explore wonderful places.”

Hope is another four-letter word.

Having hope will make the hard times easier,” Rader said. “I get my hope for my belief and relationship with my God and my savior, Jesus Christ. You’re young now will face many different trials in your life. Having a belief in something bigger in spirit and helps you to face a tough world.”

Rader shared these words of wisdom — live your life — as he talked his adventures that took him near and far — the Grand Canyon, Hawaii and glaciers of Alaska.

Rader’s ended his speech by saying, “Live your life to the fullest. Keep your family close and your friends closer. Use all of these four-letter words that you can and make your life better and the best, best book you’ve ever read. Whether it’s straight to school, college, work, military, marriage, or if you’re still undecided, make your life special. No matter how many letters are in the words that describe your life, make us proud of this class of 2024. I guarantee that you’ll miss being in this place, but don’t miss out on making a great future for yourself. ... Good luck to each and every one of you. Congratulations!”

Ballew, who was also the class secretary, read the poem “ Opportunity ” by Berton Brady, which detailed how the “best” of anything still hasn’t been done and how the seniors should work toward their goals.

All of the speakers noted how the classmates have grown up beside one another, facing adversity, such as starting high school during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Fed Hock community is created by the collaborative effort of every teacher, student, staff member and parent who has supported our school,” said Lucas. “This collaboration was also in a class like mine, a class that is earnest, conscientious and incredibly hardworking.”

Wilkes noted how much the class has matured between their freshman and senior years, pointing to himself as an example of how the school helped him become a better version of himself.

Amlin, who was also class president, noted how the school was empathic. “Someone has always been there to celebrate along the way. Our class has always been for each other with a mindset of empathy, listening to each other, learning from each other, growing together.”

Miller noted how the Class of 2024 is resilient, as halfway through eighth grade, “we went on spring break and didn’t return to school for a long time. Most people returned to a traditional school setting halfway through Freshman year, and even then it was still limited. We had to wear masks, isolate and social distance from our teachers and parents. Our desks had to be spaced out and we had to sit three people to lunch table.”

Miller said the graduated class lost a large part of their high school experience because of the pandemic. “However, we’ve all made what we had the best. Our class is unique in the way we bonded. ... Our classes adapted to our circumstances and came out of our hardships ambitious and accomplished.”

When Miller looked at her class, she saw people who have been through a lot but are still here “on the stage regardless, no matter how difficult it was to get to this moment or no matter how many times we failed, we’re here graduating together, we are a class of resilience and we’ll always be.”