photo by: Elvyn Jones

Eudora High School Class of 2016 member Mariah Brown receives a congratulatory hug from commencement speaker Dan Kuhlman after she received her diploma Saturday at the Eudora High School gym. Kuhlman taught the class as an eighth-grade science teacher.

In his commencement address to the Eudora High School class of 2016 on Saturday, Dan Kuhlman urged the graduating seniors not to get caught up in the future.

The retired Eudora Middle School science teacher, who was selected by the class to deliver the commencement speech, said the future was nice place to visit but a lousy place to live. He suggested that life is better lived with a focus on “avocations.”

“Those are the things that make you thrive and come alive,” he said. “When we participate in those things, time slows down.”

The class has been living that advice for the past four years, Senior Class President Austin McNorton said soon after the commencement ended. He said that was demonstrated in the word he would use to define the class.

“Involved,” said McNorton, who will study next year at Butler County Community College with the goal of becoming a sports broadcaster. “This class was involved in everything. Everyone in this class has been involved in some activity. So many people have done so well, it’s truly been fun to be a part of.”

Senior Jayce McQueen, one of three honor students to address the class with Kristi Daigh and Mindy McClaskey, said the class was memorable because of its achievements in sports, musicals and its daily show-up-for-work attitude that had 48 members of the class of 124 seniors graduate with a 3.5 GPA or better.

“I hope I remember everyone of you people — you’re so special,” he said. “Hold on to these memories for a lifetime and a day. Know that when you look back on it, you all loved this place.”

In her address, Daigh, who was one of the Class of 2016’s top honor students, gave credit to the school’s faculty for their “clear and quality instruction” that allowed the seniors to succeed.

McClaskey took the students on a tour of their futures before bringing the back to graduation day.

“I’m confident that we, the class of 2016, will do something grand with that time,” she said of the years ahead. “So, let’s not wait to get started on our dreams. The rest of our lives begins today.”

In the EHS commons with diploma in hand after the ceremony, Holly Swearingen was looking back and ahead. The past and the future were tied together with her avocation, she said.

“I’m going to attend Northeast Oklahoma A&M with a livestock judging scholarship,” she said. “I’m very excited. I’m very experienced in livestock judging.”