‘Ascend from the Darkness’

GRAND DETOUR – The stage was draped in black balloons and white lights, the class motto “Ascend from the Darkness” on a banner over the seats for the 10 graduates.

Faith Christian School’s Class of 2009 relived old memories, shared new plans and turned their tassels as they graduated Friday night. Their accomplishments and childhoods were recognized with a video slideshow, and the speakers encouraged them to continue to live Christian lives.

Kyle Sofolo, the class valedictorian from Dixon, noted how far they had come from kindergarten. “Reading groups and Chutes and Ladders seem far removed,” he said.

He thanked his parents, his teachers and the school staff, saying, “All of you have exemplified Christ with your actions and words.”

He also encouraged Faith Christian’s underclassmen to keep their friends close, and “consider decisions in a biblical light.”

Salutatorian Caleb Arellano of Grand Detour called his class a confederacy of mavericks. Commencement speaker Martha Anderson, the school’s English teacher, echoed Arellano’s statement, joking, “I’ve never had a class that had such strong opinions about grammar rules.”

During the video presentation, graduates handed out white flowers to their families. After the diplomas were awarded, the school’s administrator, Liandro Arellano, with Anderson and Principal Linda Foster, placed a stole around each graduate’s shoulders, blessing them.

Also graduating were Joseph Bonnell, Trevor Glenn, James Hyde, Isaac Moritz and Morgan Ortgiesen, all of Dixon, Matthew Godby of Oregon, and Nghia Trong “Nick” Nguyen, an exchange student from Vietnam who stayed in Dixon.