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With smiles and some tears, more than 240 members of the class of 2011 graduated from McDonald County High School Sunday afternoon.
Graduates were addressed by a successful MCHS alum. Kenny Tomlin, the founder and chief executive officer of Rockfish Interactive, a digital solutions company and 1991 graduate of MCHS.
Tomlin told the 241 seniors that graduation was “a very important day in your life.”
“Next to when you get married or the birth of your first child, this is the most important day of your life,” he said. “It’s more important than graduation from college.”
Tomlin said the decisions grads make in the next few years will determine their happiness for much of the rest of their lives. He added there are three types of people in life: those who make things happen, those who let things happen and those “who have no idea what’s happening.
“Fortunately, the people who have no idea what’s happening make up a very small part of the population,” he said. “The second type, the ones that let things happen, are people with jobs and families. They aren’t bad, they’re just bored. The day comes when they look around them and wonder how they ended up where they’re at. It’s something I call midlife mediocrity.”
Decisions made in your 20s can lead to “midlife mediocrity,” Tomlin cautioned. Among these are debt, wrong relationships and entertainment.
“If you want to avoid a life of midlife mediocrity, avoid debt and make sure your partner is a life partner. Manage the amount of entertainment you consume. If you consume half of what the average person does, think what that would contribute to your life.”
He said success isn’t measured by how much money a person makes or what title is on their business card.
“It’s about living every day with intention,” he said. “The question is not what to become but why do it. Are you simply playing the cards you’re dealt or are you inventing the game you’re playing?”
Successful people have many traits in common, Tomlin said, including passion, curiosity, hard work and persistence.
“Read biographies of people who you consider to be successful,” he said. “No matter what field, there are many examples of them failing even though their life is a picture of success.”
As an example, Tomlin mentioned Thomas Alva Edison who failed 10,000 times before developing a working incandescent light bulb.
With smiles and some tears, more than 240 members of the class of 2011 graduated from McDonald County High School Sunday afternoon.
Graduates were addressed by a successful MCHS alum. Kenny Tomlin, the founder and chief executive officer of Rockfish Interactive, a digital solutions company and 1991 graduate of MCHS.
Tomlin told the 241 seniors that graduation was “a very important day in your life.”
“Next to when you get married or the birth of your first child, this is the most important day of your life,” he said. “It’s more important than graduation from college.”
Tomlin said the decisions grads make in the next few years will determine their happiness for much of the rest of their lives. He added there are three types of people in life: those who make things happen, those who let things happen and those “who have no idea what’s happening.
“Fortunately, the people who have no idea what’s happening make up a very small part of the population,” he said. “The second type, the ones that let things happen, are people with jobs and families. They aren’t bad, they’re just bored. The day comes when they look around them and wonder how they ended up where they’re at. It’s something I call midlife mediocrity.”
Decisions made in your 20s can lead to “midlife mediocrity,” Tomlin cautioned. Among these are debt, wrong relationships and entertainment.
“If you want to avoid a life of midlife mediocrity, avoid debt and make sure your partner is a life partner. Manage the amount of entertainment you consume. If you consume half of what the average person does, think what that would contribute to your life.”
He said success isn’t measured by how much money a person makes or what title is on their business card.
“It’s about living every day with intention,” he said. “The question is not what to become but why do it. Are you simply playing the cards you’re dealt or are you inventing the game you’re playing?”
Successful people have many traits in common, Tomlin said, including passion, curiosity, hard work and persistence.
“Read biographies of people who you consider to be successful,” he said. “No matter what field, there are many examples of them failing even though their life is a picture of success.”
As an example, Tomlin mentioned Thomas Alva Edison who failed 10,000 times before developing a working incandescent light bulb.
He also told graduates that up until this day, life pretty much happened for them. They were told to go to school, what to wear, and other choice.
“From this point forward, life doesn’t happen to you any longer,” he said. “You are in control of your future.”
Alluding to a much-reported doomsday prediction that the world would end on May 21, he added: “Yesterday, the world didn’t end and you get to graduate today. That’s two fresh starts in one day!”
Also speaking at commencement were valedictorian Brittany Pierce and salutatorian Kaylee Smith. Pierce quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson, who once said “Do not go where the path may lead, go where there is no path and leave a trail.” Meanwhile, Smith told students to live by the “co” words: commitment, community, cooperation and courage.
“Laura Adams taught me courage,” she said, speaking of a classmate who died late last year after battling cancer. “Her mother, Paula Adams, taught me courage by coming back to work. Thank you, Miss Paula.”
A chair with Laura Adams’ gown clipped to it and a pair of pink heels set beneath it could be seen in the front row of graduates. One member of the audience paused between the baccalaureate and commencement services to place a flower on the chair. The woman then kissed her hand and patted the graduation gown.
Before commencement services began, graduates heard from the Rev. Rob Walker, pastor of First Baptist Church of Anderson, who spoke on the trials and tribulations of Joseph.
After the students turned their tassels and became new graduates, they filed onto the football field for the traditional mortarboard toss.
