MOUNT VERON — Resilience, forward momentum, attitude and integrity were the words 295 graduates took with them after Mount Vernon High School’s commencement on Sunday at 3 p.m.
“Life is going to challenge you. That’s not a possibility; that’s a guarantee,” Principal Cory Caughlan told the graduates. “You will face setbacks, obstacles and moments that don’t go your way.”
In those moments, he said, they have a choice: fight back or fight forward. Rather than dwelling on what went wrong or how unfair it felt, fighting back, Caughlan encouraged them to fight forward.
“You don’t win by focusing on what happened; you win by focusing on what’s next,” he said, adding that the graduates will fall short, make mistakes, and endure doubt.
“But your success won’t be defined by those moments. It’ll be defined by how quickly you learn. … As you leave here today, learn from the past, but don’t live in it.”
Class President Cooper Curry reflected on time, childhood memories, and the rapid passage of high school.
“Time is a funny thing. Always out of our grasp, yet always pushing us forward,” he said.
Curry acknowledged the setbacks, heartbreak, and uncertainty that lie ahead, but he also noted that the alums have already faced those same conditions leading up to graduation day “with stubbornness to continue.”
“We have become young men and women who despite those conditions have pushed forward to arrive here today in honor of our success and accomplishment,” he said.
“As we head off into this next chapter, throw off the bow lines, sail away from the safe harbors and catch the trade winds in your sails. And if you’re going to try, go all the way.”
A different kind of AI
Superintendent Bill Seder said that as he thought about what he wanted to share with the graduates, he kept returning to two simple letters that have become increasingly more important in the world: AI.
Acknowledging the transformative use of artificial intelligence if students use it wisely, he said it also requires responsibility, wisdom, and good judgment.
That is why, he said, he focused on a different AI: attitude and integrity.
“Your attitude will determine how you respond when life becomes difficult,” he said.
“People with the right attitude keep moving forward. They choose perseverance over quitting, growth over excuses, and hope over negativity.
“In many ways, your attitude will become your personal signature to the world.”
Seder told the students that over time, they will begin to realize something really important: “It’s your attitude along with your aptitude that will ultimately determine your altitude.”
In a world filled with constant technological change, integrity still matters.
“Artificial intelligence may help us work faster, but integrity is what makes people trustworthy. It’s doing the right thing when nobody is watching. It’s being honest when dishonesty would be easier. It’s keeping your word and owning your mistakes,” he said.
“In a world filled with constant change, integrity remains timeless.”
Greatness is possible for graduates bold enough to try
Senior Riley Jones shared a truth she learned that gave her the courage to try to new things: Nobody cares.
“Nobody cares that you sang karaoke and that it sucks. Nobody cares that you came last in that race, and absolutely nobody cares about your mistakes as much as you do,” she said.
“We are our own harshest critics; everyone else is too busy focusing on their own lives to notice our slip-ups.”
“You are not defined by your failures, but by your successes, and every success is built on the understanding gained from the failure.”
MVHS graduate Riley Gaines
She encouraged her classmates to ask “Will anyone else even remember this a week from now?” the next time they berate themselves for a simple embarrassing mistake.
“Guess what? The answer is almost always no. So go out and try new things. … Don’t quit just because you’re not instantly amazing. Keep practicing, and if it turns out it’s not for you, move on and try something else,” she said.
The KCCC Air Force Jr. ROTC program presented the colors, and the Chorale sang “Dream Big.”
Class officers were Cooper, president; Zoe Schemrich, vice president; Meg Gottermeyer, secretary; and Hailey Hall, treasurer. Class representatives were Griffin Beach, Khadija Ndow, and Hope Turner.
The 2026 class gift was ongoing support of the LED sign at the high school entrance.
