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'Do what you can,' student speakers tell Cedar Valley graduates; student council presents fight‑song plaque to principal
Summary
Student speakers at Cedar Valley's commencement urged classmates to take initiative with the refrain "Do what you can," and student council presented a senior gift — a plaque bearing the school fight song — to Principal Courtney Johnson.
At Cedar Valley High School's commencement, student speakers urged classmates to take initiative and embrace responsibility, repeatedly using the phrase "Do what you can" as a central message for the Class of 2025.
One student speaker recounted a family slogan — "Do what you can" — and tied it to the class's experience learning and preparing for life after high school: "Do what you can," the speaker said, framing the phrase as a call to try hard and keep trying in the face of challenges.
Student remarks also emphasized gratitude toward parents, staff and support personnel, and several speakers described the transition from being passengers in life to taking control — a theme echoed in the school's yearlong motif, "It's not the plane, it's the pilot." Speakers shared personal stories about learning, failure and persistence and encouraged peers to pursue further education, missions, trade careers or the armed forces.
As part of the program, the graduating class's student council presented a senior gift: a welded plaque inscribed with the school's fight song, created with assistance from the school's welding department and Ms. Cooper. Student council members said the plaque will be displayed in the school office as a symbol of unity and school pride.
The speeches and the gift ceremony were elements of the commencement program; they contained personal reflections and ceremonial acknowledgments rather than formal school board actions.
