Speaking to her fellow Class of 2024 graduates, Mount Calvary Christian School valedictorian Alivia Rutt encouraged her peers to reflect on the past while looking to the future.

"These past four years have gone by quickly," she said. "Beginning as little freshmen wearing masks, we felt slightly disconnected during our first high school memories. But that is not where we have ended. Today, we are closer than ever. Through meaningful memories - Bible studies, holding hands during prayer or worshiping on the beach and streets during senior trip - God has had His hand in every moment, bringing us closer together in our love for each other."

Mount Calvary celebrated the graduation of 27 students on May 31 at the school, 629 N. Holly St., Elizabethtown. The ceremony included remarks from Chris Etter, secondary principal; an invocation by Elise McKelvey; Scripture reading by Abigail Yordy; and testimony by Kiley Etter. Ava Fouse and Alana Kelley provided special music. Bradley Burkholder, a member of the Class of 2005, delivered the commencement address.

Alivia, the daughter of Jamie and Tiann Rutt of Elizabethtown, reminded her fellow graduates to never forsake God, no matter what the future brings. "We must always be intentional to act like Christ ... and to act on God's call and conviction upon our hearts and not turn away," she said. "There will be moments where our faith is tested, but in those times, we must not be afraid and stay firm in the Lord, remaining steadfast in God's Word and applying it to our daily life, allowing God to convict our hearts and lead us toward His will."

Lauren Enterline was named salutatorian. She is the daughter of Brian and Kellianne Enterline of Harrisburg. "Freshman year brought five new students into our class. I was one of them," she told her classmates. "I may have been new, but it did not take long to realize I had not joined a class but rather a family, a family that would learn and grow closer together over the next four years. When I reflect on my time at Mount Calvary, I think of two main words: connection and growth."

She also fondly recalled the Class of 2024's senior trip, when students spent a week at the beach. "Whether it was a late-night trip to 7-Eleven, time spent on the playground blasting songs, a fire on the beach filled with sharing fond memories and crying tears of sadness and joy, singing worship songs together on the beach in the dead of night surrounded by the stars (or) kayaking through crocodile-infested waters ... the connections and deepened friendships we built are going to keep us connected for years to come," she said.

She emphasized how much the Class of 2024 has grown over the past four years, bonding as students and cultivating deep roots of faith.

"I want to encourage each of you as we all go our separate ways to remember that growth takes time, that building lifelong friendships takes time, that a relationship with the Lord requires constant growth and time, but to never give up," she said. "When it feels hard or like it is taking a long time, look back at high school and remember how far you have come and to be encouraged as to how far you will continue to grow."