MMA salutes 50th graduating class

The 50th Annual Marine Military Academy Commencement Exercises took place May 21 in Yeckel auditorium. Haoyang Li of Beijing had the honor of being valedictorian for the Class of 2016. Chaunce Lee of Shanghai was the proud salutatorian.

The guest speaker for this momentous occasion was H. William “Bill” Card III, Class of 1970. Through his own stories, Mr. Card left the cadets with three life lessons: 1) Use good judgment; 2) Know why you are doing something; and 3) Be flexible.

“You only have one race to run. Make it count,” Mr. Card said. “If you don’t like the race you are running, change it.”

He also reminded the cadets to stay true to two words: semper fidelis (always faithful).

“I learned the true meaning of these words at MMA. They will always steer you in the right direction,” Mr. Card said. “Remain faithful to God, your country, your family and yourself.”

After listening to powerful speeches by the valedictorian, salutatorian and guest speaker, the 49 graduation candidates walked across the stage to accept their high school diplomas. The ceremony concluded with the traditional tossing of the covers.

Click to see photos of this event.

Wagner Graduates 2016