Monroe High School's Class of 2017 graduated on the backdrop of a beautiful Friday evening. A packed house at Bunkelman Field watched as 352 seniors walked across the stage to recieve their diplomas and begin a new chapter in their promising careers! Below find Monroe High School principal Sandra Kreps' commencement address to the Class of 2017.

      It has been a pleasure being your principal and seeing you succeed academically and socially. You have proven intelligence is so much more than books. During your school years, you have demonstrated your ability to work in groups, build relationships with people different than you, empathize and support those less fortunate.

     On Career and College Decision Day, our foreign exchange students shared stories of gratitude and appreciation for their MHS classmates for making them feel welcome and at home. In fact, two mentioned they wanted to stay in the United States! You helped them feel accepted, celebrated, and comfortable in a culture new to them. Your acceptance, support and encouragement embodies all of our MHS Guiding Forces. Just your cheers on that day for them were incredibly supportive and spoke of your big hearts. Parents and Grandparents, you can be proud. These are your children.

     We are fortunate to live out the real world every day at MHS. Our size, diversity and Monroe community all add a richness to our school and afford us opportunities that many schools cannot offer to their students.

     One thing I have learned about your class is your love and appreciation for music. To help you prepare for the next chapters in your life, I have short play list for you. Although you may forget my words today, hopefully you will not forget the songs. I also put this play list, with a few additions, in each one of your graduation packets that you will pick up after commencement. Since music is a universal language, I am sure your parents, grandparents, and friends can all relate to the messages of these songs and will help remind you of their significance in the days ahead.

     Let’s start with your class song Lean on Me. When your class voted for this song, you showed your incredible maturity and desire to help others.

     Bill Withers’ lyrics prove this point:

     Sometime in our lives we all have pain; we all have sorrow. But if we are wise, we know that there is always tomorrow. Please swallow your pride if I have faith you need to borrow, lean on me when you are not strong and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on. You just call on me brother, when you need a hand, we all need somebody to lean on. Parents and grandparents: Of all the songs your children could have chosen, this was it. These are young adults who know how to help others. You can be proud.

     Seniors: There will be days ahead when you think life is pretty lame and you will ask yourself, “Is this all there is?” This is when it is time to reflect on all the good in the world and realize how much there is to be thankful for. Louis Armstrong in “It’s a Wonderful World” reminds us to look at the sky of blue, and clouds of white, the bright blessed day and the dark sacred night and think to yourself, what a wonderful world. Seniors: Happiness and contentment are found in the simple things.

    One of the most important things you can do in life is to build great relationships with your family and friends. The words of Tim McGraw's Humble and Kind inspire us to do this: He sings:

    Visit grandpa every chance that we can, hold the door, say please thank you, don’t steal, don’t cheat and don’t lie. We have mountains to climb but always stay humble and kind. Don’t hold a grudge or a chip and here’s why, bitterness keeps you from flying. When you get where you are going, don’t forget to turn back around and help the next one in line. Always stay humble and kind.

     Seniors: To know there are others you can lean on in this wonderful world while staying humble and kind, will bring you happiness and purpose. There are few things in life that will surpass the importance of Friendship, Respect, Appreciation, Kindness and Humility. Let these define you.

     Please know that you always have a home here. We are and always will be Monroe!......Class of 2017…. you are ready to graduate. You will be missed.