“Only ten people?!” That’s the usual response I get when telling people about our senior class size. People always ask me, “do you like being in a class that small?” And every time I’m asked this question, it makes me reflect on not only how blessed I am to be graduating with nine others, but how blessed I am to be graduating with my nine best friends. I am so fortunate to see how the Lord has worked and built up each one of us individually, and how he’s used his work in us to bring this class so much closer together. Our time as a class has been filled with many great memories, like our Europe trip or our Detroit trip; and even some not-so-great memories like when we spat in the water tank at the water filtering plant (a field trip which our school no longer attends), or the time we actually disintegrated a hot dog in Ms. Burn’s microwave. But all the experiences we’ve had here, whether good or bad, will be ones we will definitely carry on for the rest of our lives. 

It is such an honor to join all our friends and role models who have graduated before us and to call ourselves alumni of this great school. We’re so lucky to not only be graduating from WCA, but to be able to call it a second home. Six of the ten people in our class have been here since kindergarten, and nine of the ten have been here since the beginning of upper school together. Aside from our relationship as brothers and sisters in Christ, sometimes it feels like we are actual brothers and sisters with how much time we spend together. And yes that means that it comes with all the  good, bad, and the ugly you would expect if you put together ten brothers and sisters all day everyday. But at the end of the day, our relationship with each other is and has always been built around our relationship with Christ. I’ve so greatly enjoyed the opportunity to examine each other’s hearts whether that be in devotional times on the senior retreat or in senior leadership with Mr. Russell.  Or even in our everyday conversations, God’s work in us through the years is so evident. 

Not only have we made these memories with each other as students, but with the wonderful faculty here as well. I’ve personally never seen what the student to teacher relationships look like at other schools, but I’m willing to bet they definitely pale in comparison to those at WCA. The personal relationships we’ve grown with the wonderful teachers and staff here are something we value so highly. Every single teacher has played such a critical role in our walk of faith and love for others. Standing on this stage having completed my time at WCA, I can confidently say that the staff here feels more like family to me than anything. All of the teachers provide excellent guidance and are a prime example of the community that is preached so regularly at this school. 

There aren’t nine other people in the world I’d rather graduate with, and there aren’t any other faculty in the world I’d rather have had guiding me through these years of my life. I know it is not by chance that we ten are graduating together. I know God planned it, and the young men and women we are turning into are simply evidence of His perfect plan in action. As I look back on my time here, I’m so grateful for the benefits we hold in our classical education: the truth, goodness, and beauty that we have been taught to love and celebrate, the class discussions that pushed us to think about our values and how to pursue them, and yes, even the mountains of homework and studying that I often stayed up late doing because it strengthened my discipline. I’m thankful for the shepherding, caring, tight-knit community built and preserved by the staff and teachers at WCA. I am thankful for the community God placed me in with my class, and the blessing that it is to know, love, and now be graduating with Julia, Anna, Liberty, Kaija, Molly, Phoebe, Ryan, Franklin, and Walter. And most importantly, I am thankful to God for all that he has done and will continue to do in and through the WCA faculty and my nine very best friends.

Jack Williams – WCA Class of 2026