Ozark Graduates Treasure Lasting Friendships
For about three weeks, Luke Oliva's efforts to write his speech as president of Ozark Adventist Academy's Class of 2026 resulted only in a blank computer screen. But when he stepped behind the podium during commencement on May 23, he told the audience that, just days before graduation, he noticed a book on his shelf—a collection of writings about Alexander the Great, which became inspiration for his speech.
During his speech, Oliva said Alexander the Great gained the whole world and was "probably one of the greatest accumulators in human history," yet "he died at 32, miserable and alone."
Luke is one of the seven graduates who received a full four-year tuition scholarship from a college or university. He served as class president and graduated with high honors, having belonged to Ozark's chapter of the National Honor Society and played on both the soccer and basketball teams.
Despite those accomplishments, Oliva says the thing he will take with him from Ozark is not "any great achievement or accolade or shiny thing you can put on a resume." Instead, he says it is the small moments and memories that shape people. "These moments make Ozark more than just a place to learn Pythagoras' theorem, proper essay citations, or how to code in Java."
For Travis Ham, another member of the Class of 2026, those moments include experiences he will never forget. "Going to Europe, going to Music Fest—it has been amazing," Ham says. "It has given me so many memories, and that's what I'm going to take away with me."
When asked what they value most about Ozark, many graduates point to the people.
"I have never found teachers and friends who love and care so much," says Annah Spencer, a 2026 graduate. They "have helped me to grow closer to Jesus."
Jasmin Hernandez agrees. "Coming to Ozark is the best thing that has happened to me in my whole life," she says. "Ozark has things that public schools just don't have."
While Oliva encouraged his classmates to "go build things, go chase real things, and go be great," he said greatness is not life's greatest challenge. "The hardest thing to do is just to be a good friend," he said. "To pay attention and to care about the small things when nobody is watching."
By Debbie Upson, Testing/LRC Director
