‘BUILT ON ROCK,’ ACCS graduates carry strong foundation into life’s challenges

Published 1:49 pm Saturday, May 24, 2025

By Sabrina Simms Robertson

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NATCHEZ — Adams County Christian School celebrated the graduation of 48 students on Friday at the Natchez Convention Center.

Also beginning a new chapter of life is Rev. Doug Broome, pastor of First Baptist Church of Natchez who is soon to retire.

Valedictorian Maddison Elizabeth “Lizzie” Fife and Broome came to the graduation Friday armed with a similar message for the graduates.

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The message comes from Matthew 7, verses 24 through 27 of the Bible, the parable of the wise and foolish builder.

“’ Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and great was the fall of it,’” Broom read, then he added “I want to remind you tonight that you need to build on a strong spiritual foundation to be successful in life.”

Broome advised the graduates to arm themselves in life with scripture, a clear direction and a positive attitude and to stay involved in a church even after they leave Natchez for college, the military or the workforce.

When Fife quoted from the same scripture, she added, “Let me remind everyone here that your past will not define you. Today is all we have. Our accomplishments and honors are extremely welcome and earned. However, in life we only have the here and now.  … Dalai Lama attested to this fact when he said, ‘There are two days in the entire year that we can’t do anything. Yesterday and tomorrow.’ … Our time in high school may be concluding, but the promise of our future and the foundation that we have created for ourselves is so much more powerful than words can encompass.”

Salutatorian Maddison Grace Walker provided a similar message while she shared with her classmates a reflection on the happy and difficult experiences they shared together. Though she had started school at Trinity and not ad ACCS, Walker said she couldn’t be happier with where she ended up.

Now she plans to venture off to Mississippi College to obtain her undergraduate degree in medical biology with the goal of later going to medical school to become a doctor, “But I realize my path may ultimately lead me elsewhere. Because life continues on and plans change. The most important skill to possess is being able to adapt and just figure it out as we go. As derived from the Yiddish phrase, ‘Man plans, God laughs.’ From this quote, we are inspired to pursue our goals but not get bogged down in the path it will take to reach them. Any path we take will be littered with moments, some grand and exciting and others disappointing or maybe even embarrassing. But try not to linger in these less favorable moments as most wont even be remembered in five to ten years.”

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