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St. Augustine grads plunge into new experiences

Graduates at St. Augustine Catholic School received many words of encouragement including from former teacher Daniella Perillat.
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Former teacher and keynote speaker Daniella Perillat speaks about each St. Augustine graduate’s qualities May 30 during the cap and gown celebration.

Graduates at St. Augustine Catholic School received many words of encouragement including from former teacher Daniella Perillat.

She recognized each student for their dedication during her keynote address May 30. “You should all be very proud of yourselves for accomplishing this milestone.”

Graduating is a new step in students’ lives and their best years are yet to come, she said. Parents should also be congratulated for helping their children along through school.

The challenge for a teacher is knowing when to guide, motivate, counsel, encourage or gently nudge a student in the right direction. Teachers want the best for their students and Perillat had four important lessons for graduates.

“Set high expectations for yourself,” Perillat said. “I want you to challenge yourselves. Life is all about improvement and getting better.”

Also dare to dream for great things and maybe the end goal does not happen overnight but small steps will bring grads closer to their goals every day. She quoted well-known author Dr. Seuss from the book Oh the Places You’ll Go. “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

Lesson number 2 for graduates is perseverance, this quality will help them attain their goals. Life is full of unexpected bumps but dedication helps a person getting out of a rut to move forward.

“I thank God each day for these bumps because they become lessons learned,” said Perillat.

Third, she recommended students stay out of their comfort zones. With different experiences comes better stories and lessons. Perillat recommended an open mind to take on new challenges.

The last lesson was taken from Mother Teresa, who kept smiling in the toughest of times. “This too is our duty.”

“What most of you become will depend on you,” added Perillat.

She suggests graduates have the necessary building blocks to get through life and she challenged them to strive to continue to do better with their lives. “Keep your attitudes and relationships in balance.”

Perillat took some time to tell each student the lessons she learned.

Students Kaitlin Lomas and Nathalie Bergman presented a reply from the students.

“She has instilled curiosity and passion into our hearts,” said Bergman.

Lomas remembers a fun but educational environment under Perillat’s biology and science classes. Caring for the environment has played a large part in their education as well, said Bergman.

“We are genuinely grateful for the time she has spent hammering into us the importance of science in our lives and getting us ready to step into the world,” concluded Bergman.