The commencement ceremony for Fuqua School’s Class of 2019 unfolded May 24 on the upper school lawn and later inside Gilmer Gymnasium during a warm evening that matched the warmth of the best wishes and insights offered to the graduating students.

To view more photos of the event, click here.

The salutatorian, valedictorian and giftorian of the class made a point to offer their thanks to those who had helped shape them into the people they are today.

Salutatorian Margaret Encarnacion directed her focus to school, then family and then back to her school family. She detailed some of the changes the school had undergone during the Class of 2019’s time there. These changes touched on scheduling, the dress code, faculty arrivals and departures and more.

“Experiencing these changes illustrates just how resilient we are as a class,” she said. “Individually we are just as strong. Look at Adam after his traumatic accident, Regan and her various injuries, Ireland with her knees and Christian Adams’ fishing incident. All of you recovered and made it to graduation in one piece. The whole school was rooting for you guys in your troubling times. That connection is just one of the many unique qualities Fuqua has. We really are a Fuqua family, where everyone just about knows everyone.”

Valedictorian Christian Huggard began his speech by expressing thanks and then proceeded to tell a personal story that powerfully illustrated the importance of one’s outlook.

He noted that he moved to Farmville with his family the summer before his sophomore year of high school. He had been hoping the move would not happen. He had enjoyed his life as it was, along with the school he had been attending, and he did not take the transition well. He gave an honest description of himself during his sophomore year.

“I was angry, I was bitter, and I hated my time here,” he said. “I didn’t make any friends, and I didn’t ever step outside my comfort zone.”

And then he described what changed.

“When junior year rolled around, I accepted that my situation wasn’t going to change, and I changed my outlook instead, and once I did, my life got so much better,” he said. “I made friends with wonderful people like Maggie Encarnacion, Irene Thornton, Jeremiah Thorne and Nicholas Johnson. I joined new activities which were completely foreign to me, like the Student Council Association, and I took a bigger role in activities which I had previously done. And I came out of my shell, and I became the loud, sometimes opinionated person you see before you.”

“And ultimately, that’s where my story leads us,” he continued. “I wasn’t unhappy because of where I was. I was unhappy because of how I viewed where I was. We all need to remember to have a positive outlook in our situations or even the best situations will seem sour and unfulfilling.”

Giftorian Ireland Seagle presented a gift to guest speaker Julia La Roche and also noted multiple gifts the Class of 2019 would be giving to the school in gratitude.

La Roche began her speech by reflecting on her time as a Fuqua student. She was part of the Class of 2006.

“It feels like only yesterday that I was in those exact same seats,” she said to the Class of 2019. “… Like you all today, I’m also a product of this school and am currently living my dream that I’ve had since I was a little girl. I’m an on-air reporter and writer for Yahoo Finance, the world’s largest business news platform, and I live in New York City, the financial capital of the world. Who would have thought that a girl from Farmville, Virginia, would have the chance to interview some of the most iconic business leaders of our time, from the CEOs of Starbucks and Walmart to Warren Buffett, to travel as far as Shanghai, China, and Milan, Italy, in pursuit of stories, making appearances on national television and moderating discussions in front of audiences (of) more than a thousand people and even become Miss New York United States. It sure doesn’t seem likely, but I can assure you that my journey and path to success began right here.”

Keeping in theme with her job as a business reporter, she offered up four “investing rules” as advice for the soon-to-be graduates.

Rule No. 1 – Invest as early as possible and as much as you can

“As you will soon come to appreciate, when you leave here, the beautiful thing about attending a small school like Fuqua is you had an opportunity to get involved,” she said. “You almost have to, whether it’s the senior band, one of the sports teams, student government or an academic organization.”

Later she added, “I cannot stress this enough — stay involved during the next leg of this journey, whether it’s in college or your community.”

She highlighted that this will help one stand out in an incredibly competitive world.

Rule No. 2 — Diversify your portfolio

Explaining what she meant by this rule, she said it is time to broaden horizons when it comes to meeting new people.

“Whether it’s in college or your next city or your next job, surround with positive, uplifting, ambitious people who challenge you to think and be your best,” she said. “Invest in your friends, and they will invest in you.”

Rule No. 3 — Take calculated risks

“It wasn’t until my senior year that I had to take an elective class outside my broadcast major,” she said. “There were two choices that fit my schedule. One was business reporting. I heard that professor was cool but also extremely strict and a difficult grader. The other class, I can’t remember what it was, but it was supposed to be pretty easy. Instead I took on the challenge. I took the risk and took the business reporting class, and it was the best decision I made during my college career.”

A professor, who she approached for advice, helped her get an unpaid internship with CNBC in New York.

“Before I moved to New York to take that internship, my professor said to me, ‘Get in early, stay late, kick butt and take names,’” she said. “Again, it was right after the financial crisis, making it really difficult to get a job, and when I arrived at CNBC, there were probably 100 other interns in my class that summer. During orientation, we were told maybe two of us would get the job. I took a calculated risk going to New York that summer, and I knew full well that I could start from scratch if I didn’t get the job. So every day that summer, I got in early, stayed late, raised my hand for every opportunity, and by July, I got the job offer. That’s how my career began.”

Rule No. 4 — Past performance is not indicative of future success

“I want to let you all know that by no means was I the best student at Fuqua School when it came to grades, La Roche said. “I made good grades, and I tried my best, but I was far from perfect. I don’t define myself by past performance. … If you’re at the top of the class today, do not rest on our laurels, keep on striving, and if you’re not the best student, don’t let that hold you back. Keep striving to do your best.”

As she concluded her speech, she said, “So why do we invest? Investing leads to returns, and with those returns, we must do something worthwhile. You all have begun your investment journey already. Today you’re seeing the returns take hold as you accept your diplomas.”