“This day is about honoring each of [us] - not just for reaching graduation but for the strength, growth and courage it took to get here. We have all overcome obstacles, discovered new abilities and proven that nothing can hold us back when we believe in ourselves.”

Those words from Miriam High School graduate Demetrius during the high school graduation served as the perfect introduction to the ceremony for the 12 members of the Miriam Class of 2025. 

They most certainly resonated with all of the graduating seniors, as well as all of the family members, teachers and friends in the audience who have supported these students along their educational journey. 

At the high school, Demetrius’ words began an hour of pure joy and emotion as - in keeping with Miriam’s philosophy - each graduate was recognized and celebrated for their unique strengths and abilities during Principal Vicki Thurman’s speech, as well as by teachers who presented students with personalized awards.

Growth, bravery and overcoming challenges were recurring themes throughout the evening, as Thurman, teachers, students, the head of school, and an alum spoke to the graduates and the audience.

“We are all constantly growing,” Thurman said. “Growth doesn’t have a finish line, and your journey is uniquely your own. Each of you came here with a story, faced challenges, took risks and leaned into opportunities to grow.”

Head of School Meg Bamford echoed Thurman’s sentiments that every single person is a work in progress. “You tried, sometimes you failed, but each and every act of bravery, like the cinder blocks that build these walls, created a stronger, more confident, beautiful person - you,” she said. 

“Graduating from high school does not mean you stop building yourself to be a better person. It means you have a rock-solid foundation to work with.”

Each graduate has a unique path they will follow, now that high school is behind them. Eleven of the 12 students will attend a two-year or four-year college or university, while one graduate will enter the workforce via a job he has already secured.

Similarly, each eighth-grader has an exciting path to high school, whether it’s continuing on to Miriam High School or transferring to a public or private school in the area. After their time at Miriam, they are ready for their next step.

“Before we send you out into the world, I want you to know how proud we all are of each and every one of you,” Head of Miriam Lower/Middle School Mary Cognata told the eighth-grade graduates. “Through tears and laughter, hard lessons and harder conversations, fun times that were easy and fun events that sometimes felt really hard, you worked each day and never gave up.”

Each eighth-grader received a graduation certificate and a transition key, a symbol that reminds them they will always have a home at Miriam. 

The featured speakers at both ceremonies were Miriam alumni, with Aaron Francis speaking at the eighth-grade event and Dominick Atwood at the high school graduation. 

Francis attended Miriam from 2001 to 2005, during his elementary school years. He told the graduates and audience that his years at Miriam served as the foundation for his journey through school at MICDS and Missouri S&T, and the lessons he learned here are still with him today in his job as an engineer at Caterpillar Inc.

Atwood, a 2022 Miriam High School graduate, said his favorite thing about Miriam is that everyone gets to work on their own growth together. “When many people have similar struggles and they all know each other, it’s far easier to form tighter friendships,” Atwood said. And he encouraged the class of 2025 to hang on to those friendships, because “any future struggles are way easier to deal with if you have a friend to talk to.”
 
Miriam class of 2025 graduate Tyreese told his fellow classmates, “May what we’ve experienced at Miriam stay with us as we take our next steps. Let us remember the importance of learning, teamwork, inclusion and respect for others. Let this graduation be not just an ending, but the start of something amazing.”

view all 2025 high school graduation photos

view all 2025 8th grade graduation photos