Agape Christian School’s Class of 2023
ALLEN Luo, the Class of 2023 valedictorian, found his four years at Agape Christian School on Saipan to be challenging and humbling.
Luo was one of the 17 seniors who graduated from ACS on Thursday. Awarded a scholarship, he will major in computer science at Bob Jones University in South Carolina.
Diana Dong, for her part, is the class salutatorian. Like Luo, she has been awarded a scholarship to attend Bob Jones University where she will major in computer science.
“Sincerely, Agape has really become a turning point in my life,” Luo said in his valedictorian address. “Four years of studying…taught me to learn and to live a life in Christ. As an English-fundamental student, I must put in more effort than others,” he added.
Luo, who is from China, said he spent the first year as a student learning hundreds of English words and memorizing them every night.
“Starting from basic English vocabulary, I began my way of learning English. Through that little progress, I significantly improved my English skills,” he said.
It was not just the language that he studied hard for, but he said his experience as a student in Agape also thought him about honesty and the importance of truth.
“I learned about obedience and faithfulness when I was caught cheating. After counseling and God’s reminder, I started to rethink, ‘Am I a true believer of Christ?’ I began to really look inside myself. From then on, I read and understood God’s words carefully. I finally found that a Christian’s life means not glorifying himself but honoring God’s name,” he said.
He said living a holy life in everything we do is difficult but it is possible through the grace of God.
“We are powerless without God’s help. Fellow students, you have to realize this. Our relationship with God is significant in our teenage life. To be humble is another key to living a holy life in Christ, for God rewards the humble but punishes the proud,” he added.
He said he is grateful to God for His guidance.
“Even when facing difficulties and challenges, God let me know that He is my strength to overcome all the obstacles before me. Secondly, I want to thank Pastor Pang and Mrs. Pang. They taught me many valuable lessons, not only academically but also spiritually. Pastor Pang taught us about the Bible, and he really cared about our spiritual growth,” he said.
He said Mrs. Pang’s strict discipline taught him to be thankful, obedient, and faithful.
He also expressed his gratitude to his parents who always supported him and sustained his studies.
Luo also thanked Preacher James and Ma’am Lydia for preparing his delicious meals.
“Their life advice helps us go through many troubles with comfort,” he said.
He is encouraging his fellow graduates to set a goal for themselves and try hard to achieve it.
“Graduation is an exciting day for us to celebrate. But it also means a day to leave each other and enter the next chapter of our lives. I hope all of you can live a blessed and wonderful life. If you want your life meaningful, you must set a goal to achieve everything. A clear, objective plan can guide you through the rest of your Agape life,” he said.
He told students to remember that they can do all things through Christ and that without God, they can do nothing.
He ended his speech by quoting Isaiah 41:10: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
“One day, we Christians will meet everyone in Jesus. Hope we can all be the faithful servants of God,” Luo said.
