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Chris Williams, PCA Head Of School, welcomes 2022 graduates and their guests on Saturday. (Photo by Carrie Martin of Ginger Snap's Photography by Carrie)

Macey Bufkin, 2022 PCA Salutatorian (Photo by Carrie Martin of Ginger Snap's Photography by Carrie)

Olivia Masterson, 2022 PCA Valedictorian (Photo by Carrie Martin of Ginger Snap's Photography by Carrie)

Commencement speaker Matt Wyatt addresses the 2022 graduates of Porter's Chapel Academy on Saturday. (Photo by Carrie Martin of Ginger Snap's Photography by Carrie)

Porter's Chapel Academy's 2022 graduating class tosses their caps at the end of Saturday's commencement ceremony. (Photo by Carrie Martin of Ginger Snap's Photography by Carrie)

Porter’s Chapel Academy graduated 22 seniors during a ceremony at First Baptist Church of Vicksburg on Saturday.

In his address to graduates, PCA Head of School Chris Williams commended the students for their perseverance in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, which began when the class of 2022 was just beginning high school.

“Although your high school careers did not end the way any of you would have anticipated, having to go through COVID the last three years, the fact still remains that you have made it,” Williams said. “In such an unprecedented time in our history and in your young lives, you’ve had to overcome obstacles that many of us will never understand.”

Williams quoted Corinthians, referencing the “insurmountable odds” the students faced on their path to earning a high school diploma.

The guest speaker for PCA’s 2022 graduation ceremony was Matt Wyatt, radio broadcaster for Mississippi State University football and former Bulldogs quarterback from 1996 to 1999. Wyatt traveled to Vicksburg from Tupelo for the ceremony, and in his address spoke about important life lessons from his football career and the Bible.

“Now more than ever, it’s important to know where the line is drawn, so that you choose God,” Wyatt said. “… The simplicity of the Gospel is this: Believe. Believe in God and not in anything else. Believe in Jesus and know that his blood and nothing else can cleanse your sin.”

Following Wyatt’s speech, graduates were addressed by one of their own, Salutatorian Macey Lynn Bufkin.

Bufkin used her address to reflect on the fun times and struggles she experienced with her classmates during their school careers.

“We all worked hard to get to this day, and that was not in vain,” Bufkin said. “I do believe that every one of us will leave this school ready to make something meaningful of our lives. We have learned so much from our teachers and gained wisdom through our many experiences.”

Valedictorian Olivia Masterson closed out the line of speeches with an address to her fellow classmates and ceremony attendees.

In her speech, Masterson thanked the faculty and staff at PCA for their dedication to its students and their Christian walks.

“I think the most important thing we have learned over the years is that our hard work does not mean anything unless it is founded on God’s truth,” Masterson said. “Anything good in our lives is only by the grace of God. So as you leave Porter’s Chapel, you have the opportunity to choose how you want to live this day and each day after.

“The Lord is for you, not against you, and He cares for you,” Masterson added.

Click here to watch the full ceremony, which was live-streamed on First Baptist Church’s website.

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