Commencement speaker Anna Alexander, a 2011 graduate of East Central Community College, addresses her class during the ECCC graduation Saturday.

    Always choose the positive and be joyful. That was the message Anna Alexander of Little Rock gave classmates as she addressed fellow graduates at East Central Community College’s 82nd  Commencement held Saturday at the Neshoba County Coliseum in Philadelphia.

    Alexander, a President’s List scholar whose honors also include selection to the prestigious ECCC Hall of Fame, told classmates that no matter their destination after today, “a positive, joyful attitude will get you there faster and take you so much farther in life.”

    A home-schooled student, Alexander reiterated her point by quoting the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice.”

    “Paul did not say rejoice after you’ve crammed, after that test is over, or after you’ve received your college degree. He didn’t say rejoice when everything is going your way. He said ‘always,’” she stated. “That means through our toughest, most challenging moments … we should be joyful in every situation.”

    Alexander admitted it’s a challenge to have a positive mindset when bad things happen, as with the recent tornadoes that struck Mississippi and other states.

    “Even amidst the unprecedented storm damage and seemingly impossible situation of numerous lives and property lost, people are making the hard choice to plow on in hope and to rebuild their own lives and each other’s,” she said. “I believe that these are the situations that present us with the perfect opportunity for us to think, act and dwell on all the great memories and people in our lives. These are the moments that test our character and force us to choose the positive.”

    Alexander, who plans to continue her education at Mississippi State University in Starkville, said walking across the stage “does not guarantee our happiness, success, or self-worth in life. It is a wonderful milestone and achievement that is to be commended … but it will not determine our attitudes.”

    “It’s your choice whether or not to see how ridiculously blessed you are and how absolutely thankful we all should be for the opportunity to go to college, to pursue an education, to have personal teachers and administration that care for each of us individually, to have made lifelong friends, and to have made it all the way to this very point today … these are just reasons that we should be exceedingly joyful,” Alexander said.

    Alexander said being “joyful” can often be “contagious,” as she has learned.

    “I experienced contagious joy thanks to all my friends at East Central,” she said. Our joy sometimes came in the form of yelling, screaming, laughing, talking, singing and dancing, so needless to say, it often got pretty loud wherever we were!”

    She added, “My friends and I found joy from seeing the good in things no matter how silly they might have seemed to others. It came out of not taking ourselves too seriously and seeing the bigger picture in life. The bigger picture is that real joy will not be found in this worldly place, but in eternity with our Savior Jesus Christ.”

    Alexander also recalled fond memories of her time at EC during her remarks.

    “Spring Spree week, the day it snowed and school got cancelled, the nights spent just riding around Decatur or the mornings spent driving to Decatur and then trying to find a parking spot anywhere … the random Wal-Mart trips, late-night ping-pong matches in the BSU, supporting our fellow Warriors at Thursday night football games, or being a part of the best softball team in the state! All the things you did and the friends who were right there next to you, that’s what you will remember.”

    She also congratulated her fellow graduates on completing the work required to earn a diploma.

    “You put in the effort and time, even if it was three in the morning. You have sacrificed much sleep, and you have gone without a meal or several just to keep up,” she stated. “You’ve enjoyed ‘Chicken Man’ Wednesday and ‘Chicken Day’ Thursday. You have stressed over bad grades and smiled over good grades. You’ve probably cried but hopefully you laughed a lot more. Your immune system has taken a downfall thanks to the worries that college brought. You may have learned to love coffee, and your best friend at times was anything containing caffeine. There were sunny days and rainy days, holidays and horrible days. But here we are! We made it through all those things, good and bad, and what better time to look back and appreciate even those moments that we thought were the worst!”

    In closing, Alexander encouraged graduates to “rejoice in hope” and “cling to what is good.”

    “Of course it may not come easy, or it may not come at all … but it’s worth trying to make the best of things, being positive and having a joyful spirit. Keep striving for excellence, keep aiming for your dreams and goals, keep following the path to success, keep a joyful attitude, and keep up the good work. Once again, I congratulate you, more importantly, I say rejoice!”

    Also participating in the commencement program were graduates Matt Griffin of Union, who gave the invocation; and Kiswana Burnside of Lake, benediction.

    Special music was provided by Tyler Comans of Walnut Grove, Laura Gunn of Forest, Jessy Harrison of Little Rock, Courtney Lanier and Monica Vincent, both of Decatur; and Chad Mangum of Aberdeen.

    ECCC President Dr. Phil A. Sutphin presented diplomas to approximately 450 graduates.