NATCHEZ — Adams County Christian School valedictorian Sneh Patel said his initial impressions about going to the private school could not have been more incorrect.

Patel said as one of the few minorities, he didn’t expect to fit in. However, his 44 classmates who graduated with him on Friday along with others at ACCS have impacted him more than he could have imagined.

“I never really experienced hate, just love,” he said. “I could be more open with my classmates than I ever expected — it just shows how open minded my class is.”

The valedictorian said everyone experiences obstacles in their life and Patel hoped his classmates would learn from those obstacles. He had a recent story as an example.

Southern Methodist University sent him an email that his offer may be revoked because of disciplinary violations. At first, he was sad about it because he wanted to attend the Dallas college, and then Patel had another thought.

“Life is full of hiccups, and you must play the cards you are dealt,” he said. “I looked into the matter with my parents, classmates and Adams County Christian School administrators, and it was quickly revealed it was an error from the SMU admissions system.

“Even though it was a fluke, it reminded me that some things in life are designed to give you a wakeup call, a blessing in disguise.”

Patel challenged his classmates to not take things for granted and stay true to themselves.

“For everyone who wants to send a message to the world about your impact, I say, let your life exemplify that message,” he said. “Your actions will define you. God bless.”

Salutatorian Andrew Ratcliff said he was going to miss a lot of aspects about being an ACCS student such as the dances, classes and sporting events.

“Most of all, I will miss these guys behind me, because they have meant so much to me,” he said. “Come August, it will be sad when you are not in the classroom beside me.

“Even when we get old, we will look back on all the wonderful memories we have had together.”

The salutatorian’s challenge was simple — don’t let anyone tell you that something is impossible.

“Not only to the graduates, but to everyone, if there is something you want to accomplish, don’t let someone tell you that you can’t do it,” he said. “You cannot succeed in things you never try. You only get one life, so there is no point in settling for mediocrity.

“I pray to God to give us the motivation and perseverance to always keep our eyes on these goals.”

The guest speaker, 1981 ACCS graduate and Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Madison Ronnie Falvey, said two things graduates and everyone else need to keep in mind: have passion and drive.

“We must find our passion, and we must couple that with purpose,” he said. “When you have passion and purpose, life is worth living.”