FBCHS grads urged to explore world, future

SANDPOINT — Go explore.

Explore the future, other cultures, other ideas and yourself. Explore and never stop learning — that message was reiterated by speakers at Saturday’s Forrest M. Bird Charter High School graduation.

Keynote speaker Jim Mitsui, the son of Japanese immigrants living in Washington state, was forcibly relocated along with his family to California during World War II. The family eventually was able to return home to Washington, where Mitsui would go on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University and a master’s from the University of Washington and become a renowned writer and teacher.

Mitsui told graduates that their destiny is not a matter of luck or happenstance; instead it is a matter of choice, motivation and hard work. Be willing to think smart and for themselves, he said, telling them to findout what they want to do and not let others tell them what they think the graduates should do.

It’s a lesson he learned the hard way. The night before registration, Mitsui said he was sitting across the table from his brother-in-law and said he wasn’t sure what classes to take. Be a dentist, his brother-in-law said, they make a lot of money. The next day, Mitsui followed that advice and signed up to major in pre-dentistry.

“Me, who could barely get Cs in math and science classes at Odessa High School,” he added. “And, of course, after my first quarter with a GPA of 2.48, I dropped out of college.”

After several months at an unfulfilling job, which gave him “plenty of time to reassess” what to do, Mitsui headed to EWU where he discovered he was meant to be a teacher.

“In life, when you are face to face with a difficulty, you are also face to face with discovery,” Mitsui said. “After 53 years of teaching high school, university, continuing education and private classes, I know I made the right choice. Money isn’t everything. Success and being happy with your job is the best reward.”

Because he listened to himself and left himself open to discovery, Mitsui told the crowd he found something he loved to do. He relayed a quote from Andre Gide, who won the 1947 Nobel prize for literature, “We cannot discover new oceans unless we lose sight of the shore.”

Go explore, Mitsui told them. Explore the people, places and viewpoints of the world for themselves and to never stop learning.

Before introducting staff speakers Becky Campbell and Michael Bigley, Forrest Bird principal Mary Jensen praised the class as being full of talents, passion and ready to make a difference.

“When I see these young people I see people who have a multitude of talents,” she said after first director the 46 graduates to stand and turn to face their families and friends and asking the crowd what they see when they look at the graduates. “I see people who should not ever be underestimated because their passion will change our families, our community and our world.”

In a speech filled wih laughter and memories, Campbell and Bigley said the students inspired them and praised them for already making a difference.

“I know these things are supposed to be inspiring words of wisdom and knowledge from people that have been around the block a few times and then send you on your way,” Campbell said. “But here’s the thing. What am I supposed to give you advice about? To believe in yourself and that all things are possible? To preserve until all your dreams come true? To dig deep to get through the tough times? You all have been doing these things for years.”

When faced with challenges, the class has risen to meet them. When they thought of an idea, they also thought of a way to make it happen, the pair said.

“This class of 2018 is creativity in action,” said Campbell “They think about something and then go do it.”

It has been amazing to watch the students during their time at Forrest Bird and to see them grow and change, to discover all that they were capable of and could do.

“No one has ever impressed me like you,” Bigley said.

Campbell agreed, saying the class is filled with people unafraid of being who they are.

“You have creative open minds and beautiful hearts and you are not afraid of the elbow grease that is necessary for success and you measure that success on your own terms,” she added. “Congratulations, class of 2018. The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.”

Before introducing student speaker, Harrison Hertzberg, Jensen took a few moments to list a few of the many accomplishments already achieved by the class — from a host of academic honors to students who have display incredible perserverance and fight to get their dipomas.

“The achievements of this class truly astound me,” she added.

Each member of the class has their own dreams and aspirations, Hertzberg said.

“Each of us have the desire to navigate to our own personal promised land. As we are on course, you must remember that it is not the destination, it is the journey,” he said before adding that if anyone did run into trouble along the way, they could give Jensen a call and recited what he said was her personal cellphone number.

While youth have been coming of age “for as long as our grandparents can remember,” Hertzberg told his classmates to remember Forrest Bird, the inventor and aviator for whom the school was renamed. At first Bird didn’t know what he wanted to do, he had no overriding advantages, fantastic grade or loads of money.

“But what he did have was a brain,” Hertzberg said.

Bird took his ideas and his dreams, starting with nothing and persisted, continuing to work until he found a solution.

They are facing a world filled with change, happening faster and faster in their generation — from the possible extinction of “the little guy” and the disappearances of downtown across the country. The fight to keep small towns like Sandpoint alive isn’t a new one and change will always be there.

“There’s a point where we have to ask ourselves is this the world we want to make,” Hertzberg told his fellow graduates. “The future is unknown and the great thing about the unknown is that it can be created. There’s no instruction manual for the future. Nothing restricts us from becoming that agent of change rather than a subject of it.”

Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.