MIAMI � When Yarisbeth Bradfield first visited Mother of Our Redeemer five years ago, she thought it was a very small school and did not know what to expect. But as time passed, the school grew larger and became her second home.  

Yarisbeth, who earned the title of valedictorian, made history when she and her 12 classmates took part in Mother of Our Redeemer School�s first graduation ceremony May 11.  

Addressing a graduating class was a first for the church�s pastor, Father Jaime Acevedo, too. His sendoff to the small group of smiling students garbed in royal blue caps and gowns was reflective. He told them to remember that no matter what the future holds, Jesus will never reject them.

�If you ever feel down and confused about high school, or work, or marriage and you forget everything we taught you, remember that you can always come back to him and he will not reject you. Jesus will never ever reject you!  You can always come back to him and he will receive you with open arms. Don�t forget. Don�t forget. There is no such thing as a road traveled so far away that you cannot find your way back,� he said.  

�I�ve been crying since last week, but they are tears of joy,� said Mother of Our Redeemer�s principal, Evelyn Salinas.

The school has grown since first opening its doors in 2003.  Known as the small school with the big heart, it began with about four or five students.  

�There are 13 students in the eighth grade graduating class and some have been attending since the school opened its doors in 2003. The school has classes for Pre-K to eighth grade, but when the school began in 2003, it started with the first grade. With the exception of the eighth grade inaugural class, the average class size is between 20 to 23 students,� said Salinas, who has been the school�s principal for the last six years.

�There is something amazing about walking through the hall and being able to name each and every face that passes me by,� said Yarisbeth.  During her speech she reminisced with her class about the early days and reflected on their last year in the eighth grade.

�We are the first graduating class of Mother of Our Redeemer Catholic School,� said Jose Mercado, who earned the title of salutatorian.

During his speech he thanked his mom for helping him pick Mother of Our Redeemer for his middle school. �Everyone at Mother of Our Redeemer has become my family. To my classmates, we know that we are on our way�we will say goodbye for now but will see each other in our coming future.�

�Everyone knows each other,� said Salinas. �At first some were shy and timid, but by bringing them out and allowing them to spearhead activities you can see the development of where they were and where they are now. Older students have been groomed to be leaders and watch over the younger students. They are fine role models.�

During her speech, Salinas told the class, �You will overcome every obstacle placed in front of you and you will go on to flourish. Trust in yourself and in your sprit. Do not hide from challenges. Instead, take them head on, and always remember the FROG (Fully Rely on God) philosophy. Always remember you can fully rely on God for anything at any time. I thank you for allowing me to be your principal, to be a role model in the last six years that I have been here, to be able to be your mentor, and above all, to be a sister in Christ.�