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Class of 2025 recognized during commencement ceremonies
Before they went their separate ways, graduates at Vermilion got a primer on “the power of showing up.”
That was at the heart of the message delivered by Keith Turner to a packed house of more than 400 people Wednesday night, during commencement ceremonies on the local campus of Minnesota North College.
Turner, who attended and graduated from Vermilion in the 1980s and later returned to serve as a football coach at the school, delivered the commencement address and pointed back to “something that shaped my entire life.”
“That’s the power of showing up,” said Turner. “Not just physically, but showing focus, heart. That’s something I learned over and over again as a son, a husband, a father, a coach and a leader.”
Turner pointed to 29 years of coaching experience and “nearly three decades of huddles, bus rides, heartbreaks and championships, a lot of which were won here.”
“It’s not always the most talented player who makes the biggest difference, it’s the one who shows up every day, win or lose, whether they’re on top or they’re down,” said Turner. “Showing up is the foundation of greatness.”
Turner used his sports experience to challenge the graduates to rise up when obstacles arise.
“Looking back I learned just as much from the losses than the wins,” said Turner. “Losing forced me to reflect, to be humble, to listen, to adjust, to lead better next time and not have those mistakes. Those moments showed me character is forged not just in celebration but in adversity as well. You find out who you are when the scoreboard doesn’t go your way.”
Turner used the address to highlight the value of education while saluting his mother.
“If you keep showing up with resilience, with heart, you will always grow,” said Turner, who grew up in Cleveland and came to Ely in 1984. “I learned that from one of the most consistent people I’ve ever known, my mother. Even when it was hard and I know it was hard, she was steady, she was strong. She kept showing up. I became the first person in my family to graduate from college and it wasn’t for me, it was for her.”
Turner told the graduates that their education at Vermilion was a pivotal step in their future.
“Education is not just a personal achievement, it’s a legacy,” he said. “What you’re achieving right now shifts the future of generations.”
Turner followed recent Vermilion history as the latest in a line of graduates who have returned to the campus to deliver the commencement address.
Mike Raich, president of Minnesota North College, also addressed the class and saluted them for investing in themselves and Vermilion.
While they wore caps and gowns for the ceremony, that was for one night only and Raich told the graduates they will soon be in street clothes.
“It won’t be visible so you’ll have to let your actions and attitudes represent your graduate status,” said Raich.
Raich also implored the graduates to be kind.
“A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough,” said Raich. “Exuding kindness will have a profound positive effect on you and those you care about.”
Raich said that the Vermilion class was part of an overall Minnesota North graduating group that includes 916 students who have earned 1,011 diplomas, degrees or certificates About 80 Vermilion graduates participated in the ceremony and they also heard from Brett Snitker, president of the Vermilion’s Student Senate.
Campus director and academic dean Chris Koivisto recognized faculty, staff and the school’s advisory and foundation board and in particular instructor Will Helms, who is retiring at the conclusion of the school year.
The program also included a vocal solo from graduate Marissa Ronning, who sang the Counting Crows hit “Crowded House- Don’t Dream It’s Over.”
