Suffolk Christian Academy graduated 12 new alumni on Saturday and sent them into the world with a vision of what true success looks like.

Virginia Supreme Court Justice D. Arthur Kelsey, a Suffolk native, dwelled on the meaning of success during his address to the graduates.

“The prevailing myth of our time … is that success can be measured either in terms of monetary wealth or in terms of worldly power or prestige,” Kelsey told the graduates.

But an examination of historic figures shows true success cannot be measured by money or power.

“She owned nothing but the wardrobe of a poor nun,” Kelsey said of Mother Theresa. “Is any one of you willing to say this woman, a saint, was unsuccessful?”

“He held no power in any conventional sense,” Kelsey added about Martin Luther King Jr. In fact, he was “hounded by the power elite of his day,” but was still successful in stirring the civil rights movement.

Likewise, Jesus Christ “didn’t own a house, and he didn’t own a business,” Kelsey said. “Truth be told, Jesus had very few friends in high places. Jesus held no position of worldly power and prestige, but can it be said that this man, the Son of God, was unsuccessful?”

Kelsey showed the graduates what true success looks like:

“The key to failure is trying to please everybody,” he said. “Seek first to please God, and everything else will fall into place. If you intend your life’s work to pass the final inspection, neither add to the plan nor subtract from it.

“Ask, seek and knock,” Kelsey concluded. “It is from this perspective and only this perspective that I wish you Godspeed as you climb the ladder of success.”

Salutatorian Ashley Barton also offered advice to her classmates.

“Dream big and make a difference in the world,” she said. “Don’t let life’s disappointments define who you are.”

She said some had referred to the class as “dysfunctional” but offered reasons why they seemed that way.

“Most of the challenges our class has faced were a result of our different life experiences,” she said. “We are trying to discover who we are, why we’re here and what we’re supposed to do with our lives.”

Valedictorian Kelly Lester quoted Arie Pencovici: “Graduation is only a concept. In real life every day you graduate.”

“Over the past four years, I’ve seen us all graduate in different ways,” Lester said. “I only recently realized how lucky and blessed I am to have been a part of this class.”

Lester told her classmates they had taught her to never give up.

“I hope and pray you all will keep your faith,” she said. “After today, some of our paths will go left, and some will go right, and I would be so grateful if our paths crossed again.”