By SHARON MONTAGUE

Salina Journal

Nathan Dixon was an eighth-grader at St. John's Military School when he learned that his grandfather, who had visited him every weekend for several years, had a month to live.

"He made me promise him, at that time, that I would graduate from St. John's Military School," Dixon said. "I did him better than that. I promised him that I would graduate as battalion commander."

Saturday, Dixon, a member of the 120th Corps of Cadets at the Salina school, made good on that promise.

Dixon, who served his class as corps commander, and 22 classmates bid goodbye to the military school in a morning-long ceremony complete with the traditional changing of command.

Jonathon Frank, Ardmore, Okla., was named battalion commander of the 121st Corps of Cadets, and Ryan David of Colorado was named command sergeant major.

The commencement speaker, Sunflower Bank president Larry Britegam, encouraged the graduates to set goals and strive to meet them, and to encourage others.

He told the youngsters that 30 years ago, filled with self-pity, he quit his job at Sunflower Bank after working for only six months, convinced that nobody cared about him or his future.

"I kept saying to myself that nobody was noticing me," Britegam said. "Nobody was getting how talented of a person that I could become. Nobody was getting that, in my heart, I knew I could make a difference."

Britegam was saved by a man who took him under his wing and became his mentor. He stayed at Sunflower Bank, and he changed his attitude.

"I took the wrong path, one that was filled with self-pity, 'Why is this happening to me' questions and lined with no motivation and no goals," he said.

Britegam learned he had to take responsibility for himself and his attitude -- a lesson he passed on to the new graduates.

Looking out on the graduates and the school's underclassman, Britegam predicted that many of them would follow his path.

Britegam attended St. John's for two years before leaving to finish his high school years in public schools. He flunked out after only a year at Kansas State University, then worked for a year painting houses before heeding his mother's advice and returning to college.

That time, he was successful, completing his degree in business and finance.

Britegam passed on several lessons he had learned, hoping to smooth life's path for his listeners.

He said he learned early that his attitude was everything and that negative thoughts bring negative outcomes. He encouraged students to surround themselves with people of character and vision, people who would stick with them no matter what.

Britegam also told the students that goal-setting was important and that they shouldn't limit their thinking but explore all of life's possibilities.

He encouraged them to see the good in everyone, to always communicate and share their feelings and to be a mentor to others when possible.

"You owe that to those who helped you along the way," he said.

And he told them to accept responsibility for their own failures, never blaming them on others.

"The greatest lessons often come from our failures and not from our successes," he said.

nReporter Sharon Montague can be reached at 822-1411 or by e-mail at smontague@salina.com.

Saturday, Dixon, a member of the 120th Corps of Cadets at the Salina school, made good on that promise.

Dixon, who served his class as corps commander, and 22 classmates bid goodbye to the military school in a morning-long ceremony complete with the traditional changing of command.

Jonathon Frank, Ardmore, Okla., was named battalion commander of the 121st Corps of Cadets, and Ryan David of Colorado was named command sergeant major.

The commencement speaker, Sunflower Bank president Larry Britegam, encouraged the graduates to set goals and strive to meet them, and to encourage others.

He told the youngsters that 30 years ago, filled with self-pity, he quit his job at Sunflower Bank after working for only six months, convinced that nobody cared about him or his future.

"I kept saying to myself that nobody was noticing me," Britegam said. "Nobody was getting how talented of a person that I could become. Nobody was getting that, in my heart, I knew I could make a difference."

Britegam was saved by a man who took him under his wing and became his mentor. He stayed at Sunflower Bank, and he changed his attitude.

"I took the wrong path, one that was filled with self-pity, 'Why is this happening to me' questions and lined with no motivation and no goals," he said.

Britegam learned he had to take responsibility for himself and his attitude -- a lesson he passed on to the new graduates.

Looking out on the graduates and the school's underclassman, Britegam predicted that many of them would follow his path.

Britegam attended St. John's for two years before leaving to finish his high school years in public schools. He flunked out after only a year at Kansas State University, then worked for a year painting houses before heeding his mother's advice and returning to college.

That time, he was successful, completing his degree in business and finance.

Britegam passed on several lessons he had learned, hoping to smooth life's path for his listeners.

He said he learned early that his attitude was everything and that negative thoughts bring negative outcomes. He encouraged students to surround themselves with people of character and vision, people who would stick with them no matter what.

Britegam also told the students that goal-setting was important and that they shouldn't limit their thinking but explore all of life's possibilities.

He encouraged them to see the good in everyone, to always communicate and share their feelings and to be a mentor to others when possible.

"You owe that to those who helped you along the way," he said.

And he told them to accept responsibility for their own failures, never blaming them on others.

"The greatest lessons often come from our failures and not from our successes," he said.

nReporter Sharon Montague can be reached at 822-1411 or by e-mail at smontague@salina.com.