Students at all three Minot high schools said farewell to their school days on Sunday at graduation ceremonies.

With all three schools holding their graduations on the same day for the first time, it was likely a challenge for people who knew students at more than one school to make it to all the ceremonies.

Last week, three graduates at Our Redeemer’s Christian School said they have appreciated the close relationships they developed with their teachers and classmates.

“We have 11 in our graduating class,” Josh Van Lith, one of the co-valedictorians, said earlier this month. “We all get along pretty well.”

Van Lith and fellow graduates Ethan Hinkel and Casey McLaughlin said they have been with most of their classmates since elementary or middle school.

Another advantage of a smaller school is getting to know their teachers well.

“I like the student to teacher ratio,” said Hinkel.

The class has had fun together during their last weeks at the school. For Senior Prank Day, which was done with the permission of school administrators, the seniors transformed a hallway at the private school into Narnia from the C.S. Lewis books. They took the back off an old wardrobe and positioned it at the entrance to the hallway. Then they scattered packing peanuts in the hallway and sticky notes. Other students were then transported into a whimsical universe.

The Christian education they have received has also been a strong influence.

Hinkel plans to study philosophy this fall at Wheaton College, near Chicago. Van Lith plans to study at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul and pursue a career in pastoral ministry. McLaughlin will attend Association Free Lutheran Bible School in Plymouth, Minn.

The young men were tasked with delivering a joint speech at graduation, which they planned to make funny.

Some of the students at Minot High School-Magic City Campus said they also have big plans for their futures.

Natalie Couture, who is interested in forensic anthropology, will be headed to the University of California at San Diego in the fall.

Meg Super, the daughter of a high school science teacher and a biology professor at Minot State University, plans to follow her parents’ footsteps and major in biology at the University of Colorado.

“I’m definitely a biology kid,” she said, adding that her parents encouraged her interest by sending her to science camps and encouraging her to participate in events like the Envirothon. She considered other areas, but biology won out for now.

Maddie Richardson, interested in the environment, said she would love to be part of Engineers Without Borders, a group that travels to different areas to solve environmental problems. She is headed to Colorado State University in the fall.

Gabrielle Kindy plans to major in mechanical engineering and pre-med at the University of Denver.

Matthew Leier, who loves the outdoors, plans to major in biology at Northern State University and hopes to go into wildlife management.

Kaleb Anderson plans to become a welder and will study at Lynnes School of Welding.

Caroline Huber, who was accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy, expects that she will spend the next year or so “just suffering.” Training for first year students is both physically and emotionally demanding, but Huber, who wants to be a Marine, is determined to take it. Huber is from an Air Force family, but decided to pursue the Marines.

“I’m really kind of arrogant and prideful,” said Huber. “I wanted to do it just to prove I could do it.”

Lucas Johnson, on the other hand, doesn’t need to attend college. He has already started his own e-commerce business .

All of the Minot High students said that Minot High School has prepared them well for their different future paths, offering a wide variety of classes and extracurriculars for students with differing interests.

On one day in early May, students in one of the science classes were outside watching one of their teachers “blowing stuff up.”

The high school was also willing to offer an organic chemistry class with just one student in the section.

Bishop Ryan Catholic School also held its graduation on Sunday, with 23 students collecting their diplomas. Mason Merck was the class valedictorian and Sheyenne Schmidt was the class salutatorian. Nine students graduated with honors.