Kentucky High School withholds diploma from teen who went ‘off script’ and started talking about God in commencement speech
- Campbell County High School graduate Micah Price gave a speech Friday
- Price strayed from his approved script and told his classmates to find God
- He did not receive his diploma and will have to explain why he deviated from the script
A Kentucky High School student has yet to receive his diploma after using his graduation speech to tell his classmates to find God.
Campbell County High School graduate Micah Price strayed from his approved script during his commencement ceremony Friday.
Price took the stage, wearing a purple cap and gown with a white stole, and began his speech with the approved message giving “honor, praise and glory to my lord and savior Jesus Christ.”
His first comments were received with thunderous applause, but after that he deviated even further from what the school superiors expected.
“He is the light, he is the way, the truth and the life,” Price said.
Campbell County High School graduate Micah Price (pictured) told his classmates to find God during his commencement ceremony Friday
“Class, everyone in the audience today, I’m here to tell you that if you don’t have any of these things in your life, you can’t seem to find the answer, my lord and savior is your answer that he will give you the truth, the way and the life.’
After the ceremony, Price posted on TikTok to announce that he had not yet received his diploma.
‘I don’t have a diploma, I’m not sure if everyone does yet. So if you do, congratulations. “If you don’t, I’ll be right there with you,” he said.
‘I was told in advance not to mention Christ, He is the way, the truth and the life in speech, but I did so anyway.
“Technically, I’m wrong because I went against Campbell County rules.”
Price began his speech with the approved message giving “the honor, the praise and the glory to my lord and savior Jesus Christ” – and then went off script
Superintendent Shelli Wilson shared WKRC Price’s director selected him to deliver the address.
She said a short section on “the honor, the praise and the glory of my lord and savior Jesus Christ” had been approved, but added that he had been told that flipping the script could have consequences.
“All speakers were advised that failure to follow through on their speech submissions, or unplanned choices at graduation, could have consequences like any prom,” Wilson said.
The superintendent said Price has graduated and will receive his degree after meeting with the principal later this week.
“While I personally know that many of us are proud of this young man’s faith and are practicing Christians ourselves, the principal must consider the possibilities of students dropping out of the planned program,” Wilson said.
Price has not received his diploma and will not receive it until he meets with the principal of Campbell County High School to explain why he broke the rules
His mother, Melonie Neely Farris, seemed proud of her son and his decision to use the time to spread messages he saw fit.
In a video on Facebook, she announced that her son will join the Air Force after graduation.
“I wanted to take a moment to share about my son giving a speech at his high school graduation,” she added.
“Micah is called to do what we are all called to do: share the love of Christ, that is exactly what he did and from the way I heard things, the entire audience loved it! We will face whatever comes our way, but we will never deny the love of Christ.”