WAURIKA — Jake Boren urged his classmates to seek the answers to three questions. Nathan Howard turned to the tale of three servants to illustrate his hope for the future of all the Eagles about to leave the nest.

“Three” was a bonding number Friday night, when the two of the top three students in Waurika High School’s graduating class were honored during the 2009 Commencement exercise, before a near-capacity crowd at Cy Sloan Stadium.

“What do you want? How can you get what you want? What is stopping you from getting what you want?” Boren asked, as he challenged the other 24 members of the class to seek the answers as they moved to the next stage of their lives.

The class valedictorian offered some suggestions.

“First,” Boren said, “figure out what you truly want out of life. Second, you don’t have to instantly get what it is you want, but set yourself on a path that will allow to realize your dream.

“Third, what’s stopping you from getting what you want? Well, I’ve noticed that people under-estimate themselves. If you were hanging from a cliff, think about the amount of effort you’d put out to save your life. You can do more than you think you can.”

Boren noted that what constitutes a “good life” and what is defined as “success” differ with each individual. “Those things depend on who you are, and how you lead your life,” he said. “At 18, I have no great wisdom to pass on to you.”

Still, Boren said, “Learn to be happy with what you have, while pursuing what you want. And I wish best in trying to answer the three question and follow your dreams.”

In his venture to the podium, Howard acknowledged his friends and classmates by declaring, “We finally made it. There are no more people doubting us now.”

The class salutatorian then used the “Parable of the Talents” as the foundation for the rest of his address, drawing directly from the story told by Jesus in the 25th chapter of the Book of Matthew.

In that parable, a man who was going on a journey called his three servants together and entrusted his property to them. He gave five “talents” of money to one servant, two to another and one to the third, each according to his ability.

While the man was away, the servant receiving five talents put his money to work and gained five more. The servant receiving two talents did the same, but the servant receiving one talent and hid it.

When the master returned, he acknowledged the two servants who had multiplied their talents by putting them to use, telling each, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.”

However, when the third servant presented the one talent, he told his master, “I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.”

“You wicked, lazy servant,” the master replied. He said the servant should have invested the one talent so the master would have received it back with interest, and directed the servant to give his talent to the servant with 10 total talents.

In rebuking the third servant, the master said, “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

“I urge you to make something of yourself, like the first two servants,” Howard said.

Boren and Howard each received the coveted Eagle Scholar Award for their academic achievements. And keeping with the theme of three, a third Eagle Scholar trophy went to Shad Bishop.