Photo by Deb Gau Marshall High School Principal Brian Jones presents graduating seniors from Honor Society with silver stoles during an honors assembly on Tuesday. The assembly recognized the top-achieving students in grades 9-11, as well as seniors graduating with honors and the Senior Students of the Year.

MARSHALL — Lois Quam said she learned a lot about generosity from growing up in Marshall. On Tuesday, she urged a new graduating class of Marshall High School students to carry that spirit of giving forward.

“It starts with each of us. And together, we create something special,” she said.

Quam, the CEO of nonprofit Pathfider International and a Marshall High School alumna, gave the keynote address at the MHS honors assembly on Tuesday morning. She and her husband, Arshad Mohammed, who is a diplomatic correspondent with the Reuters news agency, also stayed to visit with classes of students and the MHS Spectrum club.

“It is an honor to have these two remarkable individuals here today,” said Marshall Activities Director Rick Purrington.

Tuesday’s assembly recognized members of the MHS class of 2022 who were graduating with honors, but it wasn’t just about seniors, said Principal Brian Jones.

“This is a new experience for our ninth-grade students, sophomores and juniors,” he said. Among the awards presented Tuesday were honors for the students with the top 10 highest GPAs in each class. The top-ranking seniors will be recognized at commencement, Jones said.

“As a graduate of Marshall High School, I want to congratulate all the Marshall High School seniors who will soon graduate,” Quam said. “I want you to know that these days that you have spent as a Marshall Tiger will prepare you for the challenges and choices to come.”

In her keynote address, Quam said her family, neighbors and teachers all taught her about being generous and supporting community members when she was growing up in Marshall. Some of those lessons came from Gerald Sletten’s Russian and European history classes.

“We learned that a lesson of history is that ‘To give is to receive.’ We learned that the worst thing you can do for yourself is to humiliate another person,” she said. For example, the end of World War I humiliated the losers, which helped lead to World War II, she said. World War II ended with more generosity toward the countries involved, through the Marshall Plan.

Quam said Marshall, Minnesota has had its own “Marshall Plan” of investing in young people and new residents from around the world.

“What could a Marshall, Minnesota plan look like today in a state, country and world that needs healing?” she asked MHS students.

“Perhaps this is our Marshall Plan. To share the generosity that this community has shown in so many ways,” she said. She encouraged students to keep building up their community.

“Let’s create a Marshall, Minnesota plan for this moment. A way to cut through all the challenges and noise of today, to help each other, to build each other up,” she said.