By Satina Tolman
For The New Era
Although she no longer lives in Sweet Home, Cara Pascalar’s roots here remain deep.
The 1990 Sweet Home High School graduate returned to her hometown June 5 to receive the Sweet Home Alumni Foundation’s prestigious High-Q Award and deliver the commencement address to the Class of 2026.
Through stories, humor and life lessons shaped by agriculture, Pascalar reminded graduates that success often begins with resilience, enthusiasm and a willingness to start before feeling ready.
A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP
Presenting the award, Dr. Ivan Wolthuis, a classmate of Pascalar’s and a Sweet Home dentist, highlighted her decades of contributions to agriculture, animal science and education.
“She has dedicated her life to agriculture, education and leadership,” Wolthuis said. “Through her work in animal science, agricultural education and industry outreach, she has made a lasting impact on countless students, producers and communities.”
The High-Q Award, sponsored by the Sweet Home Alumni Foundation, recognizes graduates whose achievements have distinguished them at the local, state and national levels.
Pascalar’s connection to Sweet Home extends far beyond her graduation year.
Now living in Powers, where her family has a ranch, she continues to judge livestock projects for local youth through 4-H and county fairs, helping guide and encourage the next generation of agricultural leaders.
Community members also noted the role longtime local supporter Alex Paul played in nominating her for the award.
SIX ANGUS COWS AND A DREAM
During her acceptance speech, Pascalar mixed humor with heartfelt reflections on the community that helped shape her life.
“In the spring of 1980, my family moved from the suburbs of New York City to Sweet Home, Oregon,” she told graduates. “We arrived with six Angus cows and a dream.”
At age 9, she thought the move was like re-enacting the Oregon Trail. Instead, she found a community that became home.
“Sweet Home became home in every sense of the word,” Pascalar said. “Beautiful mountains. Clear streams. Rich pastures. And wonderful people who helped shape who I became.”
Many of the lessons she shared came from her experiences in agriculture. She told graduates about buying her first heifer, named Sue, and spending nearly two years paying off the loan she borrowed from her father.
“Life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon,” she said.
Pascalar encouraged graduates to invest in themselves early, whether through college, trade school, apprenticeships or military service. She also spoke about the difference between resilience and resistance, explaining that resilience comes from doing hard things while resistance can sometimes prevent people from pursuing their goals.
“When I first started writing agricultural comedy and creating content for ranchers, I thought, ‘Who is going to want to hear this?'” she said. To overcome self-doubt, she adopted a personal mantra: “I’ll be brilliant next year.”
“It gives me permission to start before I’m ready. Progress beats perfection.”
A MESSAGE THAT RESONATED
Her message resonated with local families, particularly those involved in agriculture.
Heather Wright of Wright Family Farm has had her children in 4H for 14 years and FFA for 4 years, and her daughter Selah graduated as salutatorian, said Pascalar’s remarks stood out on graduation night.
“When we drove home from the party, Selah was reflecting on the speakers, and she was really excited that a woman was talking about agriculture and that the community could hear more about it and see the influence that women in agriculture have,” Wright said.
Wright said her family has also appreciated Pascalar’s work as a livestock judge.
“We have enjoyed Cara as a judge at the Linn County Fair and the Douglas County Fair,” she said. “She is so great working with the kids and inspiring them to do better on their projects and building them up.”
Selah Wright, who will be attending Corban University to study agricultural science and kinesiology, said she appreciated hearing agriculture represented alongside Sweet Home’s better-known logging heritage.
“It was good that the community heard about livestock because that’s just as much a part of Sweet Home as logging is,” she said. “Ranching, farming and agriculture are a big part of the Willamette Valley.”
She also connected with Pascalar’s observation that raising livestock teaches responsibility.
“Even when you have a hard day or a bad day, you still have to get up and do your chores because something is depending on you,” Selah said.
Sweet Home High School science teacher Laura Parrish has a small farm with her husband, Rick Parrish, and their four sons have been involved in 4H for 15 years. She said Pascalar’s recognition comes at an important time for agricultural education in the community.
“Agriculture is a big part of the Sweet Home community, even if many of our farms are smaller operations,” Parrish said. “With the addition of the agriculture program, FFA and ag classes over the past three years, students are seeing more opportunities in that field. Having a High-Q Award winner from the agricultural sector shows that agriculture is not only an important part of society, but also a career where you can make a difference, especially right here in your own community.”
CARRYING SWEET HOME FORWARD
As she closed her speech, Pascalar reflected on the influence of her parents, Bob and Erma Pascalar, including her mother, a longtime Sweet Home educator who taught literacy to countless students and adults.
Together, she said, they taught her that “a meaningful life isn’t measured by what you accumulate. It’s measured by how you care for others.”
For a community built on hard work, perseverance and helping neighbors, it was a message that felt right at home.
And for one evening, one of Sweet Home’s own returned to remind the Class of 2026 that their roots, and the lessons learned here, can carry them anywhere.