Welcome students, parents, administrators, and teachers. We have all been invited to this ceremony to celebrate the end of a life changing chapter.
I can start the speech by telling you many motivational quotes like: “Even though it may seem impossible, it is possible” or “If you fall, just get back up and try again.” However, you all have probably heard it from your parents, friends, teachers, and coaches. Ultimately, they all mean “do not give up, and try again,” they just used some Sadlier Oxford vocabulary to make it seem like they are different, but the main idea remains the same.
The Class of 2022 experienced everything, but a normal school year. Let’s look back on our past. Freshman year, our school was shut down for a week because of mold, there was also a gas leak and we stood outside for at least an hour. Sophomore year was the beginning of COVID. Junior year was virtual learning. Lastly senior year had flooding, air conditioning issues, and virtual learning. This list does not even include the countless fire alarms that “accidentally” went off, the broken bell system, the Mercury in the gym, or any of the world wide problems that occurred over the last four years. If we sit down and look at everything that has happened to us during our high school career, it may look like we lived through an apocalypse. Yet, we are all here in this arena wearing our caps and gowns; soon we will turn our tassel from the right side to the left, and begin a new chapter in our personal books.
The Class of 2022 is a perfect example of “not giving up, and trying again.” Aside from the problems we encountered during our time in the NBTHS building, we also lived through many adventures. I do not know all your individual hardships that you faced, but what I do know is that you conquered them all, and they did not stop you from getting to where you are today. It is ironic because we believed that the bumps in our life mattered and were possibly the end of us. However, look at us now, we are here, graduating and getting our diplomas, while those little things stayed in the past and do not matter anymore.
Now that my time is almost over, I would like to say a few final words. All of you have gone through high school differently; some may have loved it while others dreaded every single day. However, we are approaching the same ending, graduation. Treat the last four years as if they were a lesson, and use it for your own motivation. You have done it all, so do not let anything stop you from achieving your goals. Hopefully, in the future you will not experience Mercury in the gymnasium or a gas leak, but if it happens you know exactly what to do.
I am wishing all of you the best of luck no matter where you will be: college, a gap year, or work. Whatever you choose to do, I know that you will achieve nothing but greatness. Thank you all, family, friends, teachers, coaches, and administrators for helping all of us in successfully ending high school. Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2022!