Senior Speech: Evelyn Martinez-Tecanhuehue

Good evening. I’d like to start off this program by thanking Mayor Womack, Dr. Zychowski, and Mr. Kneller for attending the Class of 2026 graduation. Most of all, I’d like to thank all of the friends and family who were able to make it here today. This means so much to me and my fellow graduates. I’d also like to take a moment of silence for those who weren't able to make it here today.

As I started thinking about what could represent us as a whole, I took a stroll down memory lane. From being torn out of our beds, to making it to school at 7:45, to walking through the moldy halls, and the countless “I can’t wait to graduate,” I began to wonder what a purposeful life would look like.

½ cups of Elmer’s glue is your foundation — your values, your beliefs, your non-negotiables. It’s your persona; not what people want you to be, but your comfort in knowing where you came from. It’s the authenticity of your values that your future self will implement in times of distress. It’s your strength and your weakness. Nevertheless, the glue can’t be left like that; it will start to run and stick to everything. Trust me, I would know.

Next, add 1 teaspoon of borax powder into a cup of warm water, otherwise known as the activator, and thoroughly mix it into the glue. What is your activator? It might just be the most important ingredient. It’s your drive. It’s the longing for more. It’s your hard, sleepless nights finally paying off. It’s the good one puts into the world without expecting anything in return, but internally knowing that someday it will be recognized. Once mixed together, it creates something fun and lively.

Slime.

Oh no… but wait. This slime can’t be plain and boring. Next is food coloring. What gives your life color? What makes you stand out? What color will you choose? Remember, you control how strong and bright you’d like it to be, or how dim and hard to make out you’d like it to look. Find comfort in knowing you design who you want to be, and express the person you are and your passions.

The final product is slime. At first, it was sticky and messy, but over time it came together and formed something so fun that you forget the sticky parts. A life worth building is sticky and sometimes messy. In the end, it forms something, something worth making.

Thank you, Class of 2026.