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What we did not know was even though we may have
passed the test, we missed out on the real treasures found in the
details. Life is like a book; it's easy to focus on the big
milestones - the first day of school, graduation day, a career,
family, whatever our chapters may be; or tempting to jump to the end
to see if it’s worth it. But, as Mister Rogers said, “the gifts we
treasure most over the years are often small and simple...we all
have different gifts, so we all have different ways of saying to the
world who we are.”
When we think of our high school years, often it's
about the homecoming weeks (which the 2020 class won three years in
a row if you didn’t know), the proms, the basketball games with
everyone piled into the Ed Buckovich gymnasium sweating in the
stands while students scream from the student section - but if you
only see high school through those highlights, you miss out on so
much. As freshmen, we prepared to secure and enjoy our lifelong
memories of the high school highlights ahead of us; little did we
know we were in for so much more.
Our class is resilient, we have been through thick and thin. We’ve
traveled continents together; won and lost together; passed and
failed tests together (thank you Anatomy); we laughed together til
we cried and cried together til there were no more tears. We shared
heartache and pain as we lost some of the people we love most, but
became Kinder and braver because they once lived. We gained friends,
we lost friends, and we had friends that became more like family.
And then we were quarantined…...and together - but apart - we
continued to fill the pages of our high school chapter. We made
“lemonade out of lemons” - spending more time and contributing to
family and staying connected with countless hours on Zoom and
FaceTime calls. We celebrated and supported each other with virtual
birthday parties and drive by parades; we learned to deeply
appreciate that some chapters of life we may be generous “givers”,
and in others, we may be “receivers”; and the “ripples” we create
continue without boundary.
We can’t choose what happens to us but we can choose how we respond
to it and what we do about it; our class definitely did not let
coronavirus stop us from finishing out our senior year strongly, (I
mean, i'm pretty sure we all got straight A’s this quarter which is
a pretty great accomplishment if you ask me). As a class, with the
help of our amazing parents, teachers, and administrators, we
generated creative ways to squeeze every drop out of our senior
year. No matter what obstacles we have faced as a class, we have
always been able to overcome them together.
On behalf of our graduating class, I would like to thank those who
have helped us get to where we are today. First, thank you to the
Mount Pulaski School district administrators. Thank you Mr. Lamkey,
for coming in your first year as Superintendent in Mount Pulaski and
having such a positive impact on our school district and community,
(even if you never gave us any snow days).
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Thank you to our principal, Mr. Morgan, for all of
your time, patience, skills and willingness to go above and beyond
for all of the students and staff and especially for your
well-planned Halloween costumes every year. Thank you to our office
management, Sarah Cooper and Kathrine Reed, you keep the school
going like clockwork, and with a smile at all times. To the
custodians, thank you for the work you do to make sure we have a
clean, safe and functional school. Thank you to our AD, Mr.
McVickers, for your dedication to our athletic programs and for
always showing up and supporting us. Thank you to the athletic
coaches who pushed us mentally and physically, who held the standard
that education comes first, and who served as powerful role models
for lessons outside the classroom . To everyone who captured and
shared our special moments - what a gift; and to Tracy Dyer, for
putting together this virtual graduation video and for everything
you have done for the senior class.
A huge thank you to our teachers and staff. Over the past four
years, you have gone above and beyond expectations I had for the
role of teachers. You have pushed us and inspired us to go after our
dreams. You have taught us so much more than academic curriculum,
you taught us the importance of putting yourself out there in life,
to value our relationships, that we have to run the mile in PE even
if we don’t want to, and that you're never too good to learn
something new . Even during a pandemic, when we could not physically
attend school, you managed to make sure we were not only continuing
our education (even if YOU had to learn something new), but you also
checked in with us mentally and emotionally to make sure we were
getting through difficult times. Our senior class will greatly miss
all of you and appreciate everything you have done to prepare us for
the future.
To all of the parents, thank you for not only supporting your own
kids but also the rest of us throughout our lives. You put in so
much time and hard work and it does not go unnoticed. To my own
parents and family, I would not be where I am today without your
endless support and guidance, inspirational quotes, motivational pep
talks, the occasional kick in the butt when needed, but most
importantly your unconditional love. You have helped make me the
person I am today (for better or worse) and I hope you know how much
it truly means to me.
Lastly, to the class of 2020, our story might be different than
others but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I'm glad you have
been a part of my story and I'm grateful to be a part of yours.
Since this graduation is virtual, you “might” have fast forwarded
through this speech, but if you're still here, I hope for all of you
that as you turn the pages in your book of life, you stop to enjoy
the small moments. After all, “the gifts we treasure most over the
years are often small and simple...we all have different gifts, so
we all have different ways of saying to the world who we are.” |
