Just in case you missed it, you have lived through a pandemic, social unrest, political turmoil and war. Let that sink in. As you entered high school, you could confidently walk through the doors without fear they could be closed the next day. The ideas of quarantining and masking were unrelatable to you. Yet, here you are having mastered the art of the quarantine and styled your way through matching, bedazzled and electronic messaging masks. Through your four years you have adapted, persevered, and thrived. No excuses.No, “It was COVID.” or “The pandemic made me do it.” Nope, not you, not the Class of ‘22!
Adaptation is your middle name.You walked in your freshman year all confused, thinking that school started WAY TOO EARLY. You got lost, you made new friends, and you adjusted to your new normal. Your sophomore year gave you confidence. You goofed around less and started to believe the advice your teachers were giving you. You basically mastered the building and the cafeteria lines. High school made sense now.
Then, one day it all changed. It took a few lessons in zoom and a couple of assignments in Canvas to adapt to this new life. You learned how to coordinate with friends in “break out rooms”and complete the homework in the confines of your own home. Then you tried to figure out attending school every other day. How did you even REMEMBER if it was a BLACK or GOLD day? And then we wanted you to COME BACK? Well, you adapted and kept going.
How do you even DO THAT? How do you just start over? Well, you did it! You eased back in. You began to slowly have some more activities, a handful of athletic games, a few plays and shows followed up with daily classes. You seemed to come out the other side. Don’t get me wrong, the discombobulation of the previous years have not left you unscathed. You have some bumps and bruises in your heart and a few scars in your soul. Your faith and trust is a tad hesitant now. You did not just SURVIVE this though. You have THRIVED.
You are graduating high school. You have tied down an amazing internship. Your new boss can not wait until you can start working full-time with a diploma in hand. You have just completed your housing application for your dream school. You are packing up to start boot camp the day after graduation. And as you walk out the doors of Warren Central High School, know that your mark on this building, on these people, will forever be celebrated.
No excuses, not YOU, not the Class of “22!