2018: The start of the seniors’ high school careers that feels like a millennium ago. Back then, we were innocent freshmen heading into the great unknown of Warren Central. Now, four years and a global pandemic later, we have weathered the storm (more or less) and are preparing to tackle the tribulations of adulthood. Wherever you may be headed after June 2, allow me, as a regular student, to offer my perspective of this amazing class.
Sure, I’m currently number one in the class, but let me tell you right now the greatest realization that I have ever had: it is just a number. My job as the possible valedictorian is not to brag about my accomplishments or any other arbitrary fact; it is to encourage our class to achieve their best. Look, it’s easy to diminish your own potential due to low grades or feelings of self-doubt (trust me, I’ve been there). However, we must move away from viewing our success through numbers and instead focus on being devoted to our own happiness. Don’t let the fact that you struggle in a certain subject or that you didn’t get a “good” SAT score or any other detriment stop you from reaching your best self because I’ve seen firsthand how every member of this senior class is capable of achieving greatness.
I’ve seen it in our classrooms, where we take on trigonometry, chemistry, and the horror that is Shakespearean literature. I’ve seen it in our athletics, where we have shown unmatched toughness on our fields, courts, pools, and mats. I’ve seen it in our arts, where our instruments, vocals, theatrics, and creative beauty flourish on our stages and canvases. I’ve seen it in our career center, where we are becoming the next nurses, auto technicians, engineers, and teachers of the world. I’ve seen it in our clubs and organizations, where our love for world languages, community service, the armed forces, and more unites us on unprecedented scales.
I know greatness is within us because I’ve seen it constantly. The greatness in our class does not come from having a certain GPA. or being a certain class rank; it comes from the fact that we are all fearless, strong-willed, and dedicated to the things we love. Everybody in this class, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, color, creed, and sexual orientation, is special. No matter who you are, no matter what you believe, and no matter what you identify yourself as, know that you are loved and that you are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to.
So, as we patiently count the days until we walk across that stage, know that everyone in this community is proud of what we have done and what we will continue to do once this new chapter of our lives begins. Before then, my only request is that you find what you love and pursue it until the end. Everybody has their own path in life. The only one that should matter is the one you carve for yourself. Until then, no matter how you view these past four years, know that I am honored to have been a part of this class and what we have accomplished. May each of our futures be unbound and prosperous.
Go Warriors, forever and always.