Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. It is an honour to stand before you today as the valedictorian of the class of 2021. I would like to thank my parents, all the faculty members of Bentley High School including my teachers Mr. Brown, Ms. Turner, Mr. Hazlett, and Mrs. Annable, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Lush. The guidance provided was greatly appreciated.
I still cannot believe that this school year has ended so soon. This was surely not like any normal school year. It had its ups and downs and, to be honest, there were a lot of them. I do not even remember the number of times we went online and came back to school. Despite being for our safety and well-being, the rules, regulations, and guidelines didn’t make our lives any easier. Like many of my classmates who participate in sports can relate, I remember celebrating the victory of the first volleyball match then having our second match cancelled due to Covid. It was disappointing and frustrating.
Without the normal extracurricular activities, the school year felt short. Yes, this may not be the positive vibe which you may have expected during the opening of this speech, but this was the reality of this past year. However, I want to remind you that in spite of all the numerous struggles as well as personal and social hardships, each and every one of us persevered. Personally, I came here as a different person and now, standing here before you I believe that I have become a better and mature version of myself. Every single one of the graduates would have gone through the same journey to become a finer and stronger person.
Being a new student at a school was not easy. After the first month of awkwardness though, I no longer felt uneasy. My classmates and all the teachers have been extremely supportive and welcoming. The environment at this school is different from any other school I have attended. The friendliness and cooperation between the teachers and the students made studying undoubtedly easier and thank you very much for that.
My classmates have been studying together since childhood, and the established friendship between them is solid. Despite being a newcomer, I was never disregarded, and I remember many of them telling me to ask them if I ever needed any help. That open friendliness and support made me feel a part of the class. Both academically and athletically, my fellow classmates have always set the bar high. This always encouraged each other to work harder and consistently improve. I would like to thank each of my classmates for helping me get to this point because without your encouragement I may not have tried quite as hard as I did. Standing here and graduating with all of you, I carry only one regret and that is that I could not have been here for more than only year with you. I really wish I came to Bentley earlier and got to know each of you better.
In a few months, almost all of us will be in different colleges or working in jobs, and in a few more years, some of us may be responsible for families. This past year taught us that if we do not lose hope and keep working hard, nothing can stop us…not even a life-threatening pandemic. The mindset and skills that we learned in the last year are going to help us through every up and down on the road of life.
I would like to share a quick story with you if you will indulge me. A few days ago I watched a video that helped me reflect on a really weird experience I recently had. Mr. Lush called me into his office and told me I have been chosen as the class valedictorian, and initially I couldn’t think of anything else at that time. I felt like I was on top of the world and like I have achieved all my goals. In that very moment I was ecstatic. However, that feeling only lasted briefly. An unexpected thought popped into my head – is this everything? That thought made be feel a little empty.
I thought hard about what I was feeling at that moment, and it made me realize something very important. If you aim for a goal, you will be thrilled when you reach it, but that happiness is not going to last forever. What I took from this experience is to do things that make you happy. Do what makes you feel like yourself. That feeling will not evaporate as quickly. If you live your authentic life, you will not have any regrets.
BE YOU. BE HAPPY.