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Valedictorians Deliver Parting Words
All of You are Just as Worthy
At first, I wasn’t going
to give this speech. It’s
seemed unfair. Why does
a number on my transcript
allow me to speak at our
final goodbye, compared
to all of you, who are just as worthy.
The title, itself, was never something I
strived for. Being valedictorian held a sense
of power and privilege that I didn’t want.
That I didn’t need. Valedictorian is sup-
posed to be an honor for the hardest work-
ing, and I appreciate that, I have worked
hard to be where I am. But who says that
the number on our transcripts reflects how
hardworking we are? Why does the educa-
tion system rely on a number to credit us, to
show us our worth, when we are so much
more than that. There are so many of you
I’d like to hear from, that I can’t, because
you weren’t given the opportunity.
We’ve Come Together in
Incredible Ways
I’m so proud of our class
for all of our hard work and
perseverance that got us all to
our high school graduation.
We are about to enter a really
big time in our lives where we are being chal-
lenged to find who we are as individuals and
what we’re going to contribute to this world,
but I know that being a Demo has prepared
us for this. We are a class that will go on to
use our passions for good, and it is amazing
to know that our class is going to make this
world a better place. Jefferson taught us not
only how to be good people, but how to be
there for others and to question things when
we’re unsure. I think it really shows when you
look at this Class of 2020, just how amazing
Hello Classmates of 2020
When our school closed
in mid-March, I doubt
that any of us expected
the months of uncertain-
ty and confusion that fol-
lowed. While springtime
for many generations of
high school seniors meant fun, celebra-
tion, and coming together, ours has been
a time of distancing and isolation. How-
ever, as we gather today, we have way
more reasons to celebrate than to despair
because our graduation is marked by—not
We Achieved Against All Odds
“The truth can only
stay buried for so long
before the world un-
earths it.” One of our
classmates
actually
said something along
those lines on what we
now know to have been our last day at
Jefferson, and the sentiment has stuck
with me in an eerie, almost prophetic
way.
In the months since we were last at
school, we have seen so much. We’ve
watched as death tolls rise in the midst
of an unprecedented pandemic, have
Because hard work isn’t just about pass-
ing classes. It’s about living, doing the best
you can with the circumstances you have.
Our lives are so much more than school.
And Jeff proves that, because Jefferson
High School is so much more than school.
We’re a family. And that’s why it’s so hard
for me to wrap my mind around this. We
stick together against all odds, so why,
when it’s time to hear from our peers for
the very last time as one, we pick people
off of their systematic success instead of
who they are as people. .
Though I am proud to say that this Vale-
dictorian cohort is some of the most amaz-
ing I have ever met. But I also want to give
credit to where credit is due. To those of
you that showed up to every single bas-
ketball game whether it was miles away or
at home court. Those that sacrificed your
free time to have a job and support your
families. To those of you that advocated for
yourself when someone didn’t believe in
you. To those of you that came to school
with a smile on your face no matter what
was going on in your personal life. Or
talked your friends down off a ledge after
a hard day. To those that send pictures of
your homework to help the homies out.
Or those of you that walked your friends
down to breakfast even though you were
already late for class. I want to credit
the people that not only worked hard in
school but those of you that worked hard
at becoming the person you are today. Be-
cause we all have grown since freshman
year and we deserve credit for that. Credit
that our transcripts don’t give us.
So I want this to be a reminder as we
enter adulthood. You are more than a num-
ber, or a statistic, or any negative expecta-
tions anyone has ever set for you. You are
your growth, your heart, your soul. You are
who you decide you want to be. And you
will always, ALWAYS, be a Demo!
--Tamia Miller
you all are. We are all going to incredible
universities, incredible programs, and doing
incredible jobs because of the hard work you
invested in the past four years at this school.
It’s really inspiring to see.
Even though our year was cut short and
we will be missing out on some pretty big
milestones, our class will get through this be-
cause we are strong, motivated, and creative.
We’ve already come together in such in-
credible ways, congratulating each other on
college acceptances, celebrating over Zoom
calls, and staying connected as a class in any
way we can right now. The class of 2020
is historic. We’re inspiring so many people
to stay strong and positive in times that are
scary and difficult. Thank you for setting
such a wonderful example of perseverance,
creativity, and compassion. We would not be
the people that we are today without Jeffer-
son and the teachers and students inside it.
Jefferson is a very special place and we’re
all very lucky to have been a part of this
community. Community is very strong in our
class, which really shows and I’m so blessed
to be a part of this chapter.
Thank you for the memories I will cher-
ish forever. As you think of the adversity
the class of 2020 has had to overcome these
past few months, and especially these past
few days, there should be no doubt in your
mind that you can accomplish greatness.
Please continue to utilize the valuable tools
you were given here at Jeff to make a differ-
ence in our society and the way we treat each
other as human beings, regardless of what
they look like. Fight for what you believe is
right, and uplift each other. Show them what
it means to be a Demo. Class of 2020 is going
to do some amazing things, and I can’t wait
to watch you all flourish.
-Sierra Briscoe
a few months of disruptions— but years of
academic excellence and personal triumph.
And so I say congratulations to the Class
of 2020!
Earning a diploma means we have suc-
cessfully gone through four years of high
school. When assignments got hard, we per-
severed. When we had questions, we sought
out help. And through our commitment to
learning, we have gained valuable insights
about ourselves and the world.
When senior year came, we had visions for
our future. And through planning and prepa-
ration, we have moved closer and closer to
realizing our dreams. Writing countless essays
and filling out applications, we have defined
our stories and sharing them with others has
given us the chance to own our voices.
As acceptances and congratulatory let-
ters came in, seeing the fruits of our labor
has only made us more determined to seize
the next opportunity that comes our way.
Today we celebrate the great bonds of
friendship we have been able to cultivate
amongst ourselves. From sharing class-
rooms to sharing ideas, from sharing spac-
es to sharing meals, members of the Class
of 2020 have grown stronger because of
our interconnectedness.
--Mekdes Hilete
witnessed false 911 calls, scrolled
through our feeds to find executions and
daylight murders, and we have seen this
country burn.
On the eve of us reaching one of the
biggest milestones of our youth, every-
thing seems to be uncertain. Our plans
have been upended, we have anxiously
awaited answers about what our very
near futures will look like, and it has
dawned on us that as we make one of
the biggest transitions of our lives, the
world as we know it is also transition-
ing.
The things that once were important
to us—prom and a traditional gradua-
tion, our grades and GPAs—seem much
smaller now. In these months, the Class
of 2020 has become adults. After the
truth was unearthed we began to see
things differently.
Nikki Giovanni wrote “Everything
will change. The only question is grow-
ing up or decaying,” and I can say with
my whole heart that in the midst of so
much decay, I have seen us, the Class
of 2020, grow against all odds. Our cir-
cumstances, rather than bringing out
the worst, have revealed the best in us.
We have mobilized in new ways, sup-
ported one another via Zoom Call and
Google Meet, built community in our
group chats and the comment section of
the @jeffersonseniors Instagram page,
June 10, 2020
I Couldn’t Be More Proud
During an info night
for incoming 9th grad-
ers this year, I was asked
to speak to the families
and tell them why their
students should come to
Jeff. I was asked to par-
ticipate the night of the event and had no
time to prepare, but I didn’t need it. When
I got on stage and thought of what to say, I
thought of what made Jefferson so special
to me.
I thought of all the moments in fresh-
man English where from week one, we had
already become a community. I thought
of all the moments I’ll never forget from
playing sports, I thought of the times we
stopped class to discuss something more
important going on in the world at that mo-
ment. I thought of how no matter what the
topic, how we valued each other’s contri-
bution to the discussion.
So when it was time to tell these fami-
lies why they should send their kids to Jeff,
I told them that Jefferson is where kids are
taught to be human at its most core meaning.
Kids are taught what it is like to be a part of
something bigger than themselves, where
they learn to respect each other and thrive
with one another. As I look at everyone now I
know I couldn’t have been more right.
Before I ever even step foot onto 5210
N. Kerby Ave., I knew Jefferson is where
I wanted to be. Jeff was the best choice I
could have ever made. Having a place to
be 5 out of the 7 days of the week, where
no matter what I was doing or who I was
with I could learn something new, has been
a gift that I will never forget.
The class of 2020, though we may be a
small graduating class compared to others,
we are large in our knowledge and experi-
ences. Never in my life have I been part of
a group of people so talented, whether it
be artistically, athletically, or academically,
and in most cases all three. I believe we
have all been blessed to grow up in a space
that develops such a true sense of commu-
nity. To grow up in a school that isn’t afraid
to speak its mind, a place that isn’t afraid
to take action.
As I think of everyone in the class of
2020, I couldn’t be more proud of every-
one. I couldn’t be more thankful for the re-
lationships I’ve created, and friends I have
made. And before I say goodbye I want to
say thank you. Thank you for easing my
worry about the future, thanks for reassur-
ing me that everything will be okay. Be-
cause I know with people like us shaping
the future everything will be okay.
-- Leif Gregory
and we have shown that our bond is not
tied down to Jefferson High School. It
exists beyond it, and our relationships
with one another will continue as we go
our separate ways into the greater metro
area, region, country, and world.
In short, we have been tested in fire
and came out as gold.
So, Class of 2020, I want you to know
that we are the class of overcoming; of
dusting your shoulders off and keeping
it moving. We are the class of the piv-
ot, adjust, and continue onward. And we
will set a new trajectory built upon our
ideas, values, and visions. We’ve seen
too much to close our eyes now.
--Selam Getu