MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, June 9, 2021
B9
Grant Union
Graduation
Good morning to you all and thank you for being here to help us, the class of 2021 celebrate
our big day. It’s here, the time we’ve all been waiting for so smile and enjoy it. I am truly
thankful for the opportunity to be in front of you all today. I know the past year or so has been
challenging, but I think that is what made us stronger as a class and as young adults. To my
classmates, let’s be grateful for pushing one another to get here because now we are able to
enjoy this truly beautiful moment.
I remember being told months ago that I had earned the honor of being Salutatorian. I was
honored and excited. This was something I had been working toward for 4 years. I remember
the next 15 minutes of my life were filled with nothing but excitement and joy. I told my
friends and those around me and was congratulated. I tmly felt as if I achieved something that
I had been working so hard for. But after those initial 15 minutes, it set in. It is almost over;
Devon Stokes
the next step is right around the comer; am I ready? Am I ready to leave this all behind- the
(Salutatorian)
memories, the fun, the sports, the simple things like homecoming week and dances? It wasn’
t until those following minutes that it set in that we are all becoming adults, and we now have to prepare for what’s next.
Scary to think about, isn’t it? Think back to when we were freshmen and all we could think about was this moment. Being
almost jealous of every class in front ofus because they were closer to leaving, and we still had so far to go. Think about the
difference in yourself between then and now. Think about how you have changed. In the beginning, all you could think about
was being here, and now that we’ve made it, what is going through your mind? Do you want to go back and do it again? While
we were busy wanting to be here, think about what you didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy. Live in this moment. Enjoy this
big first step into our adulthood and bright future lives. I can’t thank you all enough for being my classmates. You guys made
high school enjoyable.
Now, let’s take a trip down memory lane. Think back to when we all first met. Most ofus met in Elementary school. Think
about how much fun that was. Recess. Oh how we all miss recess. The games we played, the teachers we enjoyed. Think about
how that shaped us and got us here today. Reflect on those moments as we now near the end of our high school careers.
Cherish those moments. Cherish the countless memories and meaningful friendships that you’ve made. Don’t forget how
you got here and the friends, family members, and teachers that pushed you to get to this moment.
I know our past year and a half of school has been frantic and challenging, but put all that
to the side. Think about how lucky we actually were to be in school, at this facility, learning with in-person instruction.
Think about how lucky we were to enjoy our favorite sports one last time, even if the seasons overlapped and were short. Be
thankful that we all get to be here today with our families and friends able to attend. Many schools won’t get this luxury. I
would like to take this moment to give thanks to those that made this year possible. I would like to thank our community for
supporting and pushing for in-person education. I would like to thank the administration and staff for wanting kids to be in
school and having the choice of being at the facility. I think that my classmates would agree that it made our last year here
much more enjoyable.
To conclude my time up here, I would like to thank my classmates. Thank you again for making high school enjoyable and
being here with me today to finish what we started. I would like to thank my friends for always being there and making sure
that we always got in trouble together. I would like to thank my family for pushing me as hard as they did in school. I would
specifically like to thank Abby for pushing me throughout high school. And, lastly I would like to thank the administration and
staff for making this year possible. Now, I can’t wait to hear
where all of you end up. I know we have the potential to do great things in this world. Good luck to you all and congratulations.
Thank you.
Quinten Hallgarth
Mason Kidd
Alexis Lopez
Abigail Lusco
(Valedictorian)
Brianna Majors
Parker Manitsas
Logan McClusky
Sydnie Moss
Peyton Neault
Ashleigh Ostberg
Matthew Shorts
Madison Spencer
Devon Stokes
(Salutatorian)
Jordyn Young
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