2022 val speeches, Abilene High's Garduno: Sun sets on high school, rises for days ahead
My name is Brooke Garduno, and it is my great honor and privilege to be the Valedictorian of the Abilene High School Class of 2022.
Thank you parents, guardians, teachers and esteemed guests for joining us in commemorating such a highly anticipated and momentous occasion.
As the sun sets on our final day as a member of this year's senior class of Grand Ol' Abilene High, there is much to celebrate and reminisce on.
The past four years have been filled with countless sunrises and sunsets that have undoubtedly been inadequately appreciated for the innate and yet simplistic beauty they held. When the sun rose on our first day of high school freshman year, we had no clue the impact this school and the people in it would have on us. Each new day brought both hardships and happiness, heartbreaks and home runs for us all.
Little did we know that Friday night football games would come to dominate our time in the fall, or that summer workouts, band camp, choir clinics or even two-a-days in August would be over so quickly. We failed to appreciate our first Blackout pep rally for all that it was and will forever remember our last.
The importance behind our first away game or the seemingly endless bus ride it took to get there was lost on us as our last one came all too soon. Not realizing as we sat down with a group at lunch for the first time that our time spent there together would give us some of our very best memories with some of our closest friends. And we didn’t understand at our first game or concert that we’d be at our final one before we even knew it.
Everyone always says that high school is the best time of your life and that it’s over in an instant, but I don’t think any of us truly realized how quickly this incredible instant would be over.
As we sat at our desks learning about prepositional phrases, chemical equations and the inner workings of the judicial system, we unknowingly gained much more than a scholastic education. Disguised in the mundane routine of everyday life, our teachers, coaches and directors provided us with invaluable lessons about college, relationships, and simply how to be a good person. Whether through Mr. Seth Pace’s life lessons or Mr. James McGee’s classroom discussions about world events, Mrs. Paula Everett providing us with a safe space to share our thoughts, or people like Coach Mike Fullen, Mrs. Wendy Weeks and Dr. Jonathan Kraemer who helped us feel at home through their programs — our teachers fostered an environment of communication and openness where we felt comfortable approaching them with more than just curriculum.
Often, we discussed hard subjects and were able to unapologetically provide and be provided with honest answers to the questions asked. High school is a time of new found independence and navigating how to appropriately use this independence prior to entering into the real world. With this, our teachers transitioned from lecturing at us to viewing us as up-and-coming analytical equals – creating an atmosphere where our opinions were valued and listened to in a time when we most needed to be heard.
Sitting at the precipice between high school and what comes next, with our paths propelling us onward, and our hearts grounding us where we stand, it is understandable to be weary of the sun setting. As our childhood flashes by in an instant, and we prepare to take our next steps as adults, it can be intimidating to say the least. In the words of Beau Taplin, however, “Sunsets are proof that endings can often be beautiful too.”
Thirteen years ago, the sun rose on our first day of kindergarten. As we walked into our elementary schools crying out for our parents and unwillingly entering into a daunting new environment filled with unfamiliar faces, our lives changed forever. Now, with the sun setting 13 years later, we find ourselves hesitantly walking out of Abilene High for the last time and into a world filled, yet again, with unfamiliar faces.
This class has endured an abundance of difficult situations over the past four years, but I do not want to emphasize these hardships, rather I want to highlight our responses to them. A testament to the character and drive of these graduates, our lost time and missed opportunities failed to slow us down.
It has felt like time after time in high school we were hit with unexpected trials, and time and time again we banded together and created a high school experience worth remembering for all of its parts – not just the good ones. From losing our first friends freshman year to having our lives drastically altered as a result of the pandemic, not being able to participate in life normally to the struggles of trying to return to our daily schedules, our high school experience has taught us that our time is so valuable and that we must make the most with what we have when we have it. We have felt loss and are reminded of it often.
On days like today specifically, we are missing loved ones who should be celebrating with us. In these fleeting moments of life however, we must let others know their worth and value before the opportunity passes us by. I am honored to have been a part of this class and experience these life events with you every step of the way. As the future approaches and is practically knocking on our doors, I hope that the lessons we have gained from these shared experiences never leave you and that the memories made with these incredible people last you a lifetime.
In the blink of an eye, the sun has set on our high school careers and now the only thing left to do is for it to rise. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn.” So what is your next step? Where will tomorrow's sunrise find you?
When we go to sleep tonight, we will be graduates of Abilene High School, but as the sun rises in the morning, we will have the opportunity to start our new adventure. Yes, today marks the end of a significant portion of our lives, but how incredible is it that tomorrow we will be blessed enough to go out and make a difference in the world. And while changing the world seems like a tall order to fill, even the smallest and simplest of actions can make the biggest difference.
With us tonight are future teachers and engineers, future health care workers and politicians, future athletes and musicians, and even future mothers and fathers. As we look back at the influential people who shaped us and the role models that we base ourselves on, our graduation tonight marks a transformative moment in time. Waking up tomorrow, we will start down our own paths to becoming these role models for others –directly impacting the world and those in it.
When in a moment our night comes to an end and the festivities begin to wane, it may be hard to comprehend that high school is over. As C. S. Lewis once said, however, “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
I am excited for our next steps and know that this group of people has the ability to accomplish so many great things. Congratulations, Class of 2022! We did it! Thank you.
— Brooke Garduno, Abilene High School valedictorian
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Abilene's Garduno: Sun sets on high school, rises for days ahead
