Enjoy the moments

Good evening President Fleegel, Superintendent Sullivan, Principal Lybert, Assistant Principal Guden, faculty, family, friends, and classmates of 2021.

I was told that high school was going to be the best years of my life, but I sure hope that’s not true. As fun as it was, I don’t think I can handle another school lunch. The sad truth though is that we don’t have to. This is it. Every test studied for, quiz taken, and greek and latin root learned, has led us to this moment that we have been dreaming of since we were running around playing freeze tag at recess. To be honest, I wish I was still frozen back then, playing that game of tag, because if I knew how fast time would fly by, I would have told myself to enjoy it more.

Now here we are gathered together for the last time, collecting papers with our names on it. When I was told that I was going to give a speech today, I got very excited and proud, then nervous, and then finally realized I actually have to talk in front of everyone. It’s a good thing that I had all that practice giving speeches in English though because there was no way I was giving up this opportunity.

Time is going to fly, and soon this will become a memory just like all the other ones we have. I remember standing in the hallways watching the seniors taking their final walk just wishing I could be them. Back then I wished I could grow up faster. I wanted to be the upperclassmen at school, be a leader in a sport, and skip over all that took to get there. What I didn’t realize at the time is that what it takes to get there are things you will never forget. I was so busy wanting to grow up that I’m only now realizing how amazing the journey was. This may not be true for everyone, but I would give anything to maybe trade one more silly band before class, play one more round of silent ball, or go to one more fun night. I want to experience that first day of high school one more time, getting lost in the hallways and putting my combination in for the first time. Heck, I’d even maybe want to go relive the hard parts again. I know for a fact that everyone had a point where quitting high school didn’t seem all that bad. Good thing we didn’t though because we are getting that sheet of paper and get to wear square hats. Totally worth it.

I know that our younger selves would be so proud of us. But what now? We have been working to get here for years and finally made it. What I want now is for every single one of us here to be proud of where we will be in another 10 years. Ten years ago it was to bring your mom to school and now pretty soon it’s going to be moving into your dorm. All of the memories that I just got done talking about seem like they only happened yesterday so imagine how fast the next few years of our lives will feel.

Each and every one of us will be moving on to live lives completely unique from one another. It’s going to be a lot of new. New people, new places, new routines, and new responsibilities. It’s scary and intimidating but there is no avoiding it. We have to learn as we go. Many mistakes are going to be made but that’s the best way to learn. Plus, they make great stories to tell. I feel like throughout our high school career we were pressured to know what we are doing, where we are going, and we were expected to map out the rest of our lives. Truth is, no one really knows what they are doing. I bet the majority of the adults here would rather be professional beer or wine testers rather than their job now. See, we don’t have to know right off the bat how every step of our life will look.

Like I said before, it’s the journey that matters. That’s where all the memories come from so don’t wish it away too fast. Enjoy every moment because you don’t know when that moment will become a memory. Thank you.

— Marissa Fronk