Good afternoon and welcome to Prairie Ridge High School.
Today we are gathered here to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2013, and I would like to thank each and every parent, sibling, relative, friend and teacher sitting in the crowd who have supported and encouraged us graduates throughout our high school careers. For those of us among the sea of maroon, this has been the moment we have been anticipating for the past four years. Ironically, as I started to write this speech, I thought of a similar speech that I had to give in my Freshman Honors English class. Our very first assignment of the year was to write a graduation speech and present it to the class. If I had known that I would have to give an actual graduation speech only four short years later, I would have put some real effort into it and pulled off something better than a B-. Thanks Mrs. Billimack for knocking some sense into me.
One of the main objectives of this speech was for freshmen to “examine what they want to get out of their high school experience.” As I looked at this, I asked myself whether each and every one of us graduating today has gotten everything we wanted to get out of these past four years. All of the choices we have made, the grades we have received, the friends we have kept, and the values we have held, represent who we are. I was more than an overachieving student in high school, I also played basketball and soccer for PR for four years. Being a member of these teams has brought me together with some of the most supportive, diligent, and fun girls I’ll ever meet. As I think about these teams, and what we have faced together, I can’t help but compare these years we have spent in high school to a sports team. Each and every one of us graduates is a part of the 2013 Prairie Ridge team. We have all had obstacles to overcome, games we have won and games we have lost, but in the end we all play for the same team. We have our fearless coaches, who have challenged us to use our brains every day. We have our supportive fans, who have stood by our sides as our number one followers through each and every game. And, last but not least, we have the players, who have contributed their time, effort, and passion to the team for the past four years. We need to remember now and in our future endeavors that, no matter what team we play for, whether it is in college, in a career, or in any other place, each individual player will add up to make the whole team. A team is a joint effort, but every player needs to be the best they can be; you need to be the best you can be. So, I say to you, Prairie Ridge Class of 2013 go out there and be a part of many teams, and always strive to be the most valuable player.
