Be curious. Ask questions that challenge assumptions, even your own. Be kind. The world needs more empathy, more connection, more people who listen. Take risks. The best growth comes from the edge of your comfort zone. And don't forget the people who helped you get here. Stay connected to your roots. They'll help you grow even stronger. Class of 2025, you're stepping into your future with strength. creativity and a spirit of possibility. So go on, build, explore, lead, and learn. Make it messy, make it meaningful, and make it yours. Congratulations, class of 2025. We're so proud of you. Thank you. [Music] [Applause] Thank you, Mr. Schroer. CSA senior Santi Deluna would like to share his farewell meth farewell message with his classmates. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Santi, you know, someone told me this uh ceremony is going to take 45 minutes, but sorry. I like to talk, so it's going to take a little longer.
But that's kind of beautiful. We've grown from fingerpainting to final exams, from story time to senior quotes. And even though our hats are still silly, we wear them with pride. Number five, you should avoid graduating if you can't handle a little recognition. Because in all honesty, as a class, we've done some pretty amazing things. We've excelled in academics, earned scholarships, passed dual enrollment classes, and a test we never thought we'd survive. We've dominated in sports, set school records, and cheered until we had no voice left. Some of us are going on to college, others to the military, trade schools, or directly into careers. The paths are different, but the ambition is the same. So yeah, if applause makes you uncomfortable, this whole graduating thing might not be for you. Number four, you want to avoid graduating if you're not ready for the future. The future is unknown and that can be terrifying.
Stevenson. We are hardworking in the face of adversity. Because of our intense drive, now is the time we can be proud of our accomplishments, trust in the process, and look forward to our futures. The second part of the fortune tells us that our future is unfolding perfectly. At college, in our careers, in life, some things are bound to go differently than we hope. We may end up transferring schools, training for a different career, or realizing we really regret not giving more money to the Stevenson Foundation. Right now, it may be hard to believe that these setbacks are all part of a successful future. However, the grit and resilience we have cultivated at Stevenson will be what pushes us through these obstacles. Not towards a perfect future, but one in which we constantly become better versions of ourselves. I'm already nostalgic for sports games, club meetings, and school traditions.
But if that uncertainty feels overwhelming, it's also nothing new. Since elementary school, we've been asked the same question over and over again. What do you want to do when you grow up? I've tried on a thousand different answers. princess, zoologologist, Olympic figure skater. But somewhere along the way, that question stopped being hypothetical. The dreams became decisions. And now, as we stand here at graduation, the questions haven't changed, they've just gotten more urgent. Here at North, we learned a lot about how to plan. essay outlines, four-year schedules in PCC, and color-coded Canvas calendars. I myself am what I would call an obsessive forecaster, a frequent abuser of spreadsheets, simulators, and other modern tools of divination. But for all my overanalyzing, I didn't always get the job or program I applied for. Didn't always get the test score I thought I needed. Very often I had no idea what to do next.
Um class, we've survived 13 years of treacherous work and grueling days, sometimes fun, to start a brand new adventure. Whether we leave for our own journey or hang around a bit, we all have exciting next steps. There are many of us who have excitedly waited for this day and are nervous about what to come, what comes next. But no matter what happens after today, you made it past high school. When I started kindergarten at CSA Lincoln, I was a big baby. I literally cried because I showed up on the first day and waited for someone to ask me to play with them. Then my teacher asked the whole class who'd be willing to play with me and everybody's hand shot up. That moment when I thought why am I here? Why is school worth it? I found out what made made it worth it. When I look around this gym, I can point out many people that made going to school worth it.
It means letting go of routines, places, and people who have shaped us. It is a difficult thing to walk away from the teachers and staff that have shaped our lives here at Bluffton. Graduating means starting fresh, but it also means opportunity. Whether you're chasing a dream job, traveling, studying, or figuring it out one step at a time, there's so much waiting for us. Some people say high school is the best time of your life. And while these past four years gave us memories we'll never forget, I truly believe our best days are ahead of us. Our teachers, families, and mentors have prepared us to face the world. Now it's our turn to step out, to take risks, to grow. It's cliche, I know, but yes, it really is time to spread our wings. And number three, you should avoid graduating if you're not ready to cry or see other people cry.
But I know some of us are also excited for dorm life and new friends. Some of us for choosing classes, and some of us for that satisfying moment when we get that first paycheck. We don't know what comes next, but I look forward to our 10-year reunion when we will look at each other and know that everything is working out. Until then, trust in the process. Our futures are unfolding perfectly. Thank you. How about one final round of applause for Ryan and Maya? They are amazing. Thank [Music] you. Our students are always a tough act to follow. Good evening. For those who I haven't had a chance to meet yet, my name is Eric Twedell and I have the honor of serving as the superintendent here at Stevenson. And I would like to echo Mrs. No's welcome and extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of our students and families.
And yet here I am. If the last few years have taught me anything, it's that we cannot predict the future. And more importantly, you don't have to. Life isn't something to be solved in advance. It's something you have to live your way into, even if your path is unclear. Over the past four years at Columbus North, we've grown by doing exactly that. We signed up for clubs we never heard of or ran for officer positions we didn't think we'd win. We showed up to practices, stepped into new friendships, and raised our hands in class, even when we weren't sure we had the right answer. Slowly, without realizing it, we became people who do hard things. And that's where real bravery begins. Not in confidence, but in motion. not in having it all figured out, but in choosing to begin anyway. Now, we're being asked new versions of that same question.
I see my mom and dad who have provided an undying support for me and my friends who made school fun when it was boring. A big thanks to our facilitators who made school not too boring and made learning a little bit more fun. All these factors made a school a place where I can have a fun where I can have fun and make everlasting memories. Look around, find those people who made this moment worth it, who made the 13 years of work worth it. As much as phones can be distracting, they can be useful, too. Keep contact with friends and family because wherever you're going, you'll be supported by those friendships you cultivated for 13 years. Your family is stuck with you, so they'll support you no matter what. Find them and thank them after this because we don't express our gratitude enough. And maybe if your crush is out there, shoot your shot today.
Let's be real, this day is emotional. We're saying goodbye to classmates we've known since we had snack time and recess. We're hugging teachers who pushed us to be better, even when we didn't always appreciate it. We're thanking counselors, coaches, bus drivers, and custodians who made sure we got through more than just our school work. It's okay to feel a little heartbroken today. It just means it all mattered and that we matter to each other. And whether you're voted most likely to succeed or most likely to trip on the stage today, you've made an impact. You've been a role model to someone, maybe even more people than you realize. And part of what made that impact possible was the time we spent together day after day, year after year. Which brings me to number two. You might want to avoid graduating if you're deeply attached to your schedule.
And let me begin with the simple truth and Ryan alluded to this that no class in the history of Stevenson has gotten off to a more inospicious start. Uh you've had a dynamic, fast-moving, successful high school experience. From your very first year, you hit the ground running with a return to full in-person learning, a rapid reawakening of our campus life, and a whirlwind of academic, athletic, and artistic opportunities compared to the two years prior. You didn't just you didn't adjust to high school, as one of our students said to me out in the hallway, "We owned it." And another student said, "No, no, no. We crushed it." And another student said, "It was funsies." and and I'm not sure what that meant, but it was all good. Uh what you accomplished over these four years is nothing short of extraordinary, and your legacy will set a high bar for future patriots to follow.
What college? What major? What job? And a thousand other variations. But all of them essentially boil down to this. Now that you are no longer a high schooler, who are you going to be right now? Every one of us is standing at the edge of something new. Maybe that looks like college or the military or a job or a gap year or something you're still figuring out. There's a lot of pressure to define ourselves to have an answer to know exactly where we're going. But whatever path you take, uncertainty will be your companion. And that's not a bad thing. This in between time between who we were and who we're becoming might feel disorienting, but it shouldn't be something to be scared of, but rather embraced. It's where we get to try and fail and try again, where we get to surprise ourselves and where we start becoming the kind of people we once imagined.
I find doing nothing the easiest thing I can do. My kindergarten experience showed me doing nothing was easy and waiting for things to happen was pretty easy. Was it fun? No. It made me cry. It's so easy to decide on a Saturday morning that I won't get out of my bed or during a free period I'll just doom scroll when there's work to be done. Doing nothing is the most dangerous thing we can be doing. The easy route is boring. You have to make life exciting. We've almost lived a quarter of our entire life already. Scary a little bit, but we still have so much time. Every minute, every second matters. It's time we can't get back after pass, and that's what makes it so valuable. So, make sure you use your time wisely. I may not know all of you on a personal level, but I know each of you has immense potential.
7:40 to 240, 5 days a week for four years. We follow the same routine. wake up, get dressed according to the dress code, get to school, rotate through classes, wait for lunch, go home, repeat. But after today, there's no bell schedule, no assigned seat, no one telling you to do your homework or put your phone away. From now on, you set the agenda. You pick the classes or the job or the goals. You design the life you want. That's a big responsibility, but it's also freedom, and I think we're ready for it. And finally, number one, you should avoid graduating if you just want to keep hearing Mr. Baker give the best advice every morning. No one wants to admit it, but we're going to miss those announcements. That daily moment of wisdom delivered like clockwork was a reliable spark of encouragement every morning. So for those of us walking across the stage, I'll say it one last time on behalf of all of us.
There's been a host of achievements achievements, but I would like to recognize just a few. Do we have any members of our cheer team uh here in the audience tonight? Our cheer team placed fourth at the state meet. So, congratulations to our cheer team. Our chess team was second in state. So shout out to our chess team. Girls bad mitten continues their dominance. They were second in state this year. So shout out to girls bad mitten. Our girls swim and dive team was fourth in state. Our girls tennis was second in state. Our hosa team had 19 individual state champions. Patriots were second in state. And the Scholastic Bull and ACES team were also second. And finally, our FCCLA team were state champions. So, round of applause to all those groups. Those, however, are just a few of the highlights. Uh the list would take us well past sunset.
So, as we take our steps into that gaping chasm, into whatever next means for each of us, my hope is simply that we stay brave. Brave enough to show up even if our hands shake. Brave enough to start even when we're not sure how it ends. Congratulations, class of 2025. The world is waiting for you. [Music] [Applause] [Music] class of 2025. On behalf of the staff, faculty, and administration of Columbus North High School, to all the students participating in the commencement ceremonies this morning, we say congratulations. To family and friends, we welcome you and thank you for joining us on this joyous occasion. What a wonderful time of life this is. Know as you leave Columbus North High School, you've heard it before. Hear it again. We love you. We have seen your many positive accomplishments while here. And as we consider your contributions to our community and to Columbus North High School, we are acutely aware that we are in good hands and the future is bright.
Do not waste your future and time sitting around waiting for opportunities. If you fear making mistakes, I just listed so many people that will still support you through your mistakes. Making good decisions is all the better. But please keep moving forward. You did not go through 13 years of education to throw it away by doing nothing. Do something that makes you happy. Whether that's going to college, making money, the military, or just hanging out with friends, just do something. If you're on edge about what to do, stop wasting time deciding it and just do it. Now, this does not mean you do drugs. That's very bad. Do not make that decision. I did a lot of nothing some days, and I wonder what could have happened if I did something different those days. The regret of not knowing what might have happened is a feeling we do not want to have.
Make it a great day or not. The choice is yours. Thank you, class of 2025. It's been an honor growing up with you, learning beside you, and laughing with you. I don't know what the future holds, but I know that this class is going to change the world, one silly hat at a time. Congratulations. We made it. [Applause] Good evening, class of 2025. I'd like to share a story with you this evening. One day, a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking up and gently throwing objects into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, "Young man, what are you doing?" Well, the boy replied, "I'm throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, the surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die." The man laughed and said, "Son, do you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds and hundreds of starfish?
But it wasn't all just trophies and titles. Academically, you set new benchmarks across the board. This class in particular achieved some of our highest ACT and SAT scores and collectively earned more college credit through our AP program than any graduating class before you. Yeah, it's impressive. And I find this particularly inspiring. As a class, you led fundraising efforts that raised well over $100,000 for local, national, and global causes. You didn't just grow, you gave. and you gave generously. So, thank you. As Mrs. No said, over these four years, you've embodied what we call the portrait of a graduate, not just in skill, but in spirit. But before we celebrate each of you individually, as we'll do here in a minute, I think it's important that we take a moment to recognize that you've not been on this journey alone. First and foremost, you've had the love, wisdom, and unwavering support of your most important teachers, your parents, grandparents, guardians, relatives, friends, and family.
Shriilox, Annabelle, and Grace, thank you for your remarks. Quick recap. I thought their messages were excellent. One, you may never feel completely prepared, but know that you have the ability to do more than you think. So, dream big. Two, every decision we make, right or wrong, teaches us something. Don't miss the lesson. And three, life isn't something to be solved in advance. It's something you have to live your way into. Beautiful messages. Each class is unique. As a class, you were able to distance yourself from those things that mattered least and focus on those things that mattered most while while all around you swirled distractions and disruptions. I am impressed by your ability to do that. At this time, I want to pause and recognize 19 young adults in the class of 2025 who have decided that their initial first steps will be in the armed forces.