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It is the companion to determination. This determination can be found in every walk of life and every age. We succeed because we are determined to succeed, not destined to succeed. I think you are all determined young people. You kept working hard over and over again. The greatest achievers don't simply sit back and wait for success to come along. These achievers keep moving forward and persevering because they are determined. There's just no getting around it. Persistence is the key to success. When we persevere, there is nothing, not one thing that will stop us. Og Mandino said, "I will persist until I succeed. Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail, I will take another and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult. I know that small attempts repeated will complete any undertaking." Class of 2021, you've demonstrated persistence and you have persevered through one of the most difficult years.
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let's give a round of applause [Applause] from awards grants and scholarships from post-secondary education institutions there's a staggering number of two million nine hundred and nine thousand one hundred and twenty nine dollars wow congratulations [Applause] for all you math experts out there when you add it up you get 3 million 355 596 dollars have been received by the graduating class of 2021 impressive number good job congratulations to all gchs students watching in classrooms because we're live streaming and a special congratulations once again to the class of 2021. i'd like to thank the parents family members and friends in attendance today this would conclude today's honor honor day program seniors will see you some later today and we'll obviously see you at commencement underclassmen as you watch this you're going to hold in your class and be released at 11 30. congratulations one more round of applause for the class of 2021.
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We know that your determination and drive will allow you to do great things and accomplish the goals you have set. Congratulations on your graduation. We are proud of you and we will miss you. White screen transitions to a photo slideshow featuring old photographs of Amira as a child. The screen transitions again into three photos, this time of Crystal. The screen now transitions into a central photo of Mercedes playing outside with a pink butterfly toy resting in her mouth. A photo appears on the left and right hand side. A large photo of Esai now appears in the center featuring him smelling a beautiful wildflower bush. William is shown on the screen in a group photo on the left where he and friends have posed with the Arizona Cardinals mascot. The screen now cuts to a video of Amira. My favorite memory is playing volleyball. All sports, actually.
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Basketball, track. Being able to see everybody's faces. Whereas now, it's not like that due to COVID with everybody wearing masks. It's not the same as it was before. A home recorded video of Esai appears. I'm grateful for um finishing both on my friends. My favorite memory was um finishing high school and um joking around with my friend Ariana cuz we do that a lot. Mercedes is shown sitting down outside. I'm happy that I worked at Walgreens and as a maintenance assistant. My teachers, Clarice, Shelly, and math was really tough, but I learned. And work education, too. Crystal is shown sitting down outside wearing pink Mr. Bosetti as a science teacher because he was always very, very funny. I'm grateful because all of the teachers, not just this year, but from all these years that they have been helping me here at ASDB. A new screen shows Ronan sitting outside on campus.
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The most thing that I'm proud of is that I was able to get taught and get educated by teachers around me and the people that I hung out with. Um most thing I'm grateful for is the school that around me, the peers and the teachers that were able to educate me, um teach me and bring me up to an adult. So, mostly that life experience that I would have to face challenges when I grow up. Amira is shown again outside as she begins signing. to thank my work at teacher. Thank you so much. I was able to go to classes, plus teach, which is the goal of mine. Thank you for helping me achieve and graduate high school this year. Crystal is shown again outside speaking. sent to my counselors. Thank you guys for all teachers, counselors, and graduation friends. Thank you guys for helping me.
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Everything was so nice since I came from when I was in fifth grade. Everything went out very nice, and I am so thankful for ASDB. Finally, Ronan is shown sitting outside speaking. Mostly, I'm going to be missing all you guys, missing my peers around me that I was close to, and stay educated. But, I'm really sad that I can't see anybody else when I leave this school. So. Later. It fades into a graphic that reads, "A message from Superintendent Annette Reichman." It fades into a video of Annette Reichman. She begins to sign. Hello. My name is Annette Reichman. I'm the Superintendent of the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Today, I want to talk about What did I want to talk about? Oh, that's right. Our seniors. All of you seniors ready to graduate. The class of 2021. You are ready to get your diploma.
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That is amazing. I've been thinking about your experience over the last 13 years. You've made a lot of progress to get the diploma. Your experience has been different than any other students who have graduated in the past. How has it been different? Of course, you'll remember that as you were juniors last year attending school and taking your classes with your teachers and your fellow students, everything had been going well. And then in March of 2020, our entire world turned upside down. Schools all over the country were closing and you couldn't come to your school. We had to scramble to figure out how we could continue your education because you wanted to complete high school, right? We had to find a way to get you laptops and internet access. Your teachers had to figure out how to educate you virtually. You had a virtual education last spring.
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And then you came back to school in the fall. And again, you weren't allowed to attend in person. You had to stay home. That was an incredible challenge for all of you. You did what you had to do. You persevered. You took your courses. You logged online every day. You worked with your teachers, your friends, your fellow students until you were able to come back to school in person in October. Then we got to December and again in January, we had to go back to virtual education for a month. You had to take your classes online again with your teachers. What an incredible challenge for you, for your parents, and for your teachers, as well as the rest of the staff. Everybody stuck with it and did what they had to do until finally in February we were able to come back in person and we have been in person for the last 4 months.
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You've been able to come to class and I am so incredibly proud of you. You have persevered through so much. Even though the world turned upside down, you maintained your focus. You did your homework, you attended your classes, you engaged with your teachers. You wanted to graduate. And now you are graduating. You have met every challenge head-on. You have overcome every obstacle. And again, I have to say that I am so very proud of you and I am so impressed with everything that you have accomplished through these circumstances. You know, the world has changed drastically over the last year. There has been a lot of discussion about a racial reckoning. This means black and brown people should be given the same respect and the same opportunities as all other people, as those of us who are white. Last year in 2020 during the election, there was a great deal of controversy about who was actually president and who was not president.
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And again, you maintained your focus. Your life, your homework, all of the requirements you had to complete to graduate, you did. And today is your day. Today you can celebrate. But, be aware that once you've graduated, that does not mean that you can stay home and lounge on the couch and do nothing. Absolutely not. You have attained those skills of perseverance and meeting challenges head-on. Those are skills that you now have, and you can go out and use those skills for the rest of your life. You can go on to higher education, college, university, technical school, job training, or something right away. Use those skills that you have acquired for the rest of your life. Again, I must say, your experience is so unique. No other graduating class has had your experience. And you made it. Congratulations, class of 2021. A graphic appears. ASDB Tucson Graduation 2021.
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I now invite Danielle Barnes and Brian Newton to come forward for the presentation of the diplomas. Seniors, when your name is called, please stand up, leave your face mask on your chair, and come forward. Once you've received your diploma, moved your tassel, and have your picture taken, please return to your seat and put your face mask back on so that the next student can be called. Esai, Ramon, Lancaster, Acuña. Mercedes Ariana Cabrera Amira Netsanet Shenard Hepner Crystal Aurora Quintero Romero Ronan, Anthony, Roy. Class of 2021, please stand and turn and face your families. I proudly present the AST Tuson class of 2021. STAFF, I'M GOING TO ASK THAT YOU please make your way to the parking lot. Parents and families, can you please make your way down and pick up your graduates crate and join them by their seats. I got this feeling inside my bones.
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It goes electric wavy when I turn it on. Off through my city, off through my home. We're flying up, no ceiling when we in our zone. I got that sunshine in my pocket. Got that good soul in my feet. I feel that hot blood in my body when it drops. I can't take my eyes off of it. Moving so phenomenally. Come on, I like the way we rock it. So, don't stop it. It's under the lights when everything goes. Nowhere to hide when I'm getting you close. When we move, well, you already know. To kiss the magic. Nothing I can see but you when you dance, dance, dance. Feel hot good creeping up on you, so just dance, dance, dance. Come on. All those things I shouldn't do, but you dance, dance, dance. Ain't nobody leaving, so so keep dancing. I can't stop the feeling.
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So, just dance, dance, dance. I can't stop the feeling. So, just dance, dance, dance. Come on. Ooh, it's something magic. Families, we're going to make sure that you have your sign that is yours to take with you, and then
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to the top of the hour now we're live so we got that oh the website okay so go right straight at 2 o'clock i'm ready [Music] all right here we go [Music] good afternoon and welcome graduates staff members families and the community of canada to today's commencement exercises for the canada high school class of 2021 i am mrs lucille sydney donato high school principal thank you for joining us today as we celebrate the class of 2021 in achieving this very significant milestone i would like to introduce donato high school's career and technical education director mrs doris nelson who will give the welcoming address [Music] school district governing board canada unified school district high school administrators inaudible high school faculty teachers and staff my colleagues parents and our distinguished graduates class of 2021 and honored guests my name is doris nelson my clans are my dish is i taught for 19 years as a business computer teacher and then a career technical education director for 23 years it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the donato high school commencement with mccarla roanhorse gonado unified school governing board president dr davios superintendent and mrs sydney penado high school principal i extend my warmest congratulations to all those receiving diplomas and certificates today and acknowledge the support that has helped you along the way to all the family and friends with us today and to those who could not be here in person and we're watching the ceremony or thinking of graduates as they celebrate this moment thank you to the gonado high school teachers staff and parents grandparents for the encouragement you have offered and in many cases for the sacrifices you have made so that your students child grandchild could earn their diploma graduates please take a moment to acknowledge all those who supported you near and far including your parents your classmates and your teachers class of 2021 what a journey we know that it has been challenging and we commend you for a job well done and for hanging in there you have customized your diploma and your pathways to express who you are and what is meaningful to you to prepare yourself for a future that matters to you and to the world we celebrate your commencement knowing that as your journey begins whether to post secondary education technical school military for employment as advocates for social justice and environment you may pursue an education profession health care profession graphic designer architectural drafters agricultural field culinary careers construction workers welders entrepreneurs or business leaders you will continue to serve and empower others in your own distinctive way and to live in the spirit of this place and this education as open-minded knowledge barriers as i look out to you i see both great accomplishments and great hope i see a graduate that has challenged and live at each one of us to live up to this promise and your promise you will know great happiness and see progress in your endeavors and that you will continue to be a force for the good in the world this is our heritage and this is the change that comes with your diploma this day we celebrate with you congratulations class of 2021 thank you bc [Music] so [Music] mother earth father sky i come before you on this special day as part of the graduating class of 2021 from gonado high school we are acknowledged by our parents family members faculty and the administrators for our academic accomplishments thus far from gonado unified school district thank you for allowing us to be a part of this educational journey in high hopes of one day becoming very successful in today's society and life's journey commitment determination and resiliency will build the foundation of a sustainable life for each one of us graduates may we continue to receive many more wonderful blessings on the path we have chosen to take into adulthood as the graduating class of 2021 we humbly come before you to request for continued guidance and support from our loved ones without them we wouldn't have reached this milestone in your name i pray amen good afternoon grenada hornets my name is damian edds and on behalf of class of i am honored today to welcome friends family staff faculty and alumni thank you all for being able to be here with us i know this is not how we wanted our ceremony graduation ceremony to be but it doesn't take away the greatness of today and i want to congratulate my peers on being able to make it this far like it it was very challenging we had a very terrible past year we just it was very hard and i just want to say congratulations to you guys because we did it it was it took a while but we did it and we came and we just like conquered it and i just really want to say congratulations to you guys like it it was not easy it definitely was not easy and you know we have fought strong and we have fought hard together from our very first pandemic going through the worst of it and it just makes it that much more emotional that much more raw that much more better to be proud of yourselves and you know we went from our first pandemic to being having to be okay with our last experience being taken away from us we didn't have a normal high school year we didn't have our last football game we didn't have our last walk down the hallways we didn't have our last pep rally and i can't emphasize enough how great we are so i made it this far it's just it was so challenging and you know i want to thank the parents too as well like without you guys it probably it wouldn't have happened a lot of us did go through a lot and it's just we're here we finally did it we're here we're it's we're next we're next and let's just continue keep that flame alive continue to be who you are continue to want more continue to not stop like you know after high school you're probably going to think about like what like just keep going follow your dreams follow what you always felt and go on the path that you choose and that's just my last request to my fellow classmates my peers my my friends and you know we really are the best class so i've like made it through a pandemic like no one else can say they have they went through a pandemic during high school and you know we will be in history books and it's just it makes it that much more amazing even though it was kind of difficult but it was great i had fun and with that being said welcome everybody to graduation class of i'm your senior class president and i'm signing out thank you yate yam greetings my name is mark carla roanhorse i am donato unified school district governing board president on behalf of gennady unified school district board i would like to congratulate the graduating class of 2021 i encourage you to fulfill your for your future endeavors and with that god bless you all hi there everybody this is jonathan nez president of the navajo nation we wish to congratulate the class of 2021 gennado high school hornets you know you all have gone through some unprecedented times here with a pandemic but you persevered you never gave up and you reached your goal of getting a diploma so congratulations to all the seniors all the graduates there at gennado high school you know we also want to say thank you to the superintendent uh the principal the leadership and the board for their great work getting our students to learn remotely or virtually throughout this pandemic and you know we are a nation that has persevered in uh throughout the history of the navajo people and you know you all have uh overcame some challenges i know that we lost some of our family members some of us may have uh caught the virus but we are strong our thoughts and prayers go out to those families who've lost loved ones and those that caught the virus and overcame coven 19 you know that just shows and magnifies the strength of who we are as a navajo people as we gone through some difficult times in our history like the long walk or even going through some of the diseases that have come through our nation like uh tuberculosis maybe hantavirus and non-cova 19 it has brought us closer together and students you know this year i'm sure you will remember for the rest of your life but let me just say too that it wasn't just about hardship and difficulties it's also about how we came closer together as a nation as a family uh you know a lot of time we were spent at home uh with our families with our parents our grandparents and you know there has been a lot of education uh coming from that from the home now you balance it out with what you received in the schools and that's very powerful so one thing i like to challenge all the graduates is to also remember where you came from you know some of us grew up herding sheep or taking care of livestock and you know grandma and grandpa encouraging us uh throughout our life but let's remember that we are strong and strong together and we saw that happen throughout this pandemic and because of that we've learned how to persevere and congratulations again students and also our parents for never giving up and encouraging our young people to strive for their very best in achieving the goal in this case a graduation diploma and your grandparents for continuing to teach us our way of life uh and the faculty the staff of gonado high school thank you so much uh for the work that you have done you are a part of this celebration as well our young people have succeeded and so it's a great milestone uh [Music] foreign [Music] i just want to end by saying you know if you put your mind and your soul to your goals you can reach it and this is a very good example in graduating from high school so whatever direction that you're going either college university the military trade school or just go to work maybe just go home and help grandma and grandpa just always remember who you are and put goals uh in front of you so it gets you a a jump start in bettering your your life for the future so thank you so much gennado hornets jonathan nez here and we'll continue to pray for each and every one of you and your success into the future god bless you and god bless our great navajo nation my name is marceli jones it's been a great pleasure that i have been an employee for gonado high school for 22 years and today i am announcing the top 10 seniors of the graduating class of 2021 um it's just a it's just been an amazing year for all of us a challenging one but despite that the students prevail and they are here today and here is this group of students who are the top ten andre joseph analisia shepherd kelly jesus kelly smith laquanones maria baldwin marissa lee sicily silversmith trent deadman tywina tracy i had the pleasure of teaching some of you and i am very very proud of each and every one of you go out in the world come back to us someday to lead us congratulations [Music] and alyssa shepard hazbah woody kelly jesus she well on your journey um it's just a it's just been an amazing year for all of us a challenging one but despite that the students prevail and they are here today and here is this group of students who are the top ten andre joseph and alicia shepherd kelly jesus kelly smith laquanones maria baldwin marissa lee sicily silversmith trent deadman tywina tracy i had the pleasure of teaching some of you and i am very very proud of each and every one of you go out in the world come back to us someday to lead us congratulations high [Music] horse and alissa shepard has by woody kelly jesus andre joseph lindsey sandoval megan lee shawna james and mia harvey [Music] as seniors 2021 daistaki congratulations uh graduates of 2021 at ganado high school we wish you the best thank you hello my name is chris mcnair i'm the assistant principal granada high school it is my honor to introduce the co-salutatorians for the class of 2021 trent deadman and andre joseph both of these young men have been very successful academically as evidenced by their high gpas they also had well-rounded high school education and have been successful in many other areas trent has been on the superintendent principal's honor roll every year in high school he volunteers in the community and has participated in summer science programs at arizona state university and the university of arizona andre has also been on the superintendent honor roll every year in high school he is a member of the varsity basketball team a member of the national honor society and is currently a representative for the senior class congratulations to these fine young men and their families i present to you the co-salutatorians for the class of 2021 trenton deadman and andre joseph yates yeah my parents are terence and donnelly dudman my grandmothers are marie arviso and mary deadman welcome school board members faculty and staff at gennado high school family friends and class of 2021.
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uh when we've finished so please stay tuned after the ceremony for some time yes [Music] graduating class of 2021 welcome and congratulations we are so happy to be here with all of you tonight at the sears center how lucky we are for that and if you at all please rise and join us for the national anthem which was recorded by our stevenson high school honor band [Music] so [Music] [Applause] good afternoon my name is steve frost and i have the pleasure of representing the board of education to welcome you here today as we all know this past school year was unlike any recent memory the class of 2021 witnessed a political environment in which our leaders ascribe to alternative facts and realities our students wore the brunt of a global pandemic in which sciences politicized and we all witnessed economic devastation as breadwinners and our families lost jobs during the pandemic and how did the class of 2021 respond like truths even sin at stevenson we have developed a portrait of a graduate that helps us achieve our mission of success for every student this portrait includes three pillars or attributes that we seek to instill in each one of you the first is a commitment to self which includes developing a sense of resilience and self-awareness and demonstrating self-empowered and life-ready skills the second is a commitment to others which includes developing a sense of empathy for those around you engaging in civic duties and responsibilities and the third is a commitment to learning which includes striving for continuous improvement sustaining a growth mindset and developing problem solving skills i want to share how the class of 2021 has internalized and exhibited these attributes this past year consider some of the following individual examples one of you was named one of the top 300 scholars in the regeneron science talent search one of you is recognized by the community anti-drug coalitions of america as a youth advocate of the year one of you was selected as a 2021 distinguished young woman of illinois one of you won gold at the skillsusa illinois championships in emergency medical technician category one of you is designated in the top five women in illinois and receive recognition from the mathematical association of america and several of you won state championships at the future healthcare professionals championship what have you had a top 10 finish at the 2021 national leadership conference of business professionals of america members of the class of 2021 were also on successful teams the math team placed in the top six teams internationally at the mathworks math modeling challenge they won the national and state championships the history bowl team captured fifth of the national championship the science olympiad team finished 10th in the united states and one of you was a national champion in your competition the physics bowl team was a top scoring team in our fourth state midwest region and among the top 10 in the international physics bowl the patriots were the 2021 dance union national champions in the large jazz competition and also won the state competition the scholastic poll and the varsity aces team with their respective state championships on the highest honor awarded in the state two of you won the badminton double state championship and although athletics were significantly affected by kobe 26 of you signed commitments to participate in 12 collegiate sports many many examples of individual team accomplishments but these successes are not limited to a few members of your class out of the class of about 1100 more than 90 of you evidence and growth mindset by completing college-level courses while at stevenson [Music] and 153 of you completed articulated credit classes at the tech campus and of the students who took ap courses students with ieps took 72 classes you may not recognize it yourself but you all have internalized and desired attributes of the students who graduate and today because of what we've been through i want to focus for a moment on the second pillar or your commitment to others and how you adapt it because of covet you reorganize giveathon to facilitate direct family to family donations during the 2020 holiday season fmps created virtual lunchrooms to discuss non-traditional topics with freshmen to build relationships and develop culture while they were away from campus together with other stevenson students you created and led a math tutoring program to help younger students in our community nhs figured out how to remotely find and direct volunteers of blood donation sites theater students not only put on several full productions but in response to covet you arranged a ravinia style outdoor concert one of you with other students at stevenson collected over twenty eight hundred dollars of materials to donate to chicago public schools in need of supplies as a member of the stevenson girls cross-country team one of you won a race and immediately donated your 1 000 winnings to the stevenson high school athletic department and the stevenson girls cross country team you make us proud booker t washington an educator and a civil rights leader said that success is to be measured not so much by the position one has reached in life as much as by the obstacles which he has overcome you can all argue that you have succeeded like no other class before you but you've done more than compile a long list of accomplishments it's important for you to understand that the best way to lead productive healthy and fulfilling lives both in times of chaos and in times of calm is to remember what you've learned here at stevenson maintain your commitments to self to others and to lifelong learning as you did this past year you now have the tools to tackle any adversity and to succeed in any endeavor congratulations class of 2021.
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[Music] so [Music] do [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so okay good morning class of 2021 and thank you to everyone who is here today welcome to our first ever graduation at max anders field an occasion that will not be easily forgotten congratulations to every student on their accomplishments today this year has been full of uncertainty and sadness and instead of talking about all that we have lost i want to bring light into a dark year as i was thinking about what to write i looked at my fish swimming in circles around its tank as i was watching it i started to think about how north has been like our own fish tank the past four years we've been swimming in circles walking in the same doors every day walking the same halls and going in the same classrooms whether going to college trade school the workforce or the military we are all moving on to bigger things in our lives together we have been preparing to leave our very own fishbowl north high school and move on to a new fish tank our future successes as we go our separate ways we can all say we have one thing in common all of the life lessons we learned from being at north together we are moving them to our next fish tank to help us thrive in our new environment i invite you today to appreciate these lessons you've worked on building we will each use those same lessons no matter how far away we are from each other today is the day to celebrate those achievements the world is an ocean of opportunities and we are just learning how to swim good morning and welcome to the 151st graduation ceremony of columbus north high school i'd like to welcome all of the guest presents today we're all pleased they could join us in this trying time to celebrate this year's graduates this year especially we acknowledge the difficulties that we have all faced and how they have impacted our routines everyone is in molded and shaped by those routines granted some more than others wake up eat brush your teeth drive to school go to class every individual has catered and fine-tuned their routines to make each day run as smoothly as possible but what happens when a titanic roadblock is in the way that jeopardizes the comfort and safety of that routine we are forced to adapt and that is exactly what the class of 2021 did we adapted and we conquered with the help of the amazing teachers and staff of our school now we face a new challenge going to college or going to the workforce or whatever we may be doing our routines are about to change in a significant way covet 19 has been a true testament to our abilities to adapt and we are better for it covet affected this class more than most granting us the realization while a change and routine may be stressful or scary we look back and be grateful for the change and its impact on our lives our class and experience know that no other class ever has or ever will and we are all better prepared for any future obstacles because of it as we share our final moments at this school and start the next chapters of our lives i encourage everyone to live resiliently if we learn to do so well this year i want to thank all the teachers and staff that helped mold us and encourage us all to be the best versions of ourselves whether future educators blue collar workers health care workers businessmen and women or whatever else our class may become we'll go off on different paths and form different futures but no matter what we'll always have this school in common and we will always be bulldogs thank you [Applause] okay you're on good morning to everyone to be honest i expected to attend this ceremony through a screen dressed in my oversized hoodie with my trusty portable fan but i'm honored to speak to you in person today before i begin i want to thank the parents the family members the teachers the counselors the friends the pets and of course google me and zoom for helping us get here today while preparing for the speech it was tough to recall a high school experience that wasn't overshadowed by mass and virtual meetings a vivid memory from my freshman year was my excitement in buying my first log yearbook and hoping to compare to a senior yearbook to see all the changes in myself and my fellow classmates and while the physical changes are apparent some through the removal of braces and others through growth spurts i reflected on how we had changed personally throughout our time at school about four years ago today we were graduating middle school and entering a different academic and social environment i remember having bitten off all my nails in anticipation of an unknown experience the night before the first day of school despite having practiced and timed the various routes to my classes on schedule pick-up day true story it took me three wrong turns before i made it to my bulldog time class if anything these experiences have taught me that you have to expect the unexpected in high school we could have never truly predicted when mr clark would hop on the morning announcements to grace us with his yo-yo bulldogs chant and we certainly couldn't have predicted the tornado lockdown a day before our spring break back in sophomore year truthfully uncertainty can be scary as humans we're all control freaks even for the messiest of us who use our backpacks as folders to the neatest of us who've used planners from day one it is natural to want to be in control of the course of events in our lives so when in life and when in high school specifically curveballs are thrown into the paths we were envisioning for ourselves it can be easy for the negative feelings to take over grief reluctance disappointment feelings that make it feel like the end of the world or at least the end of the world as we know it we as teenagers are told to push through it that times will get better because as long as it's not the actual end of the world it will be okay right i mean was the likelihood of an end of the world scenario in our lifetimes enter march of 2020 the moment i heard that people were frantically stocking up on toilet paper i knew change was coming the uncertainty in the first few months of the pandemic was immeasurable plans were canceled apocalyptic movies trended and for almost the first time in my life i had seen so many adults unprepared we entered high school as children wanting to learn through our experiences and our mistakes hoping to become prepared and enter as adults for the real world out there our years through high school introduced us to a plethora of experiences that we as growing teenagers were unfamiliar with whether it was driving our first cars or going to our first dances and as we grew we faced our fair share of heartbreaks and failures losing a football game that you had spent months practicing for growing distant from your childhood friends looking in the mirror and feeling insecure all personal battles that serve as curveballs in our stories a global pandemic more than anything else has forced a sense of disempowerment upon us as we watch the loss of our junior prom sports games trike races american pie and more we cannot deny that the coven 19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on our experiences however you the class of 2021 sitting here today in your blue caps and gowns are a testament to the fact that our battles do not define us or negate the successes that we have achieved regardless of the uncertainty and unexpected events forced upon us we are moving forward taking one step after the other to get here today the uncertainty faced as fearful as it was is not unknown to us it was there on the first day we walked into this building looking for classrooms and new faces and it will continue to be there as we find new as we find new jobs and explore new relationships as we settle down and as we start anew so let's embrace this uncertainty this change who knows what's next to come but if anything our experiences have prepared us for this upcoming stage of life every failed assignment every cancelled plan and every end of the world feeling has prepared us for the acceptance to be ready to lose control of the rains guiding our stories we can now take our lessons and experiences and continue to move forward with this next phase of our lives so congratulations class of 2021 today is your day thank you okay good morning everyone 13 or so years ago this class began a journey which has spanned the majority of our lifetimes up to this moment a journey which recounted in hours months of 15 842 hours spent in school buildings during the school day although this is a lot of time it does not account for the time we have spent outside of the school day growing as a person or seeking fulfillment of our personal interests these other uncountable hours they are spent outside of academic school or where we have grown to be individuals these are the hours where we have chased our dreams i'd like to interject for a moment to recognize those who have given us the opportunity to use these hours to chase these dreams the individuals who i'm referring to are parents standing up here i think i can speak for most of you when saying we are so thankful for what you have done for us we could not have made it here without you to my own parents thank you for your constant support and encouragement i definitely would not have made it here without you now addressing those directly in front of me my peers and my friends we have been at the school for four years and we have taken part in all kinds of different activities after school some of us have spent the majority of our hours at practice constantly refining our skills learning a new drill strengthening our cake or making ourselves overall faster better and stronger we did all these things in preparation for that big game and to make the people around us proud of our achievements to our athletes be proud of your outstanding work on the field you've done an amazing job representing the bulldogs across the state of indiana others of us we spend our extra hours at work making money for ourselves or for families we work to make money to enjoy we work to put experience on our resumes or we work to ensure there is money to feed those we love whatever the motivation was we work to make our experience as humans better i commend those of you who have found the time to juggle your class schedule along with spending multiple hours at work outside of the classroom a great majority of us also spend lots of extra hours making friends strengthening bonds or enjoying the moment we spent time going to north versus east games taking part in the trike race or hanging out at each other's houses some of us chose to make connections with our peers which will hopefully last a lifetime we found a circle of friends we can rely on when we can no longer rely on ourselves lastly some of us chose to spend a chunk of our extra time refining the skills which will help us when we step back into the building we chose to spend our time preparing for our academic future we chose to spend our time finding new problems and we chose to spend time finding solutions to these problems our class had to adapt to block scheduling online learning and frequent internet outages when we needed wi-fi the most our class learned to adapt our learning style to something never before seen in history we have all chosen to spend our extra hours chasing goals in the hope of finding fulfillment regardless of which path you have chosen be proud of your past decisions and own them seated in this place at this moment in time is where you should look at yourself and be proud of who you are look at your peers and be part of who they are you can't go back and change the past so you might as well learn to be proud of your decisions still if you can't bring yourself to be proud of your choices or you wish it could have been done differently you have plenty of time to go out and do the things you wish you had done personally i wish i had spent more time growing my relationships during my four years at north i should have put my time into more experiences with others than just academics because at the end of the day nobody will remember what score you got in a single assignment except maybe you but you and your friends will always remember all the fun you had and let's say 11 30 pm on a saturday night driving around town with the music as loud as it will go heading to nowhere in particular this experience though cost many hours of my time hours which didn't give me more knowledge or better grades gave me memories which are priceless although i don't regret the decisions i made to get where i am i do look back and wonder what my life would look like had i stayed at my friends houses for a couple more hours on our team more often with my family or reconnected with people i stopped talking to after middle school i understand that i paved the road i took to to sorry i understand that i paved the road i took to get to this podium with time time i could have spent on more experiences building memories like the car ride with my friends although i can't go back and change the past we can always change the future i want you all in the audience to think of your figurative car rides at night think of the moments you spend doing what is important to you think of everything you got out of those experiences now if you're someone like me think of the time you have wasted time spent on essentially nothing time you have spent twiddling your thumbs this time wasted is time which could be used for making memories time which could be spent doing something important or even time which could be spent sleeping a little bit more unless you have perfect time management which is doubtful there's more you could be doing with the limited time you have use it for something important regardless of what you deem to be important but please don't waste it as a final thought the only thing i ask of you all is to take this message and remember it use your time for something important have no regrets go out and do the things you wish you had done in the past before it's too late to do them any longer go out and apply for that job position go ask that girl or guy out go play basketball with your friends go out and apply for the scholarship you didn't think you could have gotten going forward gotta make memories go go live a little bit more spend your time to improve yourself academically and physically use your time a little better to treat yourself to great experiences lastly when you leave this field be proud of who you are and promise yourselves that you will spend your time in the best way you could have imagined it thank you all and congratulations to the class of 2021 hmm class of 2021 on behalf of the staff faculty and administration of columbus north high school to all students participating in the commencement ceremonies today we say congratulations what a wonderful time of life know as you leave columbus north high school that we love you we are encouraged by your positive contributions while here your efforts remind us that there are good things ahead for all of us lauren and max tricia and arturo thank you for your remarks it's a quick recap of what you just heard one don't fear change two there is little comfort in that comfort zone three despite uncertainty our experience have prepared us for the future and four use your time for something important have no regrets outstanding messages each year as i prepare for graduation and i reflect upon the virtues of each class there are always individual accomplishments each class has a collective persona as the principle when i reflect upon the last 441 days from march 13th to today i am humbled by your characteristics those things that you have learned and demonstrated to be here on this field graduating today you have shown grit and determination into that tapestry you have woven flexibility and creativity you have prepared yourself for a world that now needs you your knowledge your wisdom and your kindness so today my thoughts of what this class has taught me could be summed up in a quote from oliver wendell holmes jr quote i would not give a fig for simplicity on this side of complexity but i would give my life for simplicity on the other side of complexity you have been through challenges that many would consider complex you're better because of it you have developed strong habits of mind and you've learned to live the bulldog way your next steps now await you the exciting news throughout your life there will always be some complexity because you have paid the price it takes to get through this figurative storm now you have a pattern to find simplicity on the other side of complexity don't forget the pattern breathe refocus work hard and trust class of 2021 you came here with goals and aspirations and today you leave standing a little taller being a little better reaching a little further you have entered columbus north high school to learn and now our charge to you is go forth and serve at this time i present the columbus north high school class of 2021 to dr jim roberts superintendent of schools and in doing so i certify that they have met all the requirements necessary for graduation dr roberts greetings one year ago we held a historic graduation ceremony for the class of 2020 due to the impact of covet 19 we held the first virtual graduation ceremony in school corporation history today we hold another historic graduation ceremony one that can also be attributed to the impact of covet 19.
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[Music] so [Music] so [Music] you [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] good morning and welcome to our first outdoor graduation at columbus east again i am principal mark neal we're here to celebrate and honor not only our graduates but also you the community and your efforts with supporting all of our graduates i have the pleasure of reducing our first speaker of the morning our salutatorian jaylen nelson so good morning ladies and gentlemen and fellow graduates it is my honor today to deliver the commencement address for this incredible class of 2021 i am proud to say that we finally did it these last four years at columbus east have been full of great memories even within the last year things have certainly been interesting a year and a half ago if you asked me what i was worried most about for my senior year i probably would have said the switch to block scheduling however in light of the global pandemic i'm sure all of our priorities have altered for those of you who don't know me my name is jalen nelson before my freshman year none of you knew me because i hadn't gone to school in this county before that certainly made for a nerve-wracking first few weeks of school i thought for sure that the odds were sacked against me when i first came here but then i met all of you this class was welcoming funny outgoing and looked entirely different than we do today some of us started out with braces glasses or a fashion sense that probably only made sense to ourselves with a rough start we soon found our way as every class does making some amazing friends and meeting great teachers along the way sophomore year was the year to get your license all of us as sophomores doing our sur driver's ed and our parents being terrified to let us touch their cars ever again eventually we passed our test and we were allowed to finally roam the parking lot on our own we all know how crazy that parking lot can be but we eventually got the hang of it sophomore year may have been a blur of still being underclassmen but we found our way through as juniors that's when the fun really began we were finally upperclassmen giving us a lot more power and our college adventures began we started taking more ap classes we took on more responsibilities in our sports and some of us started to really find what we were interested in we were finally able to go to prom all we needed to do was get through spring break a three week spring break i sounded like then we all know how that ended up after last year's seniors missed the end of their high school careers many of us were unsure what our own final year would look like we didn't even know if we would be in school again or a virtual would become the new normal then we realized we would be coming back granted things would be different but we would have a chance for some normalcy many of us even had to change our entire senior project plans but it is important to remember that change can often bring about great success gentile franklin said that impossible odds set the stage for amazing miracles with the projects being more personalized this year some great feats were accomplished to name a few elena dwinger earned her pilot license gloria wrote an entire novel with 40 plus chapters and monica even ran a half marathon those are just a few of the more amazing senior projects although we missed some of the most basic high school traditions like a student section we didn't let that stop us the odds are definitely against us in our crosstown rivalry game as we face columbus north after three years of continued losses during our high school years this year though things were different the rest of us may not have been able to watch or support them in person but we could cheer them on from home as we finally won i still remember the moment sitting at home watching the game on tv and jumping off the couch when the game was over i took a picture of the tv screen with a final score which was 35 to 31 and i still have it on my phone if anyone needs proof along with the physical aspect there are numerous records broken this year by our class i found a space in the weight room where i gained relationships but also broke of our few of our school weightlifting records for girls sean ryan claimed two records himself breaking the squad just last week and jesse miller among others had amazing triumphs in the weight room reaching numbers that many including myself could only dream of even chris bergman broke our school long jump record during this track season with a whopping 23 feet eight and a half inches [Laughter] since the very beginning of high school our class was training even without knowing it to push the limits in our later years before we continue i'd like to say a few words of gratitude to the people that brought us to where we are today to the administration and staff thank you for putting together this graduation so we could have a final moment where we are all together one last time to our parents and those who raised us thank you for putting up with our teen moodiness and rebellions all while nurturing us into the young adults we are today to our teachers a few of whom i would like to call out personally that helped me to coach fersen even though i only met you last year you have helped me gain many skills that i will use throughout my life one of the most useful being confidence not only in the weight room but in myself to mr chastain thank you for your enthusiasm and passion for teaching us despite how difficult it may have been to engage tired teens during the first mod into the late mr potorf your kindness touched every student that came through your classroom you were the example of a fighter in every way and you taught us how to be positive even in our darkest moments and to all of our teachers who helped us along each of our journeys and finally to our friends and classmates thank you for being there with us to create the memories that we will talk about for decades and for being there even during the toughest times i would like to leave you with one final thought do not lose this determination to defy the odds that our class of 2021 has so greatly exemplified as you go off into college or the workforce or the military or wherever life may take you do not forget that change can bring about great prosperity change can sometimes be scary but there's so much more to look forward to when you think of the anxious moments instead think of the happiness and excitement that is bound to be on your way as you continue through life be thankful for our past as we can look back on it with fond memories after all our past brought us to where we are today graduating here on the football field together when you're met with expectations set the bar and exceed it we've done that many times as a class and as individuals so let us continue to do so as we go on after high school after all life is a journey day by day we learn more and this is just the beginning of our journey thank you [Applause] thank you jalen for your words of wisdom and advice before i introduce the class of dr roberts i'd like to make a few comments first to community we're all working together to support each student you see us graduating today this has certainly been a year of challenges and we thank you for your teamwork and support in helping your student achieve this milestone the celebration not only for our graduates but also the community takes all of us working together to get our students to this point and secondly to our graduates one of my favorite parts of education is getting those students and their stories each and every one of you has your own unique success story that now includes challenge of coven you persevered you stepped up met the challenge and we're here to celebrate your story you've invested the hard work time energy along having supported your families friends and teachers to be in the position you are now as you get ready to take this next step in life i would encourage you to be true to yourself appreciate people who they are you are an individual and you are valued for who you are believe in yourself stay persistent there will be ups and downs in life stay focused on your goals do not be afraid to reach out and ask for help we are stronger together take the time to listen to others and be there for them it's something we can all do it's a great way to take care of others it will help make the world a better place for all you all have a bank blank page before you to begin this next chapter in your life story make the most your opportunities as you are the author of your life i'm sad excited at same times i'll miss seeing the hallways of east i'm also happy to start a new adventure i'm looking forward to see where those adventures lead you i'd also encourage you to take a page from jaylen's speech be inspired to continue writing your own unique success story we're all watching and excited for you we're here to support you as you take the next step into the world of the opportunities that lie before you it's been my privilege to serve as your principal for the past four years and i'll leave you the fact that you always be an olympian to take care and carry on o's dr roberts gives me great pride and pleasure to present to you the class of 2021 greetings one year ago we held a historic graduation ceremony for the class of 2020.
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cool [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] good evening class of 2021 school staff families and friends welcome to brown county high school and the graduation class of 2021 i'm megan bickley the master of ceremonies on behalf of all the graduates this year i say thank you to every person here because you have made an impact on these graduates i am very proud to be able to be able to be here today in this gymnasium as a class this time last year i was not sure this moment would be able to happen as a class school system and community we learned to find ways to learn through a global pandemic although coven 19 has definitely brought many hardships to every single one of us in several ways one thing i learned is the importance of relationships in my life i'm going to encourage you i'm going to encourage each of you here today to take a step back and focus on your life and how much these people mean to you you may not ever see the person next to you ever again but realize the experiences you have shared with them from the first day of kindergarten to starting junior high to us sitting here today hold on to the relationships you have made here hold on to your friends and family that have helped you get here today hold on to your experience here at brown county high school congratulations class of 2021.
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day between the spartans of east long mountain high school and the carriers of westbrook driver school participating student athletes coaches contest officials have prepared for today's competition please show your appreciation by demonstrating good sportsmanship respect for all attendance for mia pdisa in east london high school policies and expectations please ensure that your behaviors reflect the values that should be identified with these student athletes assume responsibility for your behavior please do not direct any negative comments towards officials athletes coaches or fans if you require assistance please call upon a school official or security official please also note the following emergency x's are located at both the front and back of the stadium smoking is not allowed anywhere on school property spectators should avoid using noisemakers while at the games spectators should stay outside the fence track area at all times [Music] now for the starting lineups first for the carriers of west springfield number five jillian speck number six kathleen bovier number 11 katie chapman number 15 jordan lavallee number 17 adrian valentini number 18 maggie group number 20 haley curtis number 21 lauren fletcher number 25 brennan bowler number 33 emma jing number 39 lauren cauley and there were 24 marley ivers now very spartans number 17 cara number eight bridgette jordan number 18 olivia robb number 12 megan monroe number one maeve jordan number five tiana darn number 10 alyssa goffaro number four colleen o'neill number six sam diesen and number 24 anna thompson west springfield was coached by joe canta and assisted by ham dean and maggie kennedy the head coach for your summoner high school is katie moses and assisted by liz mazza our great country has persevered because of the men and women that serve our country in the armed forces we invite both veterans and current military on the stand we thank you for our service to your country we now invite everyone to stand as we honor america the playing of the national anthem [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] foreign [Music] save us [Music] uh [Music] oh i just had a freezing bag you're the best one thank you thank you fall on me down my shirt down my pants all over my shoes oh no i actually almost got buried [Music] hi guys [Applause] today [Music] um [Music] oh [Music] no [Music] [Applause] hello [Music] okay [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] jordan [Applause] [Music] okay [Music] all right [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] is dawn [Music] oh [Music] hey [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] is [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] oh come on [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] yes [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] okay [Music] oh though it's yeah there's not much that we don't [Music] [Applause] wow [Music] okay [Music] oh bye [Music] bye [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] my god [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] 145 and you're stopping there yeah [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] olivia robb [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] respectful lauren cauley here we go i love it oh [Music] oh um [Music] wow [Applause] springfield gold scoreboard number 39 lauren cauley [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] springfield gold scored by number five jillian speck [Music] i could sit in that 70s [Music] let's go [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] oh [Applause] [Music] you [Music] there we go thank you [Music] oh [Music] stop [Music] nice girlfriend [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] jordan [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] west springfield goal scored by number 33 emma gene now [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] uh [Music] and here [Music] oh [Music] all right we're going to leave your scooter we're not going to take it down that way we'll see grace tomorrow [Music] okay [Music] um [Music] i just [Music] oh all right hi how are ya oh [Music] up here i love it dude [Applause] you [Music] [Applause] dude [Music] [Applause] [Music] yeah wow this is [Music] dude [Music] what's the schedule look like next year uh nothing's finalized yet but there's a whole new format of like term instructional and stuff so it's gonna be a bunch of last thing but there's also gonna be a central statement so if you lose your mass you can still play the state tournament but you still gotta win 10 games yeah it's a lot different playing football though [Applause] no like i was talking about one that was like yeah [Music] yeah it would be fun though mr allen [Music] um [Applause] [Music] west springfield goal score by number 11 kaylee chapman [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] all right [Applause] [Music] yeah it actually is [Music] [Applause] he's [Music] west springfield goal scored by number five jillian's speck catherine bolvier [Music] [Applause] yes [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] west springfield goal scoreboard number 15 jordan lavallee okay [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] what springfield gold scoreboard number 39 lauren cauley [Music] um [Applause] yes sir see you guys my wife [Music] hey [Music] uh [Applause] [Music] he summoned goals scored by number 12 megan monroe i'm so sorry because thank you thank you oh my gosh [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] hello [Music] [Applause] what is [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] i don't know [Music] okay good wow [Music] okay [Music] yes [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] okay [Music] [Applause] all [Music] they're waiting [Music] ava meets [Music] [Applause] [Music] right [Music] wow [Music] oh [Applause] oh [Music] seriously bye [Music] [Applause] [Music] o'neill [Music] wow [Applause] [Music] three [Music] yes [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] yes [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] okay [Music] oh jordan [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] wow [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] wow [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] oh um one two three but yeah [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Applause] okay [Music] hey [Music] [Applause] all right
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today we celebrate the graduating class of gennado high school a cohort described as being bright high achieving and full of potential they cohart recognized for having athletes who proficiently passed the 2019 azmerit in math it is my honor to be the class of 2021 salutatorian i truly feel we are a unique class we survived the challenge never expected we have to step up learn a new way of attending school and master remote learning who would have guessed you could attend school from your bed or attend a zoom session with wild hair and pajamas almost like the many theme weeks we had for homecoming wild hair or pajama day we are an exceptional class last year the seniors were applauded for finishing out their senior year with remote learning well the remarkable class of 2021 began the year with remote learning and concluded the year with remote learning it was challenging unfortunately we missed out on a fun-filled year with friends and classmates no friday night lights no homecoming no volleyball games no basketball games no jam-packed pavilion no prom and no daily interactions with friends classmates and our teachers remote learning challenged us to implement our own worth ethics to be successful and responsible we had to continuously check our google classroom to-do list once we submitted an assignment a brief moment of relief moments later a teacher would post another assignment it seemed endless yet today we are here commemorating one of many accomplishments a milestone high school graduation is an expectation we are expected to attend school and expected to graduate we are blessed to have our family support systems transportation access to food technology and the internet it is the small things that count be appreciative of why we are here what our families the community and our district the tribe and our nation has done for us this pandemic changed everything we shifted we transitioned and some of us may have lost someone to cope with 19.
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