Rene mater and they do an amazing amazing job it is my pleasure to introduce this year's senior class speaker miss Sasha Brenton remember that first day of school I sure don't I can't I can't imagine how that little girl in pigtails with red and blue ribbon and a pink Dora backpack felt when she said goodbye to her mom and dad at the front door and walked inside for her first day of elementary school I do however remember later parts of elementary school the masses of memories that have acted like Sherpas leading us up the mountain to this moment I remember riding the big yellow bus and learning to stand up for myself in the wild ruckus that was an eight year olds jungle in second grade we played around the world in math and competed to see who could read the most books I remember the giant parachute we'd hide underneath the colorful enthralling orb of light that captured our attentions until it deflated and we'd have to crawl out we played soccer dodgeball and basketball together longing for an opportunity to go outside for some kickball I remember making our own solar ovens and cooking s'mores in the August heat we've raced towards the swing set at recess pumping our legs to get to the top after sitting inside all day I remember the excitement of buying new school supplies the smell of the new notebooks and the sharpies in middle school we had our first sense of freedom walking to classes alone having our own lockers being able to check our grades at any time but we still dreamed of high school and the idea of being able to eat lunch wherever we wanted or to have a 45 minute Academy I remember our first day of freshman year meeting our connections groups or getting lost in the hallways yeah we had to wake up earlier to go to high school but we eventually learned to drive ourselves manage our classes and maybe find our calling we earned state championships in soccer band and wrestling our casting crew was astounding when performing the legendary lay miserab this year all of you saw the mesmerizing display of our students art in the library recently I'm just astonished at the level of talent in this arena we all have things we do things we love and things we succeed at we have all been together through our senior year some of us since freshman year sixth grade or kindergarten we just like our class color stand for passion for adventure and for community most of us have that one person we look up to the one person we take our cues from who's been with us through this journey of Pokemon yo-yo and Silly Bandz phases if you don't then I offer up my person my Sherpa I love my mom and everything she's done for me and I love her even more knowing that she's done her part in trying to ensure success for this community through teaching I've seen the years of overtime unpaid overtime she's paid into her classes making sure that art of grammar isn't lost watching her has made my appreciation grow for my other teachers we wouldn't be here without the dedicated people sitting at the edge of our rows they spend their lives creating lessons to inspire us to motivate us and to see us succeed thank you for the years for the patients and for caring today is the day we look back down the mountain how far we've come the 13 grueling years we spent with our awesome teachers learning math English biology art history chemistry and more and ask ourselves what we're going to do with all of this unbridled knowledge because right now we're still wild we're teenagers with raging hormones and deep emotions and we have no idea how to control ourselves isn't that great I'm still the little kid competing to swing past the vast sunny blue sky but I'm a newfound adult on this mountain we're climbing where the top is clouded and only our memories are Sherpas can help us find out whether it drops off to a cliff keeps on going or if there's a peak to reach that little girl who didn't know how to multiply in first grade is now doing integral calculus those Sun Oven s'mores were just the first steps towards a confident cook who can whip up a dinner for a whole family we can take those childhood memories the multitude of fireflies and a dark night sky collect them in a beautiful glass jar and use them to light our way our class is going to be a part of the next generation of engineers artists politicians athletes scientists bison ranchers teachers mothers fathers dreamers creators and believers this is our time our future our choices so let your Sherpa of magical childhood experiences and people lead you and run run into the future knowing that the air academy high school graduating class of 2018 is right beside you and we're coming fast [Applause] great job Sasha congratulations class of 2018 you have made it absolutely you who your efforts and perseverance have paid off in this tremendous accomplishment as you celebrate it is important to recognize those who have helped you along the way your parents guardians and families have spent countless hours driving you to school helping with homework attending your advance activities and games you wouldn't be here without their unwavering support graduates please give your parents and guardians a round of applause you have also been supported by amazing teachers from that first day kindergarten teacher to the staff and faculty of our Academy High School they have been here for you outstanding teachers such as our Air Academy Teacher of the Year Miss Molly O'Neil our senior class selected Teacher of the Year mr.
McKinney it really seems like with every graduation speech I've heard over the years or even just on YouTube it's not until after graduation that our lives really start it's as if high school was just a forgettable snapshot of our lives but the thing is high school is where it all began high school is where we decide what we want to do with the rest of our lives or at least you're supposed to it's become the foundation that has set us up for whatever path we choose to take and although we're all pursuing different paths our lives up until this point have been much more than just a snapshot so even if you don't remember anything you've learned in high school remember this remember to stop living your life looking forward to the next moment and remember to live in the now because class of 2018 right now these are the unforgettable moments and so we'll leave you all today with some positivity and facts but before that we've got to take an annual graduation class selfie looking at those selfies I know one thing for sure we may not be the class with the most awards or the most athletic class or even the smartest class but class of 2018 we are without a doubt the best-looking class of rampart high school thank you we would not like to return the mic to mr.
Alessia Johnson rashon Johnson Tehran Johnson [Applause] Hannah Jones Jada Jones Jamila Jones [Applause] Kane Jones and xariah Jones [Music] that DNA yes yes thank you okay here we go William young Demetrius carthon owes Korean calf old Dylan Kelly jamesha Kirby Joshua Kersting Jacob Kettler Zachary Kaiser Joseph kinder Eric King Kenyatta King Tristan nap khari calor [Music] [Applause] Jacqueline Conrad Nicole Laughlin Zachary Lange Lauren Lamar Isabel lamonta Kaitlyn Langley Starla Largent Carl layman Emily Lise Ariana Lafleur [Music] Jacob Lennon's hope Lesniak Jalen Lewis [Applause] Ryan Lewis Helen Libby Damon little [Applause] Jayla little Justin little Isaiah love mckaela Lovelace Lovelace apologized Nathaniel liuqing William luking Trevor loogie John monk Macallan luster John Lynch Kiyo McCovey not of my mood Briley Maisel McKenzie Marshawn Charlotte Mastan Cade Matthews Willie Matthews jr. [Applause] Cameron Mattox Brandon Mauer DeMarcus MacDougall Garrett mcevil II a Bria McGee Dorothy McGlinn Latrice McIntosh Tyler McIntyre [Music] I'll see McGee McLaughlin thus Andrea McMillan Garrett McNally [Applause] Kimberly McWhirter Ariana Medina Delilah Delilah McGahee Amanda miring Seamus Meneely [Music] Brianna Miller charissa million Lake more Garrett more Kendra more Beyonce Morales Mariah Moran Joseph Morris Inga Morton Jalen Mosby [Applause] Lusaka Mosby Camden me Aidan Munn lock Ashley Munoz Kristen the res Cory Neil Catherine Neil Friday Nelson Nicholas Nelson Marshawn Nixon Isaac Norris [Applause] Vincent Norris Erin O'Brien Caprio Olson Caitlin Osbourne Alejandro as Guerra Makai at Timothy Overman jr.
faculty is Eliseo mrs. Webber to Smith mrs. Lummis miss McWhorter mrs. Paulin mrs. Schmidt and mr. rude for preparing me and my peers for the next stages in our education their classes that I've been told can be even heart harder than their college-level equivalent I would also like to thank the administrators and counselors for helping us students meet all the requirements to graduate apply to college and settle conflicts in the school thank you to the district 20 administrators for allowing me and similar students to choice into district 20 schools my education would have been very different if I wasn't allowed to change schools when I did finally thank you to my peers for welcoming me into your community and supporting me part of my success both academic and personal is thanks to you you helped me keep my sanity in the most stressful situations and you gave me a place to stand when I cleared my obstacles so long class of 2018 we meet we may meet again someday [Applause] [Music] something we are those who have to grow [Music] let me say [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] I do believe I have been changed for the better [Music] you [Applause] a long-standing graduation tradition at Liberty High School is the selection of the commencement speaker the keynote the selection is a competitive one and from the many who try out only one can be selected for this honor this year is no exception the committee made up of seniors and teachers chose a young lady who has an inspiring message to share with all of you today ladies and gentlemen please welcome Tessa McKinney [Applause] before Tess gives her address I'd like to tell you a little bit about her Tess is the proud daughter of Martha McKinney and is a district 20 lifer spending her entire education career in district 20 she attended Explorer elementary school Timber View middle school and all four years at Liberty Tess is active at Liberty through her involvement in the National Honor Society French National Honor Society French club the boys basketball manager theater and student council serving as a student body president outside of school tests likes playing with puppies watching the office reading and eating in the fall tests will go to the University of Colorado Boulder where she plans to major in biology her creations may include acting being an ob/gyn or a teacher test you have a bright future ahead of you and we're all very proud of your accomplishments thus far congratulations so now I give you test McKinney good afternoon everyone and namaste welcome to our friends and family those who have held our hands as we have grown welcome to mr.
Ron Gore come on record there you go and the regional Performing Arts Teacher of the Year our very own mr. stony black [Applause] graduates and families and friends please give our faculty and staff a round of applause for all they have done in shaping your future and finally I would like to say a special thank you to our military families for your special sacrifices as the father of a current marine I understand intimately what those sacrifices are high school is difficult enough and our military families have the added stress of relocations and deployments thank you all for your service and if we could please recognize our military families [Applause] class of 2018 as we look back at your four years I stand in awe of your accomplishments in four years your class has helped win state championships in girls lacrosse boys soccer boys basketball boys swimming girls cross country and girls track our winter guard has won the past four state championships and our band has won the state championship three out of the past four years topped off as we've heard before with a an amazing trip to the Tournament of Roses Parade our choirs have received many state-level awards and I would put our production of lame is up against any high school production in the state of Colorado outstanding job [Applause] your academic accomplishments are even more remarkable ninety one of your graduating class of 320 are graduating with a 4.0 or higher outstanding these academic achievements have not gone without recognition and without reward many of you are going to the top colleges and universities in the nation many of you are going to such prestigious institutions such as USC Yale and three of your classmates are staying right here with appointments to the United States Air Force Academy three [Applause] as of this morning dr.
Alvarez thank you Nihon and that's rep welcome to the 36th annual commencement exercise of rampart High School please let me begin by thanking the Air Force Academy for providing us access to this wonderful facility and please let me extend a great debt of gratitude to all those who have bravely served or have served in all branches of the military especially those who are currently deployed if I could please ask our staff members who have served any branch of the military and our members of the audience currently serving or who are veterans to please stand and be recognized [Applause] thank you now it is my honor to introduce the distinguished group who joins me on stage tonight first off miss Tracy Johnson president of the Board of Education mrs. Karen Reynolds vice president of the Board of Education and rampart High Schools Board liaison mr. Doug Lombardi Ford of Education treasurer mr.
Jamie Owens [Applause] Michael Papa chrysanthus Devon parks Praia Patel Bria but repeal Herbert Patterson Brandan Perry Christiana Pickett Joshua pick us [Music] Brandon Piper Devante play erson Kristen Powell January Probst Josie profit Sybil Pruett - Marcus quilling gage Racine jameelah Radford [Applause] Harrison Randall James Reed Tyler Reed [Music] Jalen Reeves [Applause] [Music] [Applause] nygel rice Abigail Richardson Amari Ridley Jenelle Riggins tyreal Riley [Applause] [Music] Abigail Roark Lucas Robin [Applause] Terrence Robinson Nigel Romeo's Joshua rosebud our Monty Russell Sara Sanchez [Applause] our mod Sanders Briana Sanders Chad saws [Applause] Agnes of each sky to Jordan slicing her Owen Schmidt Emily Starr [Applause] Austan Schobert [Applause] Adrian Scott Spencer Scott Alex sheikha Caleb's Rama Jordan Sims McKenzie slack tamyra Smalley Alex Smith Danny Smith Jr Kaylie Smith Malachi Smith [Applause] Mikayla Smith Raven Smith Richard Smith Jr Taylor Smith Christina Snipes Savannah subject Dakota Sanger Tierney Spearman Alisa Spears Maya Spivey Bethany Stalder honoree Stevens Kaneesha Stepney Elizabeth sterling Trinity Stern a milah Stephenson Malik Stevenson Alyssa stirrup Antoine stiff [Applause] Stephanie stock Maxwell stone Brendon Sully Dylan Sundquist Liane Sweeney Michaela Sykes man and I talked it to taça de Nova Kyle Tate Andrew Tavares Jacob Taylor Mackenzie to Train Nicholas Thomas Tyler Thomas [Applause] Tyrese Thomas [Applause] destiny Thornton Trayvon Tramel Austin Valerius Andrea vessel Michael Vincent dillonvale and miles Watlington Britney Walker Reese Walker [Music] [Applause] Rodney she walk Britney Wallace [Music] [Applause] Brianna Wallace Justin ward [Music] Amma's a Warren James Watkins Samuel Watson Taylor web ransom Widener Niklas Westar hide [Applause] Courtney white Cheyenne Whitfield Desiree Whitfield Elena Rikard James wiggers [Music] Justin will born [Applause] Katrina Wilkes ah Selena Williams Blake Williams chasity Williams Curtis Williams divine Williams Erica Williams [Applause] Jaylyn Williams marquita Williams Naya Williams Renisha Wilmington Donald Wilson [Music] [Applause] Kylie Wilson latarian Wilson Jermaine Windham James Whithouse Christopher whoa check James Wolf's felt Joshua would Diane woody - Jai right Cleo sure whyatt William Wyckoff Kalyan Wiley Philip win [Applause] Tiana young Mallory's as though Bailey Cruz [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Genisys ball mishaela boatman [Applause] Annamarie gertie our mod wilson rachet rush Araya pair ahem and even a garner [Applause] [Music] well the class of 2018 please rise you may now move your tassel as a sign of your graduation you may be seated I asked the audience to remain seated for the senior farewell and recessional please welcome Miss Sarah Hayden class president as she gives a senior farewell [Applause] [Music] all right well we finally made it after four years this could very well be the last time we're all sitting in one room with each other I know High School's affected each and every one of us in our own ways whether that was discovering friends you never want to forget learning what you want to possibly do for the rest of your life or even meeting someone with whom you wouldn't wouldn't mind spinning forever with high school held numerous amounts of opportunities for everyone to show who they could be and learn something new about themselves but as of tonight high school was over now that we have graduated we are considered adults how scary is that even though I've been waiting for this day I still liked being considered a kid but now reality has set in we will have to pay our own bills soon if you don't already but now we can go to the restroom without raising our hands we all know how different life will be after this remember how different high school was at the beginning we all came from significantly smaller schools to one school of over 2,000 students I know that was a crazy change for most of us I can only assume that's how life will be after this it might be harder but it might be better to the one thing I know for sure is that we couldn't have made it this far without the help from our friends families teachers principals and everyone else who is sitting here in this audience today to support us today is our day and we couldn't have done it without the unconditional love spread throughout our families our cities and our schools don't forget to be selfless sometimes and thank those around you here I'll start Thank You bubble West class of 2018 for helping me achieve something greater these past four years [Music] [Applause] don't forget to be respectful responsible and kind congratulations [Applause] ladies and gentlemen please remain seated for the processional of the above OS class of 2018 and thank you for joining us this evening [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]
timox staff members and administrators those who have worked day and night for our success welcome members of the Academy district 20 school board and superintendent dr. Mark Hackel he is the giver of snow days welcome honored guests of Liberty High School but most importantly welcome to the graduating class of 2018 because this really is all about you flashback to when it all started kindergarten we made our first friends we learned how to spell and count but most importantly we learned how to nap like champions then a few years past and fourth grade rolls around remember when we traded silly bands on the playground when we got calluses on our hands from the monkey bars and ultimately when we turned ten double digits I mean we were practically adults at that point then middle school came and we learned what real freedom was passing periods lockers school dances and our first cell phones school was confusing relationships were complicated and vine consumed our lives but we made it through and on the high school freshman year the seniors were terrifying we had to navigate through what seemed like thousands of other students and suddenly the future started creeping into our decision making junior year we were finally upperclassmen powderpuff prom the SAT going off campus for lunch and being so close to graduating finally senior year arrived the first day was amazing but every day since then has been in never-ending countdown senioritis did come a little early this year but coffee and attendance waivers got us through when we finally turned 18 the reality of adulthood was terrifying yet thrilling but here we are and over these last 18 years as we were changing the world was changing too technology advanced lives could be changed with a click of a button through the rampant spread of social media we've all felt what it's like to be afraid to come to school because of threats that were made to us yet we've recognized and celebrated love in all of its forms we felt the pain of people across the world who were affected by natural disasters and war we stood up for what we believed in and we kneeled for what we believed in we lost people who we looked up to but records were broken and barriers were crossed we've been brought together by hope and sometimes we've even been torn apart by our differences but still we remain and still we persevere today we are graduates tomorrow we will be the politicians the Olympians the scientists the entrepreneurs the doctors the Warriors and the teachers we are about to explode upon the world and we are the ones with the imagination and the drive that it takes to shape the future of our dreams our cars will drive themselves and our world will expand to different planets but our enemy will always be complacency for it is not the lion's roar that signals danger it is the silence so I ask you to never be silent enjoy this accomplishment now for tomorrow our real work begins congratulations you [Applause] my name is Caleb Wilbur and I have the distinct honor of introducing the district 20 superintendent of the year dr.
beers tells me that your class has earned in excess of eleven point two million dollars in scholarship money moms and dads you can really applaud that one not only have you excelled in academics activities and athletics you have proven to be citizens of great character as well in fact just this week our students under the leadership of Miss Kendall Smitherman and international Honor Society raised over three thousand dollars to send our make-a-wish kid Gabe on an all-expense trip to Legoland in California great job [Applause] you have done remarkable things during your years at our Academy and will take many lifelong memories with you I will always remember working with my freshman Kate at class four years ago and seeing the students from that group such as David Evan and Nisa Rojas grow from nervous freshman's to confident graduates I will take fun memories such as your senior sunrise breakfast way back in August and others such as hanging out with Sydney grad and Ava Johnson and the rest of the cadet crazies at football games what a great time we had I will take silly memories like the time that Jake Harper snuck into the powder puff football game and tried to score the winning touchdown for the seniors Jake while I had to pretend to be mad that was pretty awesome I will always remember mica Willborn and Anna McTigue performing at the district principals breakfast thank you so much it meant so much to me personally and I will take memories of events that have made me so proud so proud such as when our students such as Victor's are off and Sasha Brunton exercise their First Amendment rights and peacefully protested on both sides of an issue our leaders in Washington could take a thing or two from our cadence great job your class is full of smart talented compassionate leaders who are going to do great things as you take your first steps into adulthood I encourage you to continue to lead be the ones who cure cancer land a person on Mars lead our armed forces make beautiful music write poetry continue to be amazing continue to be cadets class of 2018 please rise [Applause] dr.
Glenn Stream Board of Education director mr. Thomas LaValle a board of education director Colonel Harding United States Air Force Academy liaison [Applause] dr. mark Hatfield superintendent of Academy school district 20 mr. Tom Gregory deputy superintendent and chief financial officer dr. Jim Smith assistant superintendent for administrative services mr. Andy Parkes principal and director of athletics mrs. Tracy Corman assistant principal [Applause] mr. Kyle Chamberlain assistant principal [Applause] and Miss Deirdre mastica assistant principal my remarks for this graduating class begin on the afternoon of April 26 1937 German bombers appeared over the skies of Guernica Spain it was market day and hundreds of women children and the men who had not yet left for war congregated in the town square in that moment they had no inkling of the horror that was about to besiege them over the next three hours the planes would drop over a hundred thousand pounds of highly explosive and incendiary bombs reducing Guernica to ruin the goal the bombing was not tactical its purpose was Hitler in his generals desire to calibrate the effectiveness of their new war machine and to strike profound fear in the civilian population the events of Guernica that day became a prelude to eight years of destruction and barbarism which the world would never have imagined and concluded only with our dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki immediately upon learning about the bombing of Guernica Pablo Picasso work began working on a mural sized canvas to depict the atrocity against humanity the painting depicts grotesque human forms broken and brutalized by annalistic actions the artwork is an attempt to describe human suffering through visceral impact to the eye in the mind it carries forward a message that has outlast the lives of despots and as a as relevant today as it was in 1937 as bombs continue to rain down on innocents in places like Aleppo Syria Picasso's Guernica was and remains a foreshadowing it made people emotionally and intellectually uncomfortable and was therefore as controversial as it was impactful it was art then and as now and perhaps most of all it is a courageous public statement against fascism and evil that generation the men and women of the greatest generation as they would become to be known were not perfect but they were courageous their military heroism ingenuity resistance and sacrifice and at World War two and put this country back together our grandparents parents great-grandparents desegregated the military they desegregated schools and they built the workplace that we know today they built the interstate highway system they pulled the country out of the depression and they battled communism and they put a man on the moon they made us a superpower and the envy of the world nice to be a history teacher tell for my speech I truly believe that we need to start forging the next great generation this generation in front of us has important stuff to do stuff like continuing to work towards equity for all especially for our strong women coming up in the world absolutely our roads need to be fixed we're just coming out of a recession of our own we're still battling terrorism and maybe with the right stuff this generation will be the first to lead our country to land on Mars in writing this speech I set out to find a current piece of art and music that resonated with students that modern-day Guernica that Picasso thought up after the destruction of a town in northern Spain the thing that would lead me to understand where we where this generation is and where we are headed see I think that art and music is defining at the time and the culture at hand when I graduated high school Sinead O'Connor MC Hammer Madonna Nili Billy and Michael Bolton were all in the top ten that should tell you a little bit about what the 90s were like almost universally when I asked I was pointed to actor comedian writer director producer singer-songwriter rapper in DJ donald glover also known as childish gambino in his latest video this is America now I gotta tell you up until a couple of weeks ago I didn't know who he was so I'm not claiming to be all woke and understanding and down but when LeBrock away looked at me and simply said watch it without further comment i cued it up on my computer and the first time I watched it I made it exactly 51 seconds into the video and I had to turn it off it took me three more attempts to make it through the entire video start to finish Donald Glover produced a Guernica it made me uncomfortable it was controversial impactful it was definitely art and it was as courageous of a statement as I have seen in some time about the widespread unrest and violence in our society I wash it about a dozen more times trying to find every nuance every hidden message message thinking the whole time this is not us and while it may be only one artists statement it was hard to ignore in light of the atrocities at Charlottesville Las Vegas Sutherland Parkland Nashville and a number of other events that left us known this year your generation and I'm not sure what you will do but I do know that you will not be silent or passive you proved that this year by staging to separate and equally important walk outs you raised almost $100,000 for cancer [Applause] you secured military appointments and listen to defend our freedom were accepted in some of the top universities in the nation are entering the workplace in good pain and important trades some of you are taking gap years to find yourselves some of you are saving your parents a lot of money by going to Community College and you made it through this year without a single snow day by the way dr.
hatch 'el though many of us know him as the giver of snow days however maybe slacking a bit this year many of you may not know that it is his responsibility to make sure that 35 schools run smoothly and he is in charge of over 3,000 Academy district 20 staff he has been our superintendent for 11 consecutive years before he was our superintendent he was a teacher assistant principal as well as a principal and a superintendent of another district being an educator must run in the family because his mother was a teacher and his father was an administrator dr. hatch o has been invested in making Liberty High School the best it can be part of that was letting his two daughters play field hockey for liberty the best school in district 20 he also goes to at least one Liberty baseball game per year but as anybody who has ever been up there would agree it's way too windy unlike his wife who saves lives as a medical doctor he helps change them as an educational doctor thank you for all you do for Liberty High School ladies and gentlemen dr.
hatch Oh mr. stream I certify that the graduating class of Air Academy High School has satisfied all state and district requirements for graduation it is my sincere honor to present to you the graduating class of 2018 the moment everybody has been waiting for and the best part of being a member of the Board of Education on behalf of the Board of Education of Academy School District 20 is with pride and pleasure I accept the 2018 graduating class of air Academy High School mr. Olsen thank you your faculty and your staff for an outstanding job congratulations at this time is the moment you've all been waiting for graduates if you could please have a seat while we set the stage for handing out of the diplomas and we will get started in one minute you Jeffrey Aaron Abba sure Cade Austin Alexander mana the gosh Jason Alexander Amaya phoukong be okay Kylie Madison Andrews Katelyn League Blackston Annika Monet our Curie Trevor James Blake Kobe Anthony Arnold Rebecca Jean bodman Reginald Edward George ashed the fourth Trinity kaeleen Bulls John Owen author Carrington bully Arnie Brian Edward Bailey Jr Tanner Lawrence booth Megan Elizabeth Baker Justin Bosco Lindsay Ryan Barton Sophia Marguerite Bowen Jacob Thomas by Nikki Brody Thomas boys alexia gene Bell my god James for God Brock Hamilton Bendrick Elora Rose Bracy James Benson Rachel Michelle Brady max Bernstein Sofia Clara brazo Spencer Michael Bastian Isabel Christine head Brennan Jonathan Michael Brown Callie Brigham Emma Marie from David Ryan epic James William buck holds Megan Joyce Carol Simone grace Butler Eli Benjamin Kathryn Cameron Allen camp Alexander he sung chai Alessandra Evelyn Brunton Hanna Jean hiya Connor Robert Campbell Timothy Gordon Chaz Moore summer Casey cannon Trenton Kentaro chigi Cassandra Jordan capella Samuel Darwin showed Emma Hutchins Capon Cody Jennifer Kristi Darrin Ashley Capps Justin Thomas Chung Joshua Sheamus Carly Connor Allen clay bar Andre Guadeloupe Valenzuela Carrillo Logan Russell Clerk Joseph Vincent Cordero marie-christine Cloonan Kamiya Annie Coronel d William Jacob cook Robert Gerald coral Tyler Daniel black Jessica Starr Cox Madison Carol door Alexandra Louise tree ghen Jacob Charles Edgerton Nicole Janelle de la Fuente Alexander Akira Evelyn Keith Jacob Danielson Casey Merlin Edwards Dakota James danagger Keanu Hennessy Edwards Megan Elizabeth Davis Kira Christine Elliot Sophie Carol Durant Erin Mary Andy Isabel Alexandra dak Thomas J Engelhardt Bethany Lynne Diaz abigail marie Englert Nicholas Owen Dietrich grace and Jane ends our Margaret and Everson Cydney Michele grad io Chang phallic Zoey tane sila gray Dylan Thomas Featherston Brad Alexander hey flee Jonathan Robert flat Gabriella Irene Haley McCall Hannah Fletcher Jason Wayne Henneberg Caitlyn Marie Fontenot Mandy sewn-in Harpeth Jack Thomas Franzen take Wayne Harper Brent Austin frolic Mariah Nicole Harriman Emily Lynn Fulton Delaney Katherine Harris Samuel ma garner Jackson my way Haley Christian Hunter Gatlin Connor James Henderson Morgan Irene Gatlin Jose Andres Hernandez Zotero jr.
Hatcher was directly responsible for calling snow days just just saying doctor truly my greatest hope is that your generation can rise above the mess begin to have real conversations with each other regardless of what viewpoint you're coming from and reach common ground leverage what the greatest generation taught us about all that is right in this world and how to overcome that which isn't make yourselves the next great generation regardless of the road you are on you're starting you're starting on one that is incredibly challenging and difficult and without about that I doubt you are all a big deal nothing short of kind smart courageous and beautiful you're all beginning to realize Diane Fossey dream of valuing all life dwelling less on what has passed and concentrating more on the preservation of the future best of luck class of 2018 has been an absolute honor and privilege to be your principal [Applause] we're coming on up [Music] you waiting for this moment [Music] it is my pleasure to now introduce dr.
Hatcher [Applause] thank you to to Caleb seniors I'm sorry I tried to call a snow day this year 17 years I think the first time I haven't have not called a snow day in Liberty High School is a great school I always enjoy coming to there and I I appreciate the kind introduction this fall I was at back-to-school night with with my kids and my son Blake introduced me and my wife to his teacher and he said and this is my wife excuse me this is my mom and she's the real doctor so how long remember them let me first say on behalf of my bosses the Board of Education congratulations to the class of 2018 I also want to personally thank Jennifer Van Buren who has served on my student advisory committee for the past two years Jen you represented Liberty well and we will miss you so thank you now I remember four years ago I was at the top of the stairs for the annual Liberty freshmen clap in I remember seeing so many of you that day and I try to do it every year it's amazing because there's probably about 10 or 12 of you that I know out there and I'd say you know hi Kathy hi Ryan and all of you be like didn't want me to know that you were coming in Academy School District is on an incredible roll and seniors you have been a big part of that we are proud of you and we will miss you and I must say is superintendent I've never had more fun than this year with all the new schools being built all the additions of school renovations remodels redesigns and you would believe you would not believe all this coming to Liberty High School I was a high school principal for five years this is my 17th year as a superintendent so this is my 22nd year of getting graduation speeches averaging five or six a year I have to say I've probably given over 100 of these but I have to say this year is different this year is different because my daughters are graduating from high school this year and I am proud to say they played field hockey right here at Liberty High School now I clearly remember 12 years ago giving a graduation speech at a ceremony just like this one insane parents I know a little how you feel my daughters are graduating from kindergarten well parents 12 years from now I know exactly how you feel seniors during your time in school there have been two tragic events in our area the Waldo Canyon fire and of course the black forest fire there's also been some fun and interesting things that have happened in our district where we had a school bus break down in the corner of Academy Boulevard and Union by the air academy Federal Credit Union down there we called our towing company that we always use they hooked up the bus and they took it to our transportation center when the mechanics came over and started to work on it they noticed that on the side of the bus it said Colorado Springs district 11 we took the wrong bus I called the district 11 superintendent to apologize he said he was called out of a meeting and told someone was stealing their bus but not to worry they were tracking the thieves on GPS right back to Academy 20 I remember asking some elementary students for advice for seniors I could give it their graduation a third grade student is Chinook Trail his advice was if you want something really expensive ask your grandparents now Evan at da Vinci for seniors his advice was don't call anyone over 30 a goat they won't know what it means so Tess at the senior breakfast when you introduce me as the goat I had three people explained to me it wasn't a bad thing it's not a bad thing and Ryan from Explorer this is my favorite he said never ever root for Navy Nebraska or the Oakland Raiders this summer is my 40th class reunion for high school it's amazing how time flies my class the class in 1978 has a surgeon who specializes in arthroscopic surgery on shoulders my class has a person who was convicted of murder that made headlines statewide my class the class of 78 has a number of high-ranking officers in the military and the first african-american police commander in his City my class has an inmate in Canyon City spending 15 to 20 years for a terrible crime my class the class of 78 has teachers nurses a pastor a pilot a professional musician and a handsome Superintendent of the best school district in the state my class has guys still hanging around widefield looking for something to do in 40 years what are we gonna say about you in your class of 2018 now graduates today while your minds are racing with excitement and anticipation your parents are remembering they're remembering their special time their short season with you as a child they're remembering the first time they ever held you in their arms they vividly remember your face holding a shoebox of supplies as you left for the first day of kindergarten they remember the picture you painted them in second grade they remember seeing you perform in school programs and athletic events they remember their pride seeing you and your cat graduation cap and gown but most of all they are thinking how how did time go by so fast graduates as you go upon your journey seize the moment do not find that when you have come to die that you have not lived do something important for your fellow man improve the lives of the men and women you share this planet with give service and enjoy an exciting life with many rewards on behalf Academy district 20 and its nearly 30,000 staff and stew I wish upon each of you all the good fortune in the world god bless [Applause] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] you [Music] [Applause] you how about one more hand for our choir and band today dr.
chase Montana Gibson [Music] Peyton Louise hangman Tia Tomas Gibson McKenna Murray card Allah Alexander meek Gilbert lily and Kalkan burden Josue Antonio Gonzalez [Music] Kirsten Murray kinder Lindsay Ellen Holloway's Jacob Samuel Kinsey Christian kit hooker melody Kwanzaa Kirkwood Kiana Erica Hooper Robert Joseph Klein Cassidy and horn Jana Alessandra please not now Ola Alexandra Wallman Moreno Zachary play + Nikki Marie Hurley [Music] Addison Tucker knock Keegan Joseph Charles dance Emma Nicole coach Erik Christina Alexandra Jensen Sydney Lee Lambert Aaron Joseph Johnson Victoria Sofia Lambos Ava Diane Johnson Paige Michelle Langham Christina Marie Johnson Jacob Anthony Martino Nicholas Richard Johnson Quinn David Matheson Benjamin Montford Joslin Alexander James Mays Ethan Avinash called flesh Madeleine page McCluskey Kristen Charlotte Lee John Parker McConnell Emma win Lily Samantha Lynn McCracken River Paul Laura's L Shannon Teresa McDonald Declan Michael Logue our Briana faith McMillan Alexander Thomas Lua Lilly and McMillan Justin Nicholas Lunt Anna Donaghy McTigue Janelle Louise Mac Madison rose mega sin' Sydney Fame McCumber [Music] Brandon Patrick Myers Sean Michael Melo it Christopher Robert Midkiff Gabrielle Elise man egg Jed Andrews Miller Elena Marie Martin's Kayden Lee Miller Martin and race Martinez Krish Luthra Miller Taylor Nicole Martinez lorros Christopher Miller Matthew Beauregard Mitchell Matthew Andrew Miller Josiah David Mollison Leah Rebecca Mason [Music] Rocio montiel Luke Benjamin negli Whitney Rose bran Jessica and Nelson Troyer landing Morse [Applause] Rita Caitlin Nelson [Applause] Preston Tolliver Moscow doing Tyler new house Jenna Christine born Benjamin Karl Newton Adriana Murray new Carelli Rachel Cristina Noel Takuya Nagasawa Brendan Patrick Nolan Boris Abdullah Nassif [Music] Abigail Nicole nudee John Robert Perry Nathan Zachary ogen Christopher Michael Peterman Riley Keith Oliveri Cameron Michael Pfleger Cassidy Rose Olson Isabella Susan P as on teen Aaron Benjamin Ortiz [Applause] Bria Joe pili Kyle Marcel Owens Joel Pixley Rebecca and Michelle pack Caitlyn Marie Pelayo Lisa and polka [Applause] Tanner plant Mary Grace Park schinsky [Applause] Donovan Xavier Porter Vova and three image Bob Lutz key Mackenzie Gianna pilot Col David Byrne max Alden Raber [Applause] Rayner Austin Ratchford Garrett Christian ray Borg Brenner Lee Rollins person Reese Romines Shaun Allen reading her Devon Anthony Russo Zachary Alvin read maven Daniel Russo way Alison Victoria reader Nicholas Scott rooster syska my Rene Reynold Scott Alexander Riddhi Megan and Elsie Reynolds Soren Soren son sipar en Monica Ruth ray Brandon Taylor salable Sean Riley Gloria Alesia Ruth Somerville Brendan David rossabi Carson Lee so rich son Nicholas Vincent Rivard hunt Carly Rae Smith Jai Rivera [Music] [Applause] grams Steven sprigs Ricardo Louise Rivera jr.
March Hatcher Intendant of Academy school district 20 thank you very much I appreciate it 17 years as a superintendent and I do believe this is the first time I have not called a snow day so I'm sorry seniors I tried I did this morning I woke up and I was at the breakfast table and my son Blake was there and and I asked Blake I said Blake I'm speaking at the rampart graduation tonight what do you think I should talk about and he said well dad perhaps you should talk about the importance of planning ahead let me first say on behalf of my bosses the Board of Education congratulations to the class of 2018 I also want to personally thank Netra for being on my student Advisory Committee for the past two years [Applause] Academy School District is on an incredible roll in seniors you have been a big part of that we are proud of you and we will miss you I was a high school principal for five years this is my 17th year as a superintendent so this is my 22nd year of giving graduation speeches averaging 5 or 6 a year I've given over a hundred of these and I have to say this year is a little different because my daughters are also graduating from high school this year and I clearly remember 12 years ago giving a graduation speed at a ceremony just like this one just like this stage and saying parents I know a little how you feel my daughters are graduating from kindergarten today well parents now 12 years later I know exactly how you feel seniors during your time in school there been two tragic events in our area the Waldo Canyon fire and the black forest fire there have also been a number of funny things that have occurred in our district during that school year or during your school career I will long remember we had a school bus break down and stopped in the parking lot on the corner of Academy Boulevard and Union next to the Air Academy Federal Credit Union down there we called the towing company we always use they hooked the bus up they towed it to the transportation center when our mechanics came over to start working on the bus they noticed on the side the side of the bus had said Colorado Springs district 11 we took the wrong bus I called the district 11 superintendent to apologize he said he was called out of a meeting and told someone was stealing their bus but they said don't worry we're tracking the thieves on GPS yes right back to Academy 20 I remember asking some elementary students advice for seniors I could give at their graduation a third grade student is Chinook trails advice was if you want something really expensive ask your grandparents Evon at da Vinci's advice for seniors was don't call anyone over 30 years old a goat they won't know what it means happened to me last week I had to have two people explaining to me what it meant and Ryan from Explorer said never ever root for Nebraska or the Oakland Raiders that's my favorite this summer will be my 40th high school class reunion it's amazing how time flies my class the class of 1978 has a surgeon who specializes on arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder my class has a person who was convicted of murder that made headlines statewide my class the class of 78 has a number of high-ranking officers in the military and the first African American police commander in his City my class has an inmate in Canyon City spending 15 to 20 years for a terrible crime my class the class of 78 has teachers nurses a pastor a pilot professional musician a handsome Superintendent of the best school district in the state my class has guys still hanging around Whitefield looking for something to do in 40 years what are we gonna say about you in your class of 2018 graduates today while your minds race with excitement and anticipation your parents are remembering they're remembering their special times with you and their short season with you as a child they're remembering the first time they ever held you in their arms they vividly remember your face holding a shoebox of supplies as you left for the first day of kindergarten they remember the picture you painted them in second grade they remember seeing you perform in school programs and athletic events they remember there right seeing you and your graduation cap and gown but most of all they're thinking how how did time go go by so fast graduates as you go upon your journey seize the moment do not find that when you have come to die that you have not lived do something important for your fellow man improve the lives of the men and women you share this planet with give service and enjoy an exciting life with many rewards on behalf of Academy school district 20 and its nearly 30,000 staff and students I wish upon each of you all the good fortunes in the world god bless [Applause] Thank You dr.
Haskell and members of the district 20 school board it is an honor to present to you the Liberty High School graduating class of 2018 and to certify to you that every graduate who walks across the stage today and who is presented a diploma as they leave today has at minimum met the requirements established by the Academy school district 20 Board of Education ladies and gentlemen let me tell you a little bit about this amazing class of 2018 all 418 of them they are a very tight knit a very tight knit group and their friendships extend beyond the typical social groups they kicked off the school year with an event called the senior sunrise in which they arrived on the first day of school as the Sun was rising to welcome the school year as a class they then concluded the school year with a senior sunset and a walk down memory lane through Prairie Hills Elementary School timber View middle school and liberty as they said goodbye as a class to their high school career but before we as a staff say our goodbyes it is important for everyone in this arena and around the world to know what a special class this is first this class is very very bright as of last week this senior class has earned over 10 million dollars in college scholarships we have three Air Force Academy appointments one Naval Academy appointment one Air Force Academy prep school appointment one Navy prep school appointment for Air Force ROTC scholars two Army ROTC scholars 13 AP scholars 6 AP scholars with honors and 1 AP Scholar with distinction this class also has eight National Merit commended students one National Merit Scholar one National Hispanic scholar one Daniel's fund scholar one better scholars finalist and one better scholar [Applause] we have to Cosette's best and brightest 21 who have earned the order of the crest recognition and 157 members of this class are graduating with honors or high honors and over 80% of this class will be heading to post-secondary institutions in the fall a group of these seniors who were in AP Physics this year had a once-in-a-lifetime experience of skyping with astronaut mark VandeHei while he was on the International Space Station they also got to be in a Mission Control Center in Denver for the Atlas 5 rocket launch and received VIP tours of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in April the students who attended told me it was a life-changing experience and one of the seniors has aspirations to be a part of the first crew to launch to Mars our seniors worked hard this year and whether they earned those final credits last semester or last week they all put in a valiant effort so they could sit before you today so please thank them for that [Applause] going beyond the classroom let's talk about athletics we have 20 national letter of intent signees who plan to play sports in college we have 10 teams who qualified for academic all-state and our girls field hockey team was awarded the Colorado academic all-state team championship for the fall we are the league champions in boys golf had state qualifiers qualifiers in boys and girls golf volleyball girls and boys basketball girls swimming and boys and girls track our girls and boys basketball teams set school records with each team winning 18 games in the regular season our boys basketball team went to the sweet 16 for the first time in 5a competition and one of our boys players scored over a thousand points in his high school career additionally our boys basketball coach was recognized as the color springs Metro leagues coach of the year we have numerous other all league all-state players and a number of senior rotary champion nominees including two rotary champions our girls track team has been on fire this season winning a number of team championships and breaking school records in fact a few of our boys and girls track seniors are representing Liberty at the state beat today and in fact one is already just started running just a little after 1 o'clock today all of these have been amazing accomplishments but what really stands out about our athletes is how they give back to the community all teams are involved in community service projects raining from ranging from cleaning parks and community areas to mentoring and tutoring to partnering with charities and community groups to provide donations and assistance this is what truly defines a student-athlete now let's move on to activities our talented seniors are also amazing in that realm as well we've had award-winning visual arts students and our FBLA and deca students qualified for state and national competitions our student council who is recognized as a national gold student council of excellence helped to lead a huge run fun raising campaign for local charities which resulted in donations of over $10,000 to the community and under the direction of the National Honor Society a group a number of groups raised over eleven thousand five hundred dollars for the make-a-wish foundation to help send a local child and her family to Disneyland our performing arts program was amazing again this year our theater department entered a competition called the Bobby G Awards and received four nominations our dance program performed at a competition in California earlier this year our chamber singers were invited to perform at the prestigious Music for all national festival and Indianapolis and we had students who are selected for Allstate choir jazz band orchestra and band now you may already know this but I am so proud of our amazing students that we have at Liberty they have represented the Lancer nation with class and honor and they and it's them and the phenomenal staff are the reason why Liberty High School is one of the best high schools not only in Colorado Springs but in Colorado so congratulations class of 2018 let's give them a round of applause [Applause] before you depart his graduates and enter the world as a 30th class of Liberty alumni I would like to take advantage of this time to address you one last time as your principal I was thinking of what I wanted to talk to you about should it be about the fact that you were the first high school graduating class that was born in this century and scary Glee they didn't think we would actually get to 2,000 because they were afraid that the computer clocks would not be able to turn over from 1999 to 2000 maybe I should talk to you about the advances in the world and that you're gonna be a part of including missions to other planets cars that drive themselves and modes of transportation that will get you from Colorado Springs to Denver in under 10 minutes and avoid Tomah Road altogether or maybe I should share with you my thoughts about the importance of going into the world with trust in confidence but after the last four years of interacting with you I've decided that that I must make a sad confession to all of you I really don't understand you now please don't be offended by this confession I tell you this in hopes that you will be able to bridge the gap between your generation and my generation parents I'm taking this opportunity to speak on your behalf as well a public service announcement if you will what I don't understand about you is the communication lingo I know it's hard to believe but I am old and it makes it difficult for me to learn especially on the spot what you're saying when you speak to me in slang acronyms and initialisms hieroglyphics and selfies I'm sure you don't even think about it but remember that in the future you will be working with people from my generation and clear correspondence will be really helpful if you want to build those strong professional relationships so let me give you a few examples of what I'm talking about let's start with slang like when a kid tells me hey mr.
Xavier Sylvester Stephens Foreman Molly Marie Robinson Emma Stoddard Billy Ray Robinson the third Parker Earl Stokes Leon Xavier Celeste a robust [Applause] Zachary Peter strand Dean Aaron Swickard Carter Joseph Rodney Asia Simone Taylor just in Matthew Rodriguez Patrick Lee Taylor Mesa Jean Rojas [Music] Zachary Daniel terre des Denzel Frederick Romeo Trustin ray Thomas Mariah's Taylor Romeo [Applause] Marley and welding Lauren Ashley Sanders [Music] Carson ray went Owen Mitchell Sawyer Sophie Wenzel Katelyn Elizabeth Shannon Jacob Kane Werner Ryan James self Andrew Isaiah Werther Ali Marie Micah James will born Adrian Taz schmuck Naomi Bernadette Williams Jeremy Thomas Schmidt Claire Elizabeth will mess abby taylor some Isabella and Witczak grace Caroline Sebald Michaela and Wixom abigail marie Saku Tara Eleanor Marie right amber Nicole summer shine Grayson Quinton right Danica Jade Simpson Tristan Vaden right Amanda grace Smith Brian David Weist Brooke Lee Smith Chiara when Alexa Camille Trujillo Calvin Graham Yocum Samantha Katherine Belton Victor's RM David Peter vicar [Applause] Owen Alvaro's Zimmerman Joshua Alexander being a wave uh Joshua died go boss Joslyn Denise Walker Peyton de neige Walters John dozer Walton the Fed lauren renee Wayman nakai - I am odd ward [Applause] at this time let me introduce the senior class president for the turning of the tassels mr.
hatch 'el guys hot enough out there what about all y'all good evening class of 2018 friends family and colleagues it is my distinct privilege now to draw your attention to the academic achievements and other dis ting distinctions excuse me of our graduates the Board of Education and the district administration would like to recognize those students whose parents are currently deployed in service to our nation these students are wearing a red white and blue cord with those students please stand [Applause] students wearing a blue cord please stand the blue cord is indicative of those students having participated for at least three or more years in afj ROTC [Applause] students wearing a red cord please stand these students have each earned straight A's at rampart High School over the course of seven consecutive semesters [Applause] students wearing the blue and gold cord please stand [Music] students wearing the blue and gold cord are inducted members of and have completed the requirements for membership in the National Honor Society [Applause] students wearing the black red and gold cord please stand [Applause] students wearing the black red and gold cord are inducted members of and have completed each of the academic requirements for membership in the German National Honor Society with students wearing a white cord please stand these students have been active participants in and completed the requirements of the avid which is advancement via individual determination program students wearing a white ib stole please stand [Applause] students wearing the white stole have participated in participated in and fulfilled the requirements of the International Baccalaureate diploma program in both grades 11 and 12 [Applause] students wearing the gold collar please stand [Applause] students wearing the gold collar are our honor graduates having achieved an overall GPA of 3.8 or above over the course of seven semesters [Applause] it is next my pleasure to present this year's valedictorians and salutatorians the international baccalaureate valedictorian His grace chew grace is joined here this evening by her mother Holly her father John her sister Joanna and her brother-in-law Jarek in her years at rampart high school grace participated in women's basketball and tennis additionally she is a member of the National Honor Society Link Crew French club deca knowledge Bowl and the IB student leadership grace was also a volunteer at Memorial Hospital involved in chemistry Olympiad grace will be attending the University of wisconsin-madison this fall and intends to major in biochemistry Grace's future plans include being either a medical researcher or physician [Music] [Applause] the valedictorian is Joshua Fagan [Applause] here to celebrate tonight with Joshua are both his parents his aunts Jennifer and Christine and cousins Ryan and Shawn in his time at rampart Joshua participated in both the book club and poetry club in addition to several writing centric organizations outside of school including 21st century writers and the Colorado Springs fiction writers Joshua is in receipt of a full tuition scholarship to Columbia University with an intent to major in creative writing Joshua's intent is to become a novelist [Applause] the International Baccalaureate salutatorian is Rebecca Acosta Rebecca celebrates her graduation tonight with her parents Tracy and Raoul her brothers Joseph Benjamin Jeremiah Jacob and Elijah her sisters mariana annalisa and noelia as well as family friends Patricia Colleen and Patrick in her four years at rampart Rebecca participated in cross-country Romantics women's tennis international diploma program student leadership Key Club National Honor Society and National Honor Society twice that's my mistake I'm so sorry Rebecca is the recipient of the Provost scholarship from the University of Denver where she will attend this coming fall she will major in environmental science [Applause] the salutatorian is Derrick del Toro Derrick this evening is joined by his parents margarita and Jose sister Alexis and brother Anthony additional celebrants include Uncle Eddie Johnson grandmother margarita Johnson stepmother Elizabeth friends Kimberly Poe Rachel and cousins Don and Kelly over the course of his high school career Derek participated in deca it is Derek's intention to attend Colorado State University and major in electrical engineering and concentrate in stem Derek is the recipient of the CSU honor scholarship and the green and gold scholarship [Applause] and now some inspiring words from these very smart kids starting with grace okay good evening parents teachers and fellow students of the class of 2018 congratulations after a thousand four hundred sixty ish days some more memorable than others we have finally arrived I am very humbled and honored to speak to you all tonight and more importantly grateful to our family friends and teachers who helped us get here to my family I am forever grateful for your unconditional love and support as well as all the sacrifices you have made to let me stay and finish high school here in Colorado with my friends to my friends there are no words I can really use to describe how grateful I am for all of you because without you I would not have survived high school and finally to my mentors and teachers the time and resources you have invested in our guidance has been invaluable your passion and dedication to teaching and helping us is truly inspiring reflecting on these past four years I realized that some of my best high school memories are those are from those where students have worked together compiling our resources and brain power to help better each other in our community whether it be tutoring fellow peers or raising money for bald four bucks we as a class have proven time and time again that the power of collaboration goes a long way because we have different goals and values all of our paths are as unique as they are uncertain at this point it feels like after we graduate there's a pressure to know what we will do and how we will shape the world but in my opinion nothing's really changed we were all on different paths when we entered high school and we will continue on those paths afterward now when I say uncertainty a lot tends to come to mind with science labs mathematical calculations for uncertain can be quite frustrating and with respect to our real lives and future the concept of uncertainty can be even more frightening but there is a beauty behind the uncertainty and having no idea where we are going in life I mean aside from like fundamental calculus theories and Newtonian physics axioms all of our lives are very much still a work in progress tonight we graduate high school a reflection of all our achievements these past four years tomorrow we will continue with our lives pursuing different interests and different paths we may not have all the answers but we do have our ideas our values and our goals and that's enough here's to all we've accomplished in graduating tonight here's to staying true to our values and here's to embracing the unknown as we part ways into the future class of 2018 this experience was unforgettable thank you [Applause] greetings fellow students esteemed staff and incredible friends and families it is my honor and my privilege represent rampart High School as its valedictorian I am lucky to have belonged to the rampart community it is a community dedicated to ensuring that each and every student has the greatest opportunity possible to succeed and as I reflect back in my experience these last several years I cannot help but arrive at the conclusion that I would not be the person I am today without this school and I am far from unique in that regard we will carry in our hearts and in our minds what we have learned at the school as we eagerly advance into the uncertain but exciting future that awaits us as we prepare to go our separate ways we have more to show for our years here than lists of facts about algebra and geography we've learned to analyze we've developed critical thinking skills because of this we're prepared to continue our studies outside the classroom the world is our classroom now and we will use what we have been taught to continue learning and growing in both our professional and our personal lives I will remember our patient and thoughtful teachers and I will remember also the friends I made and the relationships I formed here high school is not only a series of classes it's a community of thousands of students interacting and debating and forming relationships and that includes the hundreds of seniors graduating with me here today the memories we've made will last even as we leave rampart behind yes high school can be a trying time and we've all made decisions that we regret but we've emerged as stronger more mature more compassionate people while most of the students here with me today have had the pleasure to attend rampart for four years I have only spent two years at the school before that I attended Dority and while I hold no ill will towards that institution the decision to come to rampart was the correct choice the community was welcoming it didn't matter that I hadn't attended the school as a freshman and a sophomore what mattered was that I was there to learn and to grow both as a student and a person I sincerely hope that willingness to accept students into the invigorating halls of rampart will never fade but it's time for us to move on to the next stage of our lives to leave behind the Citadel of scholarship and progress into the outside world our lives will change and it is up to us to make sure that they change for the better the path the path extending out before us will not be easy but it will be worthwhile our time at rampart may have come to a close but the legacy of this class the class of 2018 is just beginning what that legacy will look like is up to us the future is not set in stone so let us go forth and write it let us forge a legacy that we can all treasure thank you you oh thank you Miss mastica for the introduction my fellow rampart uns and guests somehow I managed to be standing in front of you all giving this speech today I guess people think I know what I'm doing I would first like to thank my family especially my mom and dad my brothers and sisters and my dog for your unconditional support and teaching me to be a compassionate person mom and dad I could not have made it this far without you guys or anywhere for that matter and I am extremely thankful for all the encouragement and sacrifices you have made for me thank you to all my friends for experiencing high school with me and for leaving such a positive impact on my life that I will cherish forever and lastly thank you to all the rampart faculty you have showed all of us here what it is truly like to be selfless by dedicating all your time to us and inspiring us to pursue our passions we are beyond grateful for everything you have done for us and a special thanks to all of you and myself for attending and supporting us today on the end of this chapter I'm not full of life advice because I've had little experience but I know of a few people who are doctors has claimed sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory the past four years have seemed to be the most average moments of our lives we went to after-school activities classes and got stuck in the slow traffic of the hallways every single day looking back now the last four years were some of the most memorable moments we raise record-breaking amounts for ball for bucks one state championship titles and we exceeded to unimaginable lengths despite obstacles and we passed our chem in bio tests even though high school is only a part of our journey and we earned our actions and the people we have met will impact our lives forever hopefully in a positive way gandalf once said all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us our lives are full of decisions that lead to uncertainty but as long as we spread happiness wherever we go and we continue to grow we will succeed we solve a lot of times to choose our future and find success on path but what is success one of my favorite movies is hitch and in that movie Will Smith says a quote from Maya Angelou life is not measured by the breasts we take but by the moments that take our breath away if you live in each moment you will find happiness in the uncertainty of life life is truly a gift and happiness is the ultimate success and only until we enjoy every moment in every person who has touched our lives will we be able to find success if there is anything to take away from this it is to know that there are two types of people in this world those who need closure just kidding try to live by the value of every moment not by the length we will be remembered today by the type of impression we leave on others not how long we were with them we are creating our own legacy of happiness change and leadership now it is our time to make a positive impact it has been a wonderful 4 years with you all and I wish you all the very best Congrats grads of 2018 and thank you and now mr.
t those new kicks you're sporting or off-the-chain the interpretation is the students like the new shoes I'm wearing but I didn't get a chance to say thanks because I didn't know what that phrase meant instead the student got a bill wildered look for me on my face when I said okay that too is probably not the reaction they were looking for I don't want you walking away thinking I wasn't appreciative of the compliment I just didn't know what in the world you were saying to me sadly I had to go to one of my younger teachers and ask for the interpretation let's move to acronyms it's been mentioned a few times already today but earlier this year my son told me mr Chambers is the goat while we were heading home from school when I was talking to him about our basketball team I thought that maybe I misunderstood him so I let it go but I thought to myself that comment wasn't very nice then walking through the hallways I heard other students referencing people as goats there were even arguments about who was the greatest goat Payton Manning or Tom Brady Michael Jordan or LeBron James still others were talking of their own teachers being the goat as well when it came to registering for classes next year finally someone let me know that the goat really means greatest of all time kids it'd be nice to know that up front and how about initialisms or what you call texting shortcuts BFF rofl ttyl y ou L o or Yolo and lol for example when I first received these in a text message my response was simply hu H huh I told both of my kids who are now in high school in college not to text me unless they spell the words out so I know what they're saying but it's not just in texting anymore now you actually say it in emails and in person for example when I was finally conned into writing the big swing on our high ropes course and I was hoisted all the way up in the air and I was trying to tell the kids to let me write back down nice and easy one kid yelled Yolo mr.