I'm nervous, not just because I'm giving a speech in front of all of my peers, but because of the unknowingness of the future. For most of my life, I was always the person who had a plan. Get the grades, win the competition, join the activity, build the perfect future. I thought if I organized everything, I could avoid uncertainty alltogether. But this year, much to the annoyance of everyone around me, I found myself saying three words more than ever before. Nancy, what are you doing after graduation? I don't know. So, what career do you want? I don't know. What college are you choosing? I literally just said I don't know. We are finally the adults we had so desperately wanted to be when we were younger. And suddenly I find myself wanting to be a kid again. And that's the thing about senior year. It makes you realize that an entire chapter of your life is coming to a close.
I stood and looked down upon as far as I could to where it in the underground and took the [singing] other [music] just as well. And [music] having perhaps [singing] a better day [music] because [singing] it was [music] grassy and wanted the more than [music and singing] the passing there [music] will [singing] be about the >> [music] >> And both [singing] that morning equally lay. [music] [singing] [music] >> Oh, I kept the first [singing] for another day. that knowing [music] the way leads [singing] to way I [music] defy should ever come back come [music and singing] back. I shall [music and singing] be telling this with the sun [music] somewhere [singing] aes and aes [music] to diver [singing] [music] to divers to most [singing] diverse and I [music] took the one [singing] last tray. [music] [singing] [music] All the Christ.
Um it you have to literally put it directly over the plate for him to call a strike. >> Swinging on three and 0 and came up empty. It's three and one. >> So hopefully uh it's not the same strike zone that he had in Hington for for Bella that Holly gets. >> Here comes the 3-1. That one is upstairs. So Whan loads the bases here in the first with two away. >> You got two out. certainly don't want to let them walk in a run and just give one away. Um going to buckle down a little bit, figure out what the strike zone is and start getting them in there. [cheering] >> So base is loaded. Nowhere to put her. First pitch is a ball. >> Yep. Believe this is Caitlyn to Julia. 255 this season. Comes the 10 swing and a miss. Took a huge hack and it's one and one.
You've experienced many important laughs this year. Our last competition, our last concert, our last school dance, our last day of school. The list goes on. Everyone tells you to focus on these big last that you miss the small random ones that are just as important. The last time laughing too loud in the back of a class with your friend. The last inside joke that somehow never got old. The last random hallway conversation that you didn't realize you'd miss. These spontaneous moments remind us of something important. Growing up is not about having everything figured out. It's about learning to embrace uncertainty. Because the truth is, none of us became the perfectly put together people we believe we'd be by senior year. And that's okay. Because today is the last day as high school students. This is the last time we will ever wear our caps and gowns before we officially graduate.
[music] [applause] Good evening everyone and thank you all for being here tonight. To the families, teachers, coaches, and friends who supported us along the way, thank you for helping shape the people we have become. And to the class of 2026, after years of hard work, stress, memories, and moments that seemed like they would last forever, we have finally made it here together. I'll be honest, I had no idea how to start this speech. I kept overthinking it, trying to make it perfect, trying to make it meaningful. And somewhere in all of that, I realized I was doing exactly what we've all been doing for years. Focusing so much on what's next that we forget about right now. [snorts] We spent so much time thinking about the future, the next big exam, the next game that we didn't always stop to appreciate where we were, the small moments, the ordinary days, the things that didn't seem important at the time, but somehow ended up meaning the most.
>> Julia uh played third base for the Warriors in the first game. Uh she played a great game over there at third base. I believe she was one for two in that initial contest. >> Here comes the 1-1. That's a line drive into left field. That's a base hit. One run scores. They go station to station and Whan with two outs. Strikes first. >> Yeah, the Juliet nice piece of hitting to get it over the leaping Lauraai Colette over there down the third baseline. and she ripped one right down the line. Luckily, Rebecca Crez was able to get in a hurry, hold that to only one run. Uh, but we've got ourselves in a little bit of trouble here with the bases loaded still. It's going to get out of this jam. >> And it's Olivia Carmeloitz. That one's misses. And it's ball one. >> Yeah, really want to try to limit the damage here.
And these next few hours will be the last time we are surrounded by this exact group of people. Although today feels like the moment, it's just a moment in the long journey of the rest of our lives. The truth is, we may never feel fully ready for the moments that shape our lives. Ready to graduate, take the job offer, move into our first apartment, or start a new chapter. But that's what makes the future exciting. How will we know when we're ready? Well, the answer is we won't. It's a leap of faith. And uncertainty, while intimidating, leaves room for growth, unexpected opportunities, and moments we could have never planned for. So, as we move forward, I hope we embrace the uncertainty ahead of us while still appreciating the moments right in front of us. Congratulations, class of 2026. Now I'd like to introduce the validictorian Ryik Shunker Suther Sunker.
At the same time, it's just as easy to get stuck looking backward, replaying moments we wish we had handled differently, holding on to regrets, or wishing we could go back and do things over. But no matter how many times we revisit it, the past doesn't change. It only keeps us from moving forward. >> [snorts] >> Somewhere between worrying about the future and holding on to the past, we forget about the only moment we actually have control over, the present. And the truth is this is where everything happens. This is where friendships are built, where memories are made, and where our lives are actually lived. Looking back, the moments we will remember most were not always the big planned milestones. They were the random conversations in the hallway, the random friend you'd make in class that you'd never met before, the small victories, the everyday routines we didn't think twice about at the time.
Uh, one run is certainly not going to win this game with the bats that the Clockers have, but you do not want to fall behind in a game like this. I'm sure they're a little tight and and you want to make sure they can keep this thing close. That's upstairs. Two balls and no strikes. Carmeloitz does strike out a lot. 210 average on the season. And looks like we're going to have a quick mound visit here. >> I think it's a smart move right now. Don't you, George, come out, settle her down. She's she wants to, you know, make sure she works this batter. Maybe he's even saying to her what Jacob just told us. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Of course. That's a great idea, especially for somebody that hasn't pitched a lot during the season. Um, and she's coming in again, a lot of pressure on her.
Ryik, will you please come forward? Ryik is the son of Suther Sunker Sankara Pandian and Uma Priya Suika Suner. Ryik is a robotics team captain and lead programmer, computer science honor society president, national honor society member, and a member of the competitive coding club. During the summer of 2025, Ryik participated in the Yale Young Global Scholars Program and Rose Halman Operation Catapole, where his team created a prosthetic arm that would pick up a water bottle. Ryik is ranked first in his class with a 5.562 GPA. and Rick will attend the Georgia Institute of Technology in the fall and major in computer science. Ladies and gentlemen, an honor to present to you the validictorian of the class of 2026, Ryik Shunker Suther Suther Sunker. Congratulations.
Those were the moments that mattered, even if we didn't realize it then. [snorts] If these past four years have taught us anything, it's not just how to prepare us for the future. It's how important it is to be present while we're getting there. Because one day, the things we are rushing through right now will be the things we wish we could go back to. As we move forward, it'll be easy to fall into the same pattern. There will always be something ahead of us. deadlines, expectations, goals that feel like they matter more than anything else. And there will always be things behind us, mistakes we wish we could fix, or moments we wish we could relive. But if we let either one take over, we miss what's right in front of us. [snorts] Living in the present doesn't mean ignoring the future or forgetting the past.
And, you know, a high school um, you know, student coming out in the middle of a playoff game having not pitched. Uh, there's a lot on her mind. So, it's very smart move by the coach to come out and tell her, "Hey, relax. [music] Do what you do. Get, you know, let's get the ball on the ground and get out here." That one misses. So, it is three balls and no strikes here. >> You got You got nowhere to put her right now. So, this is this is time. You may even have to just think about grooving one and having the defense make a play behind you because you cannot afford to walk in a run. >> And that one misses. Yeah. So, they do walk in a run. Carmeloitz will take first base and it's two nothing Whan. Yeah, this is probably the worst possible start that the Clockers could have thought of uh in terms of um walking runs in, right?
>> Good evening everyone. Before I start my speech, I'd like to thank all the people who helped me in my journey. First, my parents. They've supported me in all my endeavors since I was a baby, and I truly would not be in this position without them. My sister Anjanam has been a very supportive and very supportive sibling. She helped me balance the stress in my life. I would also like to thank the teachers who shaped me into who I am today. and my high school experience would not have been nearly as memorable without my friends. We live in a world that focuses more on achievements and results than on the journey. And this can sometimes lead us to taking paths that avoid and risk of failures. We see so many stories of success around us and never see the adversity people went through. I want to remind you that success requires challenge.
It means learning from both without letting them control us. It means being fully where you are even when it feels ordinary, even when it doesn't seem important. Because those are the moments that quietly shape who we become. The reality is life doesn't suddenly slow down and give us the perfect chance to appreciate it. It doesn't get less busy or less uncertain. If we're waiting for that moment, we'll be waiting forever. The only time we ever really have is right now. So, as we leave here today, we take more than just what we've learned in a classroom, we take the ability to choose how we experience and what comes next. Whether we rush through it and always look ahead or whether we take the time to actually live in it, today is one of those moments, one we've been looking forward to for years. And now that it's here, it won't last much longer.
This is this is not the kind of team that you want to give a lead to because they also do have pretty good bats. Uh so we got to see what Holly can settle down here. >> It's a swing and a miss by the freshman Sophia Gork. >> 305 this season for Wayland. And Cash gets ahead. It's when she needs to be needs to be ahead. Got to get first pitch strikes here. >> And Holly, she has a really nice change up. She, you know, most throws a lot of fast balls where she has that great change up. It just kind of falls out at the end and gets batters to go for it. And I think, you know, she had a strike out with that type of pitch. And now she just got her first right here. I think maybe she needs to throw that a little bit more and get the batters biting on it.
Consider for a moment where this journey began. Four years ago, many of us walked into the high school nervous with lots of uncertainty of our futures. What followed was full of detours, but the challenges we encountered along the way shaped us just as much as our successes have. I'm sure my friends from Robotus can agree with that. Now, we sit here still with some uncertainty, but with a lot less of it and a lot more confidence to replace it. There's a certain comfort in choosing the path that carries the least risk of failure or disappointment. And while caution certainly has its place, a life guided entirely by the avoidance of failure is one that rarely reaches its full potential. The most meaningful accomplishments any of us will achieve will almost certainly require us to attempt something we are not entirely sure we can do. In order to achieve great success, one must risk failure.
[snorts] So don't let it go pass by unnoticed. Don't spend it thinking about what's next or wishing you could go back. Just be here. Take it in. Remember it for what it is. because one day this will be one of the moments we look back on and wish we could experience again. And the best thing we can do is actually live it while we have it. Congratulations, class of 2026. Good evening, parents, families, faculty, staff, honored guests, and most importantly, the graduating class of 2026. Today is a celebration, a celebration of hard work, growth, and the countless moments, both seen and unseen, that brought you to this seat in this cap and gown. On behalf of everyone here, let me say how incredibly proud we are of you. Each of you arrived at Bluffton High School with potential. But potential alone does not earn a diploma.
>> Yeah, this is a big confidence batter I think for Holly. If you can get out of this, she gets out with a little bit more confidence than >> just have pitch >> and strike two doctor order, George. That's what you're looking for. >> Somebody get a message over to Hall. We want to see more of that. >> That's the one. That's the one. Dr. Dr. Tubin called it in. >> See if she goes there again. Ahead. One and two here. Trying to strand the bases loaded. Ground ball into left. That's a base hit. They'll send another runner to the plate >> and scoring standing up is to Julia. Two more runs come in on a single from Gork and it's 4 nothing Whan. Yeah, unfortunately that ball was hit hard and Griezmann did not handle it cleanly. Uh I think a clean I think a clean handle by the left fieldielder would have stranded that runner at third.
As we transition into the next chapter of our lives, whether that takes us to higher education, the workforce, or somewhere still undefined, we will inevitably be faced with choices between what is safe and what is worthwhile. There will be moments that call for courage, for patience, and for the willingness to fall short and try again. I've had lots of success, but I've had my own failures, too. One memory of this is where we built a Baltic glider for the science Olympiad, but we built it so fragile that it fell apart while flying. One moment I saw one plane and the next I saw two. I also tried speech and debate, but I realized that as you may have been able to tell, I'm not a great public speaker. But even with these setbacks, I kept trying new things because a dead end in one path doesn't mean all paths have dead ends.
What earns it is effort, perseverance, the willingness to keep going when things get difficult. You fa faced challenging classes, demanding schedules, disappointments, pressure, and moments of self-doubt. Some of you stumbled. Some of you struggled quietly. Some of you had to overcome obstacles far greater than most people will ever see. And some of you had many, we will call them moments with Morrison in the assistant principal's office. Yet here you are. You showed up. You adapted. You pushed forward. To each of you, your obstacles or challenges were different. But each of you said, "Challenge accepted." and you persevered. As you leave this school and step into the next chapter of your lives, college, careers, the military, or new opportunities, you will continue to face challenges. Some will be exciting. Others will feel overwhelming. When they come, I hope you remember the moment. Remember that you are capable of more than you think.