001[Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Music] foreign [Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Music] so please stand up for the national anthem [Music] who's brought stripes and bright stars [Music] again [Music] who say does [Music] and to break good evening and welcome to the phoenix day school for the deaf high school graduation class of 2000 or 2021. i am courtney fritz principal it is my honor to welcome you here honestly we all feel inspired to have you many of you here in person joining us this evening i know that's not the same it's not our normal graduation and there's a lot of people joining online via live stream and we wish that we could all gather and have everyone here but again we are inspired and thrilled that some of you are here this evening i also
002want to recognize our agency administrators our honored dignitaries in this room this evening superintendent annette reichmann and assistant superintendent dr kristen rex also know that several asdb board members are joining us via online watching from afar as well thank you for joining us like i mentioned this year is different as we know covid19 impacted your senior year it impacted what you envisioned to be what you've been shooting for since kindergarten disappointments mixed emotions are normal to have but it did not impact your success your success is still here and it's normal you've made it you have made it to tonight and you are graduating from high school our theme this year was adventure awaits and it's a perfect fit for our current time in our world we started the school year a little unsure as
003to what the year would look like you experience both school online and in person and many of you participated in class where the teachers were both online and in person a hybrid approach and that's tough it was tough on students teachers and staff but really what impressed me the most was your commitment and your perseverance you easily could have come up with an excuse oh yeah we were supposed to graduate in 2021 but you know covet happened we could have had that but you didn't you continued to persevere you showed up every day whether it be online or in person and you followed your dream you didn't let other things impact you and throw you off guard and the adventure was truly there for sure and many of us adults family friends and staff had
004ques you had questions for us where we didn't have the answers we all lived through the pandemic not knowing the answers but nobody gave up on you we all committed to stay with you right to support you and help you through it that led to this evening you should be proud of yourselves we are all very proud of you now we should have another person here with us this evening and we're all wearing a green ribbon the favorite color of your class your teammate and your friend alexander james stewart who is gone too soon may of 2020 was a hard time he didn't have the opportunity to experience his senior year but we are wearing green to honor him and we also have a chair in place with you graduates to honor him now let's
005take a few moments to reflect and in memories of alex stewart [Music] it's been a long day without you my friend and i'll tell you all about it when i see you again we've come a long way [Music] you know all the planes we flew good things we've been through did i be standing right here talking to you about another pass i know we love to hit the road and laugh but something told me that it wouldn't last had to switch up look at things different see the bigger picture those were the days hard work forever pays now i see you in a better place how can we not talk about family with families all that we got everything i would do you [Music] and i'll tell you all about it when i see you
006again we've come a long way from where we began oh i'll tell you all about it when i see you again when i see you again alex is here with you he's watching over you proud of you and congratulating you and now it's your time to celebrate all of your work thus far class of 2021 i am proud of you and your adventure awaits it's your time grab it up next is our senior representative and we will be showing you a video presentation from isabella ballard hi my name is isabelle ballard the seniors voted me as their senior representative definitely nervous but here i am now i would like to thank the staff and the seniors and parents for coming to this graduation without your constant support we would not be here at this gym
007our life is like a story we have many chapters left to go some of you will be starting your own chapter and your own path it felt like just a year ago we started our freshman year of high school and now we're finally graduating with our cap and gown the night finally came hopefully we can still stay in touch since social media is everywhere now i never thought time would go by so fast i appreciate every little moment i've had with each of you at ptsd ever since i transferred back to pdsd to start my sophomore year of high school i've been so happy and now i have a lot of goals after graduating my goal is to be a licensed cosmetologist and business owner i'd like to thank my family and friends for supporting
008me throughout 12 years of school it was all because of your constant support and motivation i found a reason to come to school even when i didn't want to come i will definitely miss ptsd ptsd will always have a special place in my heart we did it senior class also selected a commencement speaker our athletic director jeff platerol thank you courtney graduates staff parents friends good evening and congratulations class of 2021 this evening you've accomplished something special and that's your high school diploma your moments away from starting your journey and just so you know it won't be easy 30 years ago i sat where you are at my high school graduation sat in my tuxedo with my fancy sunglasses believe it or not i had hair oh yeah i'd like to share a few life
009lessons that i learned throughout my journey the journey begins today for you you've been in school for a long time 12 years some of you may continue on with your education go to college trade school maybe a community college and maybe some of you will start work tomorrow some of you might not know what to do whatever you decide every journey starts somewhere it's your journey you you're the driver an interesting journey that has no end you may start down one path you don't want to do that you go down another and then another it's important that you make the journey what you want it to be no one else can make it for you that's life it's huge you have a lot of options ideas and it's up to you to decide i can't
010do it for you principal fritz can't do it for you faculty teachers parents can't do it for you it's up to you to decide so make the best of this journey you can do it the second topic i wanted to talk about is called forward remember at the start of the journey all journeys have new beginnings you will face challenges along the way and maybe things won't go as expected you may want one thing but it doesn't happen and that's okay it's not the end of the world when your plans don't go how you want it to what do you do you adjust you think re-evaluates don't give up keep moving forward you faced covid this year that was tough school was tough like courtney said you were committed to keep going keep on moving
011forward the third topic i wanted to talk about was learning to accept change change happens every day what happened 30 years ago 20 years ago 10 years ago or even five years ago is different than today it's not the same i encourage you to accept the change and change will help you with your future in your life you may change your mind about school about relationships jobs anything that's important to you just remember what makes you happy because you have to be happy with yourself no one's going to bring you happiness the fourth is failure it's interesting to fail right no one likes to lose but failure is a part of life we fail every day i fail all the time failure doesn't mean you're a bad person failure doesn't mean you give up once
012you fail you keep going you keep moving forward you keep changing failure makes you a stronger person and it's an opportunity for you to learn thomas edison the person who invented the light bulb you know who i'm talking about he failed 1 000 times before he was successful michael jordan you know basketball player chicago bulls he didn't make it on his high school varsity basketball team and then he became one of the best players in the world winning six nba championships failure didn't stop them they kept going so you don't be afraid to fail now my final comment to you all is family and friends one of the most important investments you'll ever make i'm not talking about the stock market or buying into real estate i'm talking about the most important investment you'll make
013is into your family and friends you will have the same friends you will meet and make new friends along the way as well cherish them friends they come and go and it doesn't matter what kind of car you drive in the future or what kind of house you have or how much money you have that all doesn't matter spend as much time with your family and friends choose to hang around people that bring positivity to your life who are supportive of you and who you can support in in your future i'm here today because my friends and family i learned lessons through a life so i want to thank you seniors for allowing me to speak tonight i've had a long and good journey lots of ups and downs as well i'm here today standing
014tall and balds and brights but you are shining too tonight congratulations class of 2021 i wish you the best of luck thank you jeff next is our two speakers and our senior farewell traditionally our presentation is given by osmar our salutatorian osmar ramirez and our valedictorian selena escobar hernandez please watch both videos good evening superintendent annette reichman assistant superintendent dr kristen rex principal courtney fritz and our two assistant principals amber akapnidis and jill voigt teachers staff interpreters and families who are here to celebrate our graduation thank you for being here and we love you all it has been a crazy year because of covid but we the class of 2021 persevered and successfully completed our online and in-person learning we could not have done it without our teachers support and patience thank you families for
015your unconditional love and support in making the right decision to send us to ptsd for our education here we are standing before you on this day of our graduation actually graduating when i first came to ptsd i was thrilled to see friends and teachers talking and signing from that very first day to now i have made many lifelong friends i have enjoyed playing sports with some of you and i will surely miss all of those times especially the times when we got in trouble for things we should not have done i sure will miss being a troublemaker but that helped me to learn the difference between right and wrong and i'm sure the parents and teachers feel relieved enough of this i am a senior now and like you my fellow classmates i have learned
016my lesson my young and foolish days are over i plan on working in the auto industry the past four years have been a wild journey many of us started here as kids in 2005 and now we're leaving as young adults graduating today wherever the future leads us it is up to each one of us individually to make good choices our careers may differ we may follow our own separate paths but remember our hearts are always here to stay entering the real world can be scary and a blessing some of us may go to college vocational training work or university believe in yourself and know that you all can succeed do not let anyone else tell you differently trust yourselves and trust your heart yes there may be times we stumble or fall and make our
017own mistakes but no one is perfect we will learn from our mistakes that is part of life's lessons everyone who is graduating today will always continue to learn new things in life embrace the moments just know that you don't just give up over simple things keep trying and aim high until you reach your dream and success for that we are all worthy i want to mention a former student alex stewart who is no longer here with us he departed earth too soon i know as he watches over us he is proud to see all of us graduate tonight we miss you alex i would like to close with some simple advice believe in yourself believe in your success and dream big be happy and continue with your education or career just don't give up be
018proud of yourselves a new start may be rough i'm going to tell you it's not going to be easy but it will be worth it again we love you all long live class of and everyone please let's keep in touch good evening everyone for those of you who don't know me my name is selina vernice escobar hernandez i am the class of 2021 valedictorian i want to start by thanking all of you for coming tonight we're so happy that you're here with us to recognize our success to the 2021 graduates we did it i know that we are all excited for that next step today is our special day enjoy it i want to take a few moments to look back at the moments that we treasure of our time together four years of high
019school is a long time but right now it feels like it went by in the blink of an eye i still remember my freshman year a lot has changed over those four years i grew up on this campus where everyone had one thing in common we're all deaf that is our identity this is our home it feels like just yesterday when i came here for preschool ptsd was a great choice for me that i don't regret i'm very grateful to my parents for choosing this school for my education and for supporting my communication needs i've met so many people here who have changed my life how i express myself and how i think i want to thank my family and friends and even those teachers who encouraged me to question things challenge myself and strengthen
020my identity i've examined my values to become who i am today i would like to say a special thank you to the consumer education and driver's education teacher mary ann leon you taught me for four years and your classes changed my future you've had a huge impact on me and now i know that i'm able to become independent i loved your classes you gave me a lot of knowledge about life and i would also like to thank the teachers and the staff who helped us so much i really appreciate being a role model to the younger students to look up to and now i would like to say a special thank you to my parents i appreciate everything that you've done for me i may not be perfect but i appreciate that you have witnessed
021me transforming from a young girl to an independent woman you were patient with me through all of my ups and downs and now you get to see who i am today to the seniors make sure that you thank your parents and your family or whoever has been there for you make sure to thank those who supported you i'd also like to thank the interpreters who helped me through my junior year until now i appreciate all that you have done for me and how you helped me to learn at metro tech and culinary arts and now to the seniors i'm wondering what you're thinking of as you look back on our childhood i'm pretty sure that everyone has a lot of thoughts and memories and today is our special day we are about to graduate but
022remember after you graduate it's going to be a difficult journey don't be afraid of the future it's only the beginning and i'm pretty sure it won't be an easy journey for everyone including me we don't know what's going to happen in the future but this is the beginning for all of us i want each of you to enjoy your life as roy t bennett says if you want to be happy do not dwell in the past do not worry about the future focus on living fully in the present it's time for us to live now in the words of ellen degeneres follow your passion stay true to yourself never follow someone else's path unless you're in a forest and you're lost then find a path that's yours follow it this is an exciting day we're
023not only celebrating four years of high school we're also celebrating what comes next we are soon going to go out into the world on different paths in new cities and new lives no matter what is next for you we have made lifelong friends here as we go out from here we can always come back to our home at ptsd in closing remember the words of hayao miyazaki always believe in yourself no matter where you are you have nothing to fear thank you next i hope you're ready for a little bit of extra energy excitement and spirit it's time for our fight song and we have a fight song team isabelle ballard faith mccarrowicz and caitlin taylor come on when we sign spirit we'll enter all signing spirit get loud for us you excellent job and
024that perfectly wraps up and leads us to the next and most important moment the presentation of the diplomas i'd like to welcome four people to the stage to join me assistant principal amber acadnidis assistant principal jill voigt assistant superintendent dr kristin rex and superintendent annette reichmann renee guadalupe acosta adventure awaits and is ready for you all of the skills up until this point that you have learned with auto collision and welding your new path is ready your skills will serve you well best of luck nancy denise apodaca castillo all of the skills that you have been learning up until this point at metro tech in the area of culinary you are now ready for a new path it is there waiting for you grab it and pursue your new career isabel laura ballard we all
025have experienced different adventures and sometimes facing barriers we all always feel that it's important to look our best so your future in cosmetology is perfect you will help people feel and look ready to take on any new adventure good luck luis gerardo cabrera que vedo you have been navigating different paths to determine what your future holds now you know that your next destination is at amazon we are so very proud of you good luck jose alexander carrillo you have a new future goal of becoming an auto detailer i know that you can do it now there are opportunities out there waiting for you grab it and go forward jessie barrera you have experienced so many different adventures up until this point in your life now it's time for you to take time for yourself focus
026on self-care and then get ready to set new goals for your future i know you can do it eugene joseph berthieum iv your new path and journey is ready for you i know that you want to build your confidence and work skills and are ready to learn maybe in the future you'll come back and work at ptsd i hope so luis gerardo cabrera que vedo angel manuel cubas now your next adventure we're waiting to see you're pursuing gallaudet university we are going to be watching you and supporting you and cheering you all the way best of luck selina escobar hernandez your life itinerary has your next step as pursuing dental hygiene as a dental hygienist wish you the best of luck adrian jacob feria new adventures are always exciting because they are not limited regardless
027if you choose a path of commercial cleaning or automotive mechanics or owning your own business the future destination is your choice so keep focused and keep pursuing your dreams you will do it no matter which path you choose pablo antonio graxiola your future path whether it's ups or amazon or anything is up to you but the exciting part is that it's your decision it is fully up to you to set goals and then achieve them we know you will caleb desmos hernandez your excitement and energy that you have been showing us will definitely benefit you in the future adventures are fun and if you engage and take that on we know that you will do it maybe in the future we will see you on youtube maybe you never know good luck ignacio ethan howard
028your joy and laughter and smile always brightens anyone's day in the future your path might lead to working at sam's club your smile will definitely bring joy there as well jose romero ledesma you have skills in woodworking and being able to make things i know in the future you will apply those skills and be great opportunities are out there make sure you grab them faith and macarowicz you have experienced so many different adventures up until this point now it's your time take time for self-care reflect and set new goals when you know where your destination is i know you will pursue it you can do it carlita leseth marquez avalos now you are ready for your next step in pursuing further education at the community college further education is a great adventure enjoy it jamal
029andrew molina your next destination is already known you are ready to work at jiffy lube congratulations you will do a great job christian robert purdle your itinerary shows that your next destination is in big spring texas good luck at squid we know that the adventure will be amazing osmar alexander ramirez soltero you have been an adventurer you are always willing to take on new things willing to learn and try that means that your next destination maybe is related to auto technician i know that you will do whatever and take it and run with it good luck silas richard rose this year's theme related to adventure fits perfectly for your next destination at the airport what fun it will be to work at the airport good luck angel enrique ruiz amador you have two paths to
030choose from maybe amazon or maybe gcc or both we will see we wish you the best of luck we know you will do great jose santiago santiago now we know that you're pursuing landscaping maybe in the future you'll own your own business that definitely would be an adventure and an experience for sure we know you can do it pursue and reach your goals alicia tapia your next destination is at gompers day program i know that you will bring joy to that new place just as you have been here at ptsd we will miss you caitlin angel taylor you are a seeker an adventurer and a leader i already know in your pursuit of becoming an animator and creating different characters we will see your content everywhere and we can't wait to be amazed by your
031fantastic work alexis vasquez bautista you have experienced so many different adventures but now it's your path it's your choice and it's your adventure keep pursuing auto tech you have skills and i know if you keep your eye forward to a goal you will accomplish it sael alexander vazquez the next journey and path is up to you it is yours if you pursue the auto service repair industry i know you have skills and can do it there are opportunities out there grab them have diplomas in your hands does it feel good all right yes now we'll take a moment to watch our closing remarks from superintendent annette reichman hello my name is annette reichmann i'm the superintendent of the arizona state schools for the deaf and the blind today i want to talk about what did
032i 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 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
033because 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 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
034again 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 four months 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
035i 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 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
036absolutely 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 and now it is my honor and privilege to formally recognize the graduating class of 2021 seniors now that you've graduated you're no longer seniors you're adults so please come to the stage for a group photo also um to the families we do have a photo booth set
037up so when they're done with their group picture please feel free to take advantage of our photo booth and grab some pictures and memories of today thank you for coming thank you for your support patience and just ongoing dialogue throughout this year thank you again for coming class of 2021 come on up here and get that group picture you