001Ah! Good morning, graduates, families, friends, and distinguished guests. I want to personally welcome you to the graduation ceremony for the class of 2025. Before we begin, I would like to take a moment on this Memorial Day weekend and recognize all of the brave men and women who have served in our US military and those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for this amazing nation. And furthermore, I would like to recognize those sitting here in front of me today who will be joining the US military. And I'd like every US military veteran and everyone going into the service to raise, stand up, and may we honor you. Thank you. May have a seat. We are here today because of these men and women who have fought so valiantly for this country and we thank you. I'd
002like to take 2 minutes and share a few thoughts with you and I promise to be brief, as hard as that is for me. But today is a milestone. Many of you see this as a day as a finish line, but it's more than that. I view it as a starting line. You stand at the threshold of your next chapter with anticipation, with excitement, and even a touch of uncertainty. You've heard the advice to follow your passion and the truth there's truth in that. Passion fuels energy and it fuels creativity. But I'm here today to offer you something much greater. I challenge you to pursue your purpose. Your purpose is anchored in who you are becoming. Your purpose is not what you do. You will always be so much more than what you do. You
003are not just a future engineer or a teacher or an artist or a nurse or an entrepreneur. You are not just a label or your next paycheck. You are a collection of values, choices, and character. You may not always control what you do or where you are at in your life. This life is unpredictable. The career you believe you have today may look very different when you are 28, 48, or even 68. But the beautiful and powerful constant in your life is you can do this. You will always have the ability to choose who you will be and how you will treat others. You will always have the choice to be kind, to be humble, to be honest, to be a person of courage, to be a person of integrity. That choice will define you
004so much more than the job you choose to do. Focus not just on what you will do, but how you will do it. Be the person who lifts others up when they fall. Be the one who leads with empathy emp- excuse me, empathy when others choose division. Be the voice of reason when the world is chaotic. Be the steady rock for all you encounter. Do not crumble because there's peer pressure, but just be a bold lion. In closing, strive to live a life that matters, not just for yourself, but for those around you. Have the courage to do what others won't do. Stand firm in your convictions. Never settle for just enough. Don't be someone who hides behind excuses. Be someone driven by purpose and a desire to serve. Because while excuses may make your
005day easier today, they will make it harder tomorrow. Always remember that each of you have been made for specific person purpose and a beautiful purpose. And I hope you don't let go of it and I hope you go and find it. I am sincerely proud of each of you and I am extremely grateful to be the principal of Columbus East High School. You have been a phenomenal graduating class of 2025. I hope you go and do great things. I hope you are always proud to be an Olympian and I hope you always rock that orange. Go Os. Good morning, my fellow class of 2025 graduates. Before I begin, I know all of us would like to thank our family and friends for supporting us on our journey thus far. To the faculty and staff at
006Columbus East High School, I am immensely grateful for all the support and guidance each of you show to the students at our school every single day. And to anyone else that has helped us navigate through life, we are incredibly thankful for you as well. To the vast majority of people here today, I'm sure that to them success is defined as being wealthy and having life all planned out on a nice and neat road map. Well, I'm here to tell you that success doesn't have to be nice and neat and it can be chaotic. Most importantly, however, success is what you make it out to be. Real life doesn't follow a straight path. It's more like a windy road twisting and turning every which way, going up and down hills. But that's what success is all
007about. It moves with you. So success flows along your highest and lowest moments and the speed at which you're navigating your path doesn't determine your level of success either. One person graduating college in 3 years is not more successful than someone who has worked full-time and took classes earning their degree in 6 years. Or the person who landed their dream job right out of school is not more successful than someone who changed their job multiple times before they found their true passion. And as the wise Dolly Parton once said, "If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one." And it's important to know that you don't have to have life figured out right this second to be successful. I mean, the majority of us have just entered adulthood. All right. And success
008looks different for everyone. One person's definition of success is getting to their top university choice, someone else's is having a family, another person's definition of success could be going to trade school or enlisting in the military, or starting a business, or even renting their first apartment. I could go on about life life's different paths, but the most important thing is success is what you make it. It doesn't matter what anyone else tells you about what you should or should not be doing with your life, because ultimately it is your life to live. Success is being proud of what you've accomplished and being ready for whatever twisty roads come your way, because trust me when I say this, there'll be a whole lot of windy roads on your journey to success. The road to success is
009built on persistence, so keep going. Your dreams are worth every step, every challenge, and every effort. I hope each and every one of you leaves here today to continue your journey with the goal of chasing your dreams and striving for greatness, because that is where true success lies. As I'm looking at all of you, I see over 300 roads to success, with each road being just as significant as the next. All I can do is wish each of you safe travels on your journey and hope each and every one of you successful, no matter what route you take. Thank you. Well, congratulations to the class of 2025. What an amazing accomplishment, everybody. I'd like to open with a story. It's Cleveland, Ohio. I'm sitting on the couch in my grandparents' house with my grandpa right
010next to me. There's an NBA game on the TV in front of us as we sit together doing what I'd expect any grandfather-grandson combo to be doing at 10:00 p.m. Eating an entire bag of potato chips together. That's when my grandpa, a retired high school teacher of 39 years, looks over at me and in typical high school teacher fashion, he asked me a trick question. "Now tell me, Tyler," he says, "how did those basketball players you see on screen become so good?" Well, fortunately for me, this wasn't the first time he'd asked me this question before, so I'd figured out the gist of the answer he was looking for. "Well, of course, Grandpa," I answered, "they all found their own magic lamps on the beach that granted them wishes to become great." "Very good, very
011good," he responded with a chuckle. Then, after grab after asking me to grab him another cup of coffee, he began to tell me the truth. That it took many years of hard work, dedication, and resiliency to achieve the levels of success they had. He then urged me to do the same with whatever goals I had for myself in the future and and and guaranteed that's that great success would follow. This has been some of the best advice I've lived by throughout my entire high school career and something that continues to apply to me every day. Class, looking back on the time at our time in high school, not everything has been handed to us on a silver platter. A short 4 years ago, this class had to deal with the COVID-19's impacts while navigating the
012uncertain transition from middle school to high school. Not the easiest of items to put on a young teenager's plate, if you ask me. However, battling through all the unknowns and constantly shifting conditions caused by this worldwide dilemma gave us a knack for adaptability to unideal circumstances. This class has masterfully exemplified what I've deemed Olympian resiliency throughout our complete time in high school. Whether it's been something as simple as staying up late to complete a long assignment or as challenging as seeing one of your favorite teachers leave their position at East, we've all had times over the past 4 years where extra determination was necessary to make it through. No matter what we were faced with, this class pushed through, marked by high levels of grit and drive to achieve our goals despite our situation. Numerous
013groups at East have achieved great success this year, none of which would be possible without continuous ambition from exceptional students. One group deserving of special recognition is the girls wrestling team. In their inaugural season as an official sport, this team cemented themselves in history as state champions in a remarkable team effort. I'd also like to shout out the men's volleyball team. This is a team that I had the honor to be a part of. Also an inaugural sport this year, this team had our eyes set on the same goal to start our season. And while we didn't end up winning the state championship, we likely won the academic state championship, as we had four members of our team in the top 10 and many more in superb academic standing. Plus, we did accomplish maybe a
014more important goal. We beat North. These successes indicate that as Olympians, resiliency to us isn't just a word, it's part of who we are. I'd like to give a special thanks to all of our parents and guardians who supported us on our high school journey and gave us confidence and encouragement when we needed it most. I'd also like to thank our teachers, coaches, and instructors that pushed us to be our very best every single day while still being caring and considerate to our perspectives as students, uh musicians, athletes, and so much more. And to the class of 2025, I am certain that all of us have extraordinary potential to accomplish whatever we set our minds to in our next chapters. Life will continue to build obstacles and throw challenges our way. There will be setbacks,
015there will be failure, but through the Olympian resiliency we've garnered over the past 4 years, I know we will be ready to face these hardships head-on again and again and emerge victorious over our struggles in the end. Thank you for making this such a memorable graduating class, and may God bless you all on your journey forward. It has been my honor to serve as the assistant principal for team 2025. Each student's unique story reflects the growth and experiences that they've that have shaped them during their time at Columbus East. At this time, I proudly present the Columbus East High School Class of 2025 to Dr. Chad Phillips, the superintendent of BCSC, and I certify that they have met all necessary requirements for graduation. Good morning, Class of 2025. Dr. Parsons, Mr. Manuel, congratulations. Tyler, Sophie,
016terrific job on your speeches. Welcome, family and friends of our graduates, teachers and staff. Graduates, congratulations on your achievement. You being here today is no accident. You are here today because you chose to do the hard things. Getting to this moment, like Tyler said, wasn't always easy. There were setbacks, there were times when your motivation was low, when life got complicated, but you kept going. And now you sit here today, not because the path was easy, but because you chose to walk it anyway. You trained yourself to take the harder path. That's what builds strength, not talent, not luck, not shortcuts, just that quiet decision, day after day, to do the difficult things. Most of you are probably familiar with the 1962 John F. Kennedy speech, the the moon shot speech, where he said, "We
017choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard." If I can provide you with just one lesson today, let it be this. Strength is built one challenge at a time. Lean into the discomfort of growth. Don't run from effort, run towards it. Choose to do hard things. Graduates, we are proud of you. You've already proven you can do difficult things. Now go out and keep proving it. Congratulations, Class of 2025. The world needs your courage. And at this time, by the authority vested in me by the state of Indiana and the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation Board of Trustees, I hereby certify you, graduates of Columbus East High School. Ali! Lana! Tyler Jacob Ernst
018Sophie Elizabeth Anderson Amelia Wynn Faye Addison Brooke Emery Emma L Abner Jessica Ideal Alonso Macedo Madeline Nicole Anderson William Alan Anderson Danielle Jill Ashton Allison Alt Trinity Rochelle Osterman Ariana Leanne Axsom Delaney Jean Babinec Sam Bailey Candace Marie Ballard Emma Jolie Ballard Abigail Sophia Grace Balzer Caleb Lee Bassin Sierra Grace Batten Chase Beckmire Sophia Claire Begley Rayla Jane Beller Madeline Madeline Renee Beyer Carson Mark Blackwell Ava Lynn Bott Briley Ray Bowers Christopher Wyatt Brady Emma Emma Ray Brand Ramirez Emma Rose Brennan Eviorlene Brellis Keegan Darrell Brock Jackson Ryan Brooks Jared Denver Brooks Olivia Rose Buckler Ethan Knight Bumbalough Alondra Gazella Calderon Ordonez Olivia Lynn Calhoun Kiara Abigail Capps Hayden Renee Caruthers Kimberly Elise Caruthers Luis Chael Ceballos Mendez Leon Adrian Matthew Rivera Chaplin Kendall Ryan Chappell Caesar Omar Chavez Jaydalise Centron Pacheco Kacie Linnae Clapp
019Bryce Patrick Cleary Madison Renee Clement Reed Bradford Coors Ashley Renee Cole Grace Grace Ann Compton Delaney Noel Cooney Cale Cooper Andrew Michael Cordray Daniel Patrick Corrigan Taylor Elizabeth Corry Ariana Pauline Cottrell Adalyn Grace Coy Lillian Davis Reagan Bailey Davis-Clark Gavin David Day Micah Clay Deza Josue Jazair de Dedeos Jimenez Emily Valentino Valentina De Leon Patzan Hannah Rose Dean Ruben Junior Dedeos Bethany J Dees Lucinda Destin Madeline Kinsley Doll Sophie Grace Drexel Hannah Renee Drerup Johanna Elizabeth Dubon Diaz Alexander Joshua Duncan Eric J Duncan Alexis Marie Duncan Jackson Dunlap Bella Gray Dunn Lucas Robert Edwards McKenna Renee England Thomas Edward Eppley Natea Lavanda Easterly Carlie Evans Camden Alan Fields Sydney Kate Fillingworth Ryan Alexander Fish Connor Lee Fitzsimmons Zachary Mitchell Foster Sylvia Belle Fox Lila Rain Fox Olivia Gaddis Christian Yair Galicia Araceli Galicia-Ocampo Maribel Galicio-Ocampo
020Emma Mary Gallo Damaris Garcia Addison Gail Gilbert Wiley Wiley Donovan Gilly Hannah Rose Gilmore Christopher Daniel Gilroy Zachary Edward Glick Anna Seiraul Gomez Joalise Enid Gonzales Caldero Caleb Michael Gorbet Adkins Sydney R Graham Charlie D Grammer Carter Jackson Green Oliver Alan Bruno Emily Grace Haynes Ethan William Hall Jerrick Adam Hamilton Caden Lee Handley Alex Zander Joe Hant Sadie Sadie Clara Harris Tyler Bryce Haymaker Jacob Alan Hefner Hudson Daniel Herbert Areli Fire Hernandez Diana Cristel Hernandez Hernandez Katy Noemi Hernandez Rodriguez Cameron Herron Noah William Hildebrand Nicholas Andrew Hockersmith Cadence Marie Hopkins Jen Emma Horn Thomas Matthew Hoopi Landon Hubbard Hayley Grace Hudson Grace Elizabeth Jane Huffty Jackson Darby Humphreys Jerry Todd Hundley Emberly Rain Hunter Styles Cassius Hunter Diana Darlene Ipus Moreno Elijah Thomas Isaacs Bell Tucker James Kasey Faith Jenkins Jordan Jesus Jimenez Salome Jimenez
021Jacinto Johnny Jimenez Ocampo Caden Johnson Bay Sophia Marie Joy Florentina Juan Diaz Carter Lee Keikendall James Nelson Scott Kinman Owen Harrison Kirk Eli Braden Kirkland Cameron Wade Claywon Chance Lee Knapp Lynn Linda Eden Knight Adeline Lagos Mendoza Summer Rose Larman Carter Carter Nash Lambrecht Arium Landero Ronald Landero Grace Catherine Lasselle Landon Blaine Thomas Lawrence Philip Lee Lawson Austin Lee Natalie Ellen Lewis Rayana Joy Logan Fernando Lopez Benitez Donovan Joseph Lowe Ashley Diane Lozano Benitez Emma Grace Lucas Mikael Machavariani Emerson Grace Mayani Tabitha Kaylen Martin Alondra Yamilet Martinez Christopher Brandon Martinez Gia Brora Martinez Bautista Gina Suellen Martosha Philip Michael Mattern Chloe Lee Maze Grace Catherine McMahon Monica Monica Shannon McMahon Gracie McMasters Rowan Ezra McWilliams Reagan Elizabeth Meade Gabriella K Meese Julia Marie Melissant Hughes Taya Menonta Austin Menefee Zeus Alexander Moreno Avery Annabelle Miller
022Kinley Jaylen Miller Adeline Grace Mings Jaden Levi Mitchell Katy Yasmeli Molina Jimenez Jose Oscar Monge Miranda Norelli Morales Garcia Rachel Amelia Morris James Woodfill Moss Madison Mount Elijah Wayne Mullins Jayla Rose Mullins Rebecca Rebecca Munoz Bailey Elizabeth Jade Murphy Shallon Latory Nunn Jacob Carlton Ostrander Jaden Michael Pagan Oscar Uriel Para Trejo. Jaylen Eric Jose Peck. Sandra Apollonia Pedro Domingo. Olivia Nicole Penrose. McKenzie Marie Ray Perry. Grayson Alexander Pizol. Michael James Phelps. Anveya Raquel Pillsbury. Sage Andrea Plummer. Molina Posada. Ella McNally Powell. Ella Morgan Powell. Emily Jane Powers. Matthew Edward Powers. Caesar Quintero Chavez. Alexandra Ramirez Rosario. Liam Warren Reary. Mason Alexander Reeves. Ada Michelle Reed. Riley Nickole Rightnour. Addison Gray Robinson. Bobby Joe Rodriguez. Elion Daniel Rodriguez. Lucas Gray Rogers. Evangeline Romero Simon. Skyler May Ross. Andrew Scott Rothert. Jonathan Lee Zhuang Rock. Leda Tamara
023Ruiz. Rolando Junior Ruiz Tapia. Eleanor Cram Russell. Gage Dale Rootan. Natalie Rose Sanders. Chelsea Santiago Ramos. Laura Sophia Santos Garcia. Yui Mpiado Sayama. Eleanor Suzanne Schlawdroff. Carson Blair Slager. Ian Matthew Shaw. Caitlin Nicole Shooty. Isaiah Michael Scott. Connor Brian Seavers. Kimberley Amy Selvis Ikiwa. Wyatt Alexander Shapiro. Sarah Michelle Sharp. Allison Danielle Sharp. Layton Anthony Shaw. Gage Lewis Schrader. Jackson Sigman. Deacon Trey Sims. Emma Grace Sizemore. Tauwin Sleet. Maddy Joe Sluder. Dason Wade Smith. Gracianne Elizabeth Smith. Jack Thomas Smith. Lauren Elizabeth Smith. Mary Renee Sparks. Emma Grace Stevens. Keaton Medeiros Stevenson. Asher Isaac Stevens. Ainsley May Stevenson. Landon Wayne Stewart. Catherine Marie Styles. William Howard Stone. Mara Beth Strevel. Kira Lexi Stripe. Sierra Grace Sutton. Jared Michael Allen Swain. Madison Pauline Schwartzentruber. Caden Alan Swindle. Aleah Paris Taylor. Julian Dale Taylor. Jenna Grace Thomas. Jaden Tyler
024Thompson. Alan James Tindall. Elisha Lee Tindall. Madison Claire Turner. Aubrey Renee Tyler. Jixia Crisvel Vasquez Bautista. Chase Timothy Vaughn. Ashley Ventura Lara. Ellie Grace Wagner. Olivia Lane Walker. Logan James Wallace. Frances Louise Walton. Maverick Waltz. Chase Ivey Jones Ward. Logan Lee Warren. Ethan Michael Watkins. Jackson Henry Watkins. Grayson Tyler Waters. Ezequiel Like Weatherford. Alex Joseph Wenzler. Connor Lee Wessel. Alaina Jane White. Jack R. Wilder. Marcus Alexander Wilkinson. Brady Scott Wiltsey Mahaley Lalana Maywood Jimmy Woods Kiana Grace Wooten Dagan Reese Yarnell Robert J Young Each year the graduating class leaves behind a gift to to benefit Columbus East High School and future students. This tradition reflects our commitment to giving back to the school that has shaped us. The class of 2025 has partnered with the administration to donate a Columbus East flag which will be
025permanently displayed beneath the American flag at the front of the school. The gift represents our pride in being Olympians and our lasting connection to the school community. When the students return in the fall, the Columbus East flag will be flying as a daily reminder of who we are and the values we carry forward. It will serve as a symbol of school spirit, unity, and the lasting impact of each graduating class. Thank you to everyone who has supported this project and we hope this flag stands as a simple but meaningful addition to the place we've all called home. Today we ring the senior bell to symbolize four fundamental virtues: loyalty, honesty, respect, and unselfishness. These honorable qualities should be guiding principles as we encounter obstacles in our future. The first of these is loyalty. Loyalty is
026devotion whether to yourself, your friends, or your country. President Wilson reminds us that loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice. Out of loyalty flows honesty, respect, and unselfishness. It has been said that honesty is the cornerstone of all success with without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist. Today signifies a cornerstone in our lives. Without honesty, we cannot move from this cornerstone to the next. With confidence and the ability to perform, honesty is also a necessary component to gaining respect. Respect is a virtue we hope to gain in our lifetime, but as Albert Einstein points out, it is not until we respect ourselves that we gain the esteem of others or rather only then will it come in its own accord. We must learn to
027respect ourselves for who we are so that we might inspire others to do the same. To put another's life in front of your own is to excel in the only game that matters, the game of life. It has been said that the true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. Unselfishness is the virtue that ties human character together. Today we have reached the stage in our lives that allows us to enter the real world with a good conscience. We signify the completion of this stage in our lives by the turning of our tassel, which represents a movement from childhood to adulthood. From high school to a world beyond. Will you join me in the turning of the tassel? Congratulations, class of 2023.