(Editor’s note: Brittany Kashuba was selected by her classmates to give the valedictory address at the Preecevile School gradua-tion exercises on May 21.)
Our class, to say the least, was, and still is, a handful. Even though I know there were times when our stub-bornness was not called for. I cannot help but admire us for it. Our stubbornness means that we will not stand down or quiet our opinions. Believe me, one hour with our class and you will discover we are very opinionated and different than one another. Being so different from one another gives us the chance to see things from a different perspective, making us diverse thinkers.
School is not just about learning the outcomes that teachers are required to teach, but it’s about socializing, developing opinions, balancing our time between extra curricular activities with academics, and finding laughter in situations that did not seem funny at all at the moment. Coming to school gave us all the opportunity to make friends and memories that will last us all a lifetime. lt also gave us the opportunity to share our thoughts and ideas with one another. Since the beginning of our time we have all been very loud.
However when I say loud I am not only speaking of those who raise their voice, I mean loud in the way that we make ourselves be heard whether it be on paper or in front of the class in a debate. We have learned not to ac-cept what is, and to challenge the authorities.
Life becomes more meaningful when you realize the simple fact that you will never get the same moment twice. With that said, I do not want anyone here to forget where you have come from and what you have done here at Preeceville School. However, I would like to remind you there is so much more for us to discover out there whether you are staying where you are or moving to a new place.
“Be a voice not an echo,” said by Albert Einstein, is the quote our class chose that best represented us, and I cannot help but think how much it suits us as a whole class and as individuals. To be a voice and not an echo means that you will follow your own path or create a new one, not just follow others or repeat the same of those in front of us. It means we will speak our own minds, from our own knowledge and expe-riences. We will not just mindlessly repeat what we have heard. We chose this quote because we found that everyone is connected to it on a personal level. We do not unmindfully follow what others say or do; we are all our own individuals.
Because we have grown up in such a small town, sometimes cultural differences can seem like a foreign topic to us. We have been learning about how indifference, and how not standing up for our beliefs, can be bad enough to cause bad things to happen. We have learned a Iot about other people, as well as ourselves, and how our differences make us who we are. We all have a voice, a voice that will prove every-one proud of us, a voice that will leave many echoes in its wake!
Looking at the faces across the stage, I am confident that they will al-ways strive be heard. We, as a class, will be remembered here.
It is time to set goals for your future. Before you can do that you need an idea, a dream. Over the next few years you may end up in a university or trade school. You may begin working or even start a family. No matter what your dream is for the future, you can get there with the dedication, determination and focus that you have developed. We will push the boundaries to make the world a better place. Use your voices well to make discoveries and to be unique.
