Leftovers from top student interviews
It was my privilege to write the story on our co-valedictorians and the salutatorian. The valedictorians gave me way more than I could use, and the salutatorian was truly a young man of few words.
There were four or five mandatory questions for the honor students, but they also had the option of answering as many, or as few, of the other questions I posed. I wanted to share some of their additional responses to my questions.
Kelsie McColloch shared that she made it her goal when she was in the elementary school to be the top graduate, the valedictorian, when she graduated.
Way back in the dark ages, when I was in the second grade, I’m not sure I even knew what a ‘valedictorian’ was. I was just glad to have graduated from ‘See Spot Run’ to books that actually told a small story. I thought I had it made.
Maybe if the word ‘valedictorian’ had been in my vocabulary, I would have made it my goal. So it’s all the fault of ‘Dick, Jane and Spot’ that I didn’t.
Another question I asked was, if they could “do over” their high school years, was there anything they would change?
Caroline Boyer said, “I would definitely work on my self-confidence and mindfulness. I enjoy being an active part in many different clubs and activities where the student personalities are very diverse. It has often led to me trying to fit into one category, which in the past year I have discovered is not the correct approach. Instead, in the past year, I have learned to balance and embrace every aspect of my personality and interest in school.”
What she learned this year, Caroline can use next year, and the next year and on into the future.
For the past couple of weeks, these two lines have been going through my head, almost day-after-day. I don’t know why they popped up right now, and I don’t even know how I happened to think of them. I just know the two lines have to be from a memorization assignment, probably in the eighth grade:
“I have to live with myself and so I want to be fit for myself to know.”
My friend in Canada looked them up and said they’re from the poem “Myself” by Edgar Guest. I hadn’t thought of them in probably 70 years. To me, those words mean: Be true to yourself and your values.
So that is my “graduation address” to the 44 GHS seniors, a great class of young men and women who are ready to step out into the adult world. You have the prayers and good wishes of this community.