Gratitude, Inspiration Stressed In Rockville HS Graduation Speeches

VERNON, CT — Caitlin Chatterton, the valedictorian and Isabel Cintron, the salutatorian, took to the podium to offer inspiration and gratitude in speeches at Wednesday's Rockville High School graduation ceremony.

The were recently named the top two students for Rockville High School's Class of 2023.

Here are the transcripts of their speeches:

Valedictorian

I'm not going to lie, we’ve had our challenges here at Rockville. Four years have felt a bit longer than just 1,461 days. From struggling through the Pythagorean Theorem to the unit circle, to doing the mile run in Health Class. To learning what Cardiomegaly is, and reading The Great Gatsby or everyone’s favorite classic of sophomore year, Lord of the Flies. From wondering what day Wednesdays were every single week, and those with Senior Privileges showing up twenty minutes late to second block every time we had an Advisory day. Not to mention the times of Triple E and COVID-19 to more COVID-19. Our high school experience was not one without its challenges, and this is the same in our nation and our world.

Our nation has become increasingly more divided and is hardly free of problems. We are faced with a changing climate and the fate of our future depends on the decisions and actions we make today. We face a mental health crisis that has been exposed by the pandemic, but is still not properly understood or addressed. We face systemic racism that affects every aspect of our lives, and has caused our citizens to not be given the respect or opportunity they deserve. We face an epidemic of gun violence that has plagued our nation and has cost generation after generation of lives. Our world is not absent of issues, and the list could go on, but we WILL NOT be the generation that sits by and allows these problems
to continue.

We cannot watch as our years go by and complain about issues if we do not make an effort to change them or try to be part of the solution. We cannot continue the pattern of leaving issues on the next generation. We must be what we want others to be. If we want to be listened to, then we have to take the time to listen. If we want people to speak up, we have to be the first to do so. If we want people to care, we have to care as well. If we want change, we must initiate it.

We are an incredibly talented and diverse class that is set to embark into this vast world to pursue a variety of fields. Those of us going into the Coast Guard, Army, and Marines will be serving our country and defending it, resulting in change around the globe.

Those planning on going into education will help educate a new generation and will have the power to change lives with each and every kid they teach.

Those of us who will be the next doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and other healthcare workers will allow us to combat new waves of health challenges and provide comfort and care to all those who need it.

To those of the Class of 2023 who will create businesses or rise in the ranks of pre existing ones, you all have the power to transform industry for a better, more equal future. To the seniors who look to become public servants - from the FBI to the executive branch - you have the ability to become the nation’s next leaders.

The future electricians and plumbers and countless other trade workers, you will be the reasons why our society can function.

From the scientists to the lawyers to the veterinarians to the coaches, the Rockville High Class of 2023 has a multitude of individuals that can cause change to occur, but a lasting difference cannot occur if it is done alone - it takes every single one of us. Our strength comes from our differences, but our unity gives us the ability and the power to cause change.

We are not a powerless class, instead we are one that has the ability and the drive to be at the forefront of change. We must respect the importance of experience, but we also must recognize the potential we have.

We have been given a free education for the past 12 years and although it was not perfect, it was a gift and an opportunity. I know that each and every single one of you can live to your full potential. I have seen it in history and English classes where you are able to share your opinion and your voice. I have seen it in math and science classes where your passion to improve what already is is clear. Even with reading Lord of the Flies and learning the Pythagorean Theorem, you have all persevered . From the art you have created to the food you have baked and cooked. You have all shown that when you care, you can do great things.

We can put our voice into action in the most fundamental aspect of our democracy. All of our
opinions matter and should be heard, and therefore we must vote. Not just for the major presidential elections, but for every single year and every single election. No matter if it is a national, state, or local election - let your voice be heard. It deserves to be heard. An educated voter is one of the most important pieces of a functioning democracy because we need to be aware of what is happening in our country and choose people who share our vision for the present and the future. I believe that every single person who is graduating today can and will make a difference in the years to come.

I have been raised on the importance of hard work by my parents who are public educators. The household they created was one that shaped me into the person I am today and the place where I learned that living with passion creates purpose. I have seen this through fellow Rockville alumni who have entered the world ready to make a difference. My sister is ready to change the world in Washington because she has a purpose to improve the world around her. My brother may not be here today as he is attending Army Advance Camp, but he is there because he wants to fight for our country. He, along with my sister and the countless other alumni who we will join today, are representing what I am asking you all to do.

No matter what field you are pursuing, put your whole soul into it. Live with passion and purpose so your life does not pass by with you as a spectator. Be the author of your story.

During our time at Rockville, I have heard the idea that living without passion is barely living at all, and that is something I don’t want to leave us as we walk these halls for the final time. Life is about so much more than doing what is required or simply being present or doing the bare minimum. Put all of yourself into every moment. Live your life on fire. Don’t allow yourself to slip into complacency. We have an incredibly bright future ahead of us, one that we have the ability to achieve if we have the courage to chase it.

_____

Salutatorian

In my junior year of high school my history teacher taught me how to make an origami
crane. At first, I struggled to remember all of the folds, but with his guidance I was able to
successfully produce a small paper crane. It wasn’t perfect, but slowly I was able to memorize each and every fold. One crane led to another, and each day a new pile of paper cranes would find their home on his desk. The paper I used ranged from sticky notes and old worksheets to gum wrappers and book pages. Each one was different and unique.

I don’t think that teacher intended for this simple lesson to have such a great impact on
me, but it did. My own education and educating others has always been something very
important to me. Education is a lot like a paper crane. Each student starts out like a blank sheet of paper. However, not everyone starts out as the same standard square, and some folds are more difficult than others or require a bit more patience and trial and error. Each teacher with their influence from preschool to graduation contributes to the final product fold by fold to produce an intricate creation.

Fellow graduates, right now I would like you to think of a teacher that has had an impact
on you. Think beyond the past four years. Maybe that teacher was the teacher who helped you to learn how to read or write your name for the first time. Maybe it was the teacher who wiped your tears as you took those big steps off of the bus on the first day of kindergarten. Maybe they were a safe person to talk to, and their classroom a safe haven for you to escape to. Maybe it was the teacher who signed your planner when you were late to class because you couldn’t open your locker on the second day of middle school. Or maybe they decided to sacrifice their own time off the clock to support you at your sports senior night. Maybe they are sitting over there. Or perhaps, they have retired.

Remember them. Cherish that. Appreciate what they have done for you, the memories you have made, and the folds that they have created. You are going to remember them and their influence for the rest of your life. Many of the experiences in your education have shaped you and molded you into the graduate you are today. The person you are going to become is the direct result of an educator’s influence.

Now, to the teachers. First, on behalf of the Class of 2023, thank you.Thank you for what
you’ve done for us and your every effort to help us succeed. Thank you for your welcoming
smiles, your listening ears, your pats on the back, and your kind words of wisdom. Thank you for the things we never thought we’d thank you for, such as making us speak up in class so that we could find our voices, the homework every night that taught us to value learning outside of the classroom, the thirty minutes of required silent reading that expanded our vocabularies, the classroom jobs that taught us responsibility, and even the dreaded words “move your clip to red” on the classroom stoplight that taught us how to regulate our behavior.

All of these things taught us bit by bit how to grow up to be good, well-rounded people. Every memory that these graduates are having as they reflect on their time as a student was certainly not part of your job description. Each one of you went above and beyond to reach out and to ensure that our needs were met. You have built relationships with students and have gotten to know them on a personal level. You’ve taken them under your wing, and helped prepare them fold by fold to form new wings that are ready to take flight and leave the nest of our public education. Thank you.

As some of you know, I have long aspired to become a teacher and pursue a career in the
field of education. Many have doubted this, discouraged it, or told me that I could do more with my future. However, every teacher here tonight didn’t become a teacher for the salary or recognition that they receive, they’re sitting over there so 183 of us can sit over here. Someday I hope there will be a person wearing a cap and gown who thinks of me on their own graduation day. Someday I hope to be a teacher who contributes a few beginning folds to the growth and shaping of many students. You never know what you will be given to work with, and you cannot see the final product that your investments will create, but with time and patience it will turn out to be something intricate and beautiful, like a paper crane.

Thank you to the teacher who taught me, and thank you to all of you.