GN South Co-valedictorian: Respect And Care For Others Matters Most

Faculty, families, and fellow classmates, good afternoon.

Thank you all for coming today. I’m very honored to be speaking at graduation, representing our class. I know that everyone graduating today has invested countless hours of hard work these past four years. Whether it be academics, sports, film, gaming, art, music, dance, theater, or any other endeavor, my classmates can do it all.

On behalf of all of us, I want to thank our teachers for their dedication and support. Our teachers devote many afternoons and free periods to extra help. We all appreciate their commitment to developing each student’s potential.

We have an amazing community of students here at South. While the academics are tough, I’ve never faced any cutthroat competition. I know that whenever I’m struggling, my classmates are willing to help me out.

I found plenty of help with challenging WebAssign questions by asking classmates in that not-so-secret Facebook group we failed to hide from Mr. Wells last year. Other times I just enjoyed their empathetic company while staying up late to work on homework. Assignments are not nearly as daunting when I know I have a network of supportive peers.

That’s what makes our class special–not our ranking as a high school, not our SAT scores, not the colleges that accept us. It is the respect and care that we show each other and the fact that we don’t let test scores and grades overcome all else. I’ll always remember the incredible drive and kindness of our class.

After this summer, we may not see each other too often, but I hope we maintain our sense of community no matter where we go. I believe everyone will be successful, regardless of the field he or she enters. Thank you and good luck.