T.C. Williams Valedictorian and Salutatorian Speeches

Salutatorian Speech by Eleanor Kenimer

Hello T.C. Williams parents, teachers, administrators, and most important my fellow classmates from the great class of 2011. 

T.C Williams asked me to speak to you today so that I could share advice and wisdom with those of you who also strive for second-place finishes. We apologize, but LeBron James was not available to speak this afternoon.

I take this responsibility very seriously.  In fact, a few months ago when I found out I was in the running for Salutatorian, I vowed to prepare my speech with the same intensity that many of you put into Mr. Welsh’s English papers.  So naturally, late last night I got out a pen and began brainstorming ideas. 

But, I was drawing a blank, so like any struggling speechwriter or scholar would do, I turned to the internet.  When I was googling “how to write a Salutatorian speech,” I found a lot of boring speeches spitting out clichés and advising students to be themselves.  But, standing in front of such a truly diverse crowd, I know I don’t have to lecture anybody here about individuality.  You all may be dressed alike now, in identical tent-like gowns and silly caps, but in a school that represents over 100 countries and 50 languages, we are all so different.  We’ve had different high school and life experiences and I, for one, had no idea how to speak for everyone here. 

So, instead of giving advice for the future or reflecting on our past, I want to tell everyone to enjoy this moment.  The one thing I know I can say for everyone is that we are excited, and maybe just a little bit nervous, to walk across that stage and get our diplomas.  Perhaps you are even anxiously awaiting the walk across the stage, wishing I would just wrap up so you can get that diploma in your hands and get out of here.  But, when you look back on this day, you won’t remember the details, or even this amazing speech, but you will remember the feeling you had sitting as an entire class for the last time.  We are a school known for our spirit and pride at sporting events and at pep rallies, but right now I want you to look around and take pride in your accomplishment and the accomplishments of all of your classmates, whether they are good friends, acquaintances, or someone you once ran into accidentally in the hallway. 

Sitting in this gymnasium today, we are a class united and about to graduate.  Instead of thinking ahead to what we are doing next year, this summer, or even right after the ceremony, I want everyone to live in the moment and pay attention to everything that is going on right here because this ceremony is all about us!

So, good luck to the class of 2011! And always remember: This is important, you can do it, and we won’t give up on you!  Thank you for coming!

 Valedictorian Speech by Eric Fries

I found it difficult to write this speech.  I could think of very few things to say, and many of the things that I did think of saying were pointless.  My thoughts turned to the possibility that one of the members of our class could be immortalized in history.  However, I realized that the chances of this are pretty slim.

At first, I was disappointed to think that all of our hard work will probably not make a profound impact on mankind, but after thinking about it, I came to realize that it really doesn’t matter.  It’s perfectly fine if none of us ends up in future history books; almost no one will.  But what we should try to do is somehow make our little piece of the world a better place.  None of us will probably discover a new vaccine, be a great world leader, write a bestselling novel, or hit more homeruns than the true home run king, Hank Aaron.  But we can all make our part of the world better by doing simple things—doing our best, treating others well, and helping others out.

Even though most of us won’t make the history books, we still all offer something unique.  It defines who we are and who we hope to be.  We have been given the basic skills to go further in life—now the burden is on us to continue to develop our skills and talents, and to contribute to society and the greater good.

We should look forward to our opportunities to grow and continue our educations, in and outside the classroom.  We are now free from SOLs, stubborn teachers, and strict rules.  Let’s hope we can thrive in this new world of opportunity and academic freedom.  In our lives after high school, we should strive to make our own, individual marks on the world, no matter how small those marks might be.  And maybe, if we’re lucky, some future quirky college professor teaching an obscure history class might feel the need to mention one of our names.

Finally, I would like to thank my friends and family, our teachers, our administrators, and all of the others who have helped us throughout our lives.  I hope we can continue to grow and act in ways that make you proud. 

Thank you, and congratulations to the TC Williams Class of 2011!