Lakeland High School valedictorian Rebecca Amorese reflects reflect on the success, memories, and tragedies she and her classmates have been a part of. Read her full speech here.
Before we get started, I want to wish a very happy birthday to our esteemed physics teacher, Mr. Lillis, I’m sure this is exactly how you wanted to spend your birthday. I speak for all of us in saying thank you to the parents, family, and friends, for all their love and support. Without you all, we would not be standing here right now. Thanks must also be extended to the Board of Education and especially to the great faculty and staff at Lakeland High School who are the main reason why this day is possible. We’ve all had our favorite teachers who have inspired us and guided us through our schoolwork and whose influence will impact our lives in all the years to come.
A few weeks ago while I was on the internet supposedly “writing my senior thesis,” I came across a YouTube video by one of my favorite authors, John Green. He was giving advice about heading off to college and becoming an adult. He said, “Study broadly, and without fear. Read a little bit everyday, but most importantly try to surround yourself with people you like and make cool stuff with them. In the end, what you do isn’t going to be nearly as interesting or important as who you do it with.”
This idea of collaboration and friendship really struck me. During our time at Lakeland we’ve made bonds with our classmates and teachers that will transcend time. Our collaborations in sports, academics, and the arts created numerous successes during our four years here. All of our sports teams have been impressive but especially the Girls Field Hockey team who became State Champions for an unprecedented four years in a row. Our incredible Wig ‘n’ Whiskers drama club put on eleven fantastic productions. Our Science Research Seniors brought home five awards from various competitions. Our art students work has been displayed throughout the community. Our debate team has succeeded at numerous tournaments. FBLA has two state officers and two national officers. And our Band, orchestra, and chorus have put on over sixteen wonderful concerts.
Our friendships have led to laughter, tears, and life-long memories. My own personal favorites were senior Emmy night, the Mr. Lakeland competition, dancing in Schaper’s class, trivial pursuit with Ms. Travis, AP Phys. Ed, and the senior picnic, or gymnic as it was called because of the rain. When reading our senior Write-Ups in the yearbook I found other notable memories such as global field trips, trench warfare, Fradella bingo, early childhood classes, badminton and volleyball in gym, SADD club, and the Hershey Park and Virginia Beach trips. Our
collaborations have been extended towards our outside community and even the
world. Many among us have participated in countless hours of community service; our National Honor Society raised money for the local food pantry this year as well as collected clothes for the Westchester Kids Kloset.
During our time together we have become more active and productive citizens of our community. And as citizens, we unfortunately have been witnesses to numerous tragedies. These global events that have touched our hearts in high school remind us that there is a bigger picture. Together we watched Hurricane Sandy tear apart our communities, together we cried over the shooting in Newton Connecticut, together we saw the repercussions of the economic recession, together we were horrified over the bombing at the Boston Marathon, and together our thoughts went out to the victims of the tornados in Oklahoma. And of course we cannot forget how together we sat confused in our elementary school classrooms as our teachers and parents tried to explain to us the terrorist attack on September 11th.
Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter said, “happiness can be found in the darkest of times when one only remembers to turn on the light.” This light stems directly from collaboration and lending a helping hand to our fallen comrades. While I was watching videos of the Boston Marathon attack, amidst the pain and the blood I saw helpers and flags. The flags represented the nations of the participants of the race, none flew higher than any of the others; they all symbolized the collaboration of the runners. The bombing did not bring these flags down. Tragedy does not destroy our relationships, it instead offers a window of opportunity for us to help. Hank Green once said, “We are the superheroes, none of us individually but all of us together.”
Speaking of superheroes, I’m sure we are all familiar with a certain intergalactic space ranger who dedicated himself to exploration and helping his fellow comrades. This space ranger had a certain motto that he exclaimed many a time before saving his friends from danger; he said, “To Infinity and Beyond.” Yes, I am talking about Buzz Lightyear. He may only live in our imaginations but he is near and dear to all our hearts.
His signature phrase provides us with words to live by as we leave Lakeland. The motto of the college I’m attending is “Meliora” which translates to “Ever Better.” While at first the phrase annoyed me because I had to write an essay about it, I now realize the importance of this Latin phrase as well as Buzz’s famous quote. While we are leaving behind a chapter of our lives at Lakeland, we are going out into the world to create ever better tomorrows.
As Francois Rabelais said, “We go to seek a great perhaps.” My fellow classmates, come with me for a moment as we board a Tardis and travel 25 years into the future. The first thing we notice is that, oh my, we all look like our parents. But we also look around and see a room full of innovative engineers making new prosthetics, ingenious ecologists solving the energy crisis, benevolent doctors, caring nurses, dedicated researchers, intelligent economists, hard-working managers, authoritative CEOs, inspiring professors, devoted teachers training the next generation, gifted artists, talented musicians, accomplished opera singers, passionate performers, and zealous writers changing the world through their creativity.
In this room of our future we also see the high school students we once were within us, for we have not forgotten our time at Lakeland, nor the people who inspired us, the events which shaped us, or the collaboration that lead to our success. Let us now return to the present and being our journey to infinity and beyond.
Congratulations Class of 2013, and don’t forget to be awesome.
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