Voices from the Class of 2018

Voices from the Class of 2018
Posted on 06/07/2018
Voices from the Class of 2018June 1, 2018

Not every graduating senior gets to speak on graduation day. Moms, dads, and grads would not be able to tolerate the length of a ceremony like that! A few students are selected to represent the entire class, and reflect upon the journey that has brought them to their high school graduation. There were three such student speakers selected to represent the Comstock Class of 2018. Here are their thoughts on their collective achievement.



KYLE MOORE

Good evening, and welcome to Comstock High School’s class of 2018 graduation ceremony. I want to start off by thanking all of you for coming out to support and acknowledge the seniors behind me; our success individually, and as a whole, has been initiated by your love and support throughout the years. Our sincere gratitude is directed towards all of you in the audience tonight as we celebrate this amazing accomplishment.

Kyle Moore

From preschool to senior year, we all traveled down different roads: some with many bumps, some with big hills, some with a perfectly straight path, and some with a dead end marker that seemed impossible to get around. But through each of our paths, we have found the same destination. Tonight we celebrate the fact that every student in the chairs behind me has overcome struggles. We have positively lived our lives more so than our failures, up to this point at least. We have fallen and gotten back up, as well as watched our fellow colleagues do the same. We have seen our favorite advisors find new homes, and leave us to build new relationships with unknown individuals. We have seen amazing teachers’ lives changed by the unfortunate events of illness, and we have seen disasters throughout the world around us that may change our mindset on hope. We all have faced challenges through these last 4 years, regardless if they had a direct impact on us or not, but we must remember this: Life, no matter what, will never give you anything that you cannot handle, so even if it seems like there is no possible way you can get through it, just remember, it could have been worse.

Our past successes and our failures have been the key to creating a foundation of how others remember one another. You see, we must choose starting now what kind of memories you want others to take with them as your name comes up. Your sacrifices, your reasons behind struggles, your altering personality will never be understood by anyone but yourself, so we must leave a legacy that shines through our successes. High school is over, we have no more time to change how we defined ourselves throughout the past four years; the only thing we can do is plan who we want to be in the future. I’ve made mistakes, and I’ve been successful; I will choose to learn from my mistakes and build them up into divine character. We have all failed, and we will all fail again, but that doesn’t mean we will fail more than we will succeed. In the words of Denis Waitley, “Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” Failure is not just getting a low test score, or losing a game, or coming in anything but first place; failure is giving up when you know you could have done more. Tell me this class of 2018, if the only way to fail is to give up…. have we ever truly failed? Take a second, and look where you are: 12 years of learning new things, being tested over those things, and moving forward to a more difficult version. Our lives haven't even started yet; we just completed the pre-test of life. You all have succeeded in a major way without giving up in times of doubt or fear. Some of us can say that the journey was tough, and some may say it was simple, but either way we all have a clean slate, and we’re ready to begin writing a legacy that shapes our futures, our future families, and the future world as a whole. Strive to achieve greatness, be the best you you can be, and I know we will all be successful.

No matter your skills, no matter your situation, no matter your hopes and dreams, we are all given opportunities in which we can become successful. Those opportunities will surely fluctuate from person to person, but they will always be perfect for you. Whether or not you choose to accept them is the difference maker.

As we continue our journey through adulthood, we all have a choice; bring along the happy memories of the past, and forget the times where failure overpowered our lives or you can choose to bring both. I’m telling you all right now, trying to forget your mistakes is devastatingly difficult; however, it is possible. If you choose to take both, you are defined as a hoarder of the past. You would never keep items that have broken over time with you because they are useless at that point, so why in the world would you bring along memories that only tear down the soul? This is a battle you will continue to face down the road, but I believe that all of you behind me will take this lesson with you and continually succeed. Your failures and your successes are the basis for defining who you are in this world, so I will say this again: who do you want to define yourself as? The one who strives to succeed while learning from your mistakes, or the person that mourns over their failures and expects greatness over time? I don’t know about you, but I think it’s a pretty obvious choice. This is the legacy that I strive to pursue. What’s yours?

Watch Kyle deliver this speech on YouTube.



ABBI JEPKEMA

Tonight we gather in the football stadium of Comstock High School to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduates seated behind me. Each and every one of them has made an everlasting impact on the halls of this school, so I would like to ask the class of 2018, what legacy did you build to leave at CHS?

Abbi Jepkema

Leadership is the legacy I have left. Two years ago I started my journey on the path to leadership, and may I say it turned my life in a whole new direction. This year the Leader In Me program was introduced at Comstock, and through this program each student learned about the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Although they have great merit, I won’t waste time explaining them; I know that the students learned how these principles improve their lives. Instead, I would like to introduce a new habit. Yes – surprise! – there is an eighth habit! I have the book right here to prove it, so you can check my sources. The eighth habit is finding your voice, and then inspiring others to find their voices.

Finding my voice took profound courage as I contemplated my capability in creating an impact. Throughout my experiences with National Honor Society and the Michigan Association of Student Councils / Michigan Association of Honor Societies, I was presented with a choice. Either I could take a back seat, do my committee work, and get my job done, or I could take the leap out of my comfort zone and use my voice to inspire change, and bring my ideas to the table. With the helpful push of my advisor, Mrs. Grueter, I chose the path of using my voice, and began building my leadership legacy. Using this new found voice, I applied and became the coordinator of the first ever student lighthouse team at Comstock High School. This is the student-led group tasked with implementing positive change within the school. In this role, I have had the opportunity to speak out on what I believe should change within the school such as the environment and the curriculum in seventh hour. By taking on this challenge, my voice has been amplified, and is much stronger than I had ever imagined possible.

As a leader, I have strived to inspire others to find their voice as well. So tonight I am going to take this as one last opportunity to inspire all those I leave behind at CHS. Teachers and staff, I encourage you to practice habit five: seek first to understand, then to be understood. Deborah Meier once said, “Teaching is listening, learning is talking.” What I mean by this is that the greatest legacy you can leave is by listening to your students then amplifying their voices. Use your position to help students find their voice by supporting them and providing them with the necessary resources, and you’ll be impressed with just how much they can accomplish on their own.

Class of 2018, I ask you to take this moment to reflect on the past four years. Have you found your voice? For those of you who have found it, where did you find it? How have you used it, and more importantly, how will you continue to use it as you take the next step into your future? For those of you who have not found your voice, I encourage you to keep looking. Robin Williams said, “Strive to find your own voice because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all.” If you don’t know where to begin, look to your passions. Somewhere inside each and every one of you there is a voice waiting to be heard.

Underclassmen, listen up because this is the most important thing I have to share. You are the future of Comstock High School, so find your voice and use it. Do not be afraid to question authority. Bayard Rustain said, “To be afraid is to behave as if the truth were not true.” This means to use your voice for what is good, what is right, and what is true. Never stop pushing for your voice to be heard.

So now is the time to find your voice. Find it, and use it so that in time it will become louder. Use it until it is loud enough to break unimaginable barriers. And from the rubble of these barriers, build your legacy so that others may use it as a lighthouse, a beacon to guide them to finding their voice. With that I leave you my legacy, so that you may use it as a guide on your journey in creating your own.

Watch Abbi deliver this speech on YouTube.



KATIE ROONEY

Good evening friends, family, staff, and classmates. I have to be honest with you all; I have known for about a year that I was going to give a speech tonight, and not a week has gone by where it escaped my mind. You see, I love words. I love how we have such an incredible way of communicating with each other. I love how words can come alive through song lyrics, and I love the thought that it would be impossible to know every word in the English language (not to mention the 7,000 other languages). As I thought about what to say tonight, though, I began to get very frustrated with words. How could I explain how much Comstock High School means to me? How would I ever express my appreciation for the people here tonight? What could I say that would inspire my classmates to be even more incredible than they already are?

Katie Rooney

The truth is, words simply cannot do tonight any justice, because the relationships made, the laughs we have shared, the support we have received, and the ways we have grown here at Comstock High School, are indescribable. This moment is bittersweet. It is heartbreaking that this is the last time the class of 2018 will be all together, and that, soon, most memories will fade. However, this is just the beginning, and the legacy we have left at Comstock High School has been a training ground for the years to come.

One of the greatest people I have ever met, Sara Shroeder, shared my passion for words. She loved language, communication, and, most memorably, she absolutely loved quotes. I remember before she went back home to Germany, she would tell me often to not cry because it’s over, but to smile because it happened. Of course, I still cried, but not for long, because I knew that she taught me how to enjoy life a little bit more. She didn’t know it yet, but Sara left a great impact on me. Class of 2018, you have all left your legacy as a Colt here at Comstock, whether you realize it or not, and I am so excited for you to make your own legacy now. I guarantee that everything you have learned here, every friendship you have made, every mistake, and every pep talk from your teachers, parents, and coaches, has prepared you to live a legendary life.

As previously mentioned, I could never explain how much this school means to me, or how much I appreciate the people here. So, instead, I would like to share with you a few of the moments that have made these past 4 years so special. The class sitting behind me has experienced a lot together. We were a part of the very first Leader-in-me school, we tolerated the sound of drills as the main office was renovated, and we even got to swarm the football field when the 4 year losing streak was broken. Together, we fought for Mr. Cotter to be able to be here this year. We finally pulled together a successful lip sync performance after 3 very short and unorganized rehearsals, and we collected the most socks, gloves, and hats for our Warm up the Winter drive.

Unfortunately, we have also experienced heartache together. A few of us suffered through the unexpected passing of Mr. Ryan Cramer, the greatest 5th grade teacher we could’ve possibly known. We also had to say farewell to some of the most amazing teachers (Mr. Bailey, Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Nord, and Mr. Kordupel) as they have moved on to retirement or a new career path. Injuries have prevented some of us from playing a sport we love, and some of us have realized that high school wasn’t at all how we wanted it to be. However, we have also celebrated victories together. I will never forget the happiness I felt when I was privileged enough to watch a few my classmates be baptized, or when I found out that our very own Dino Sivley has decided to join the National Guard, or when the National Honor Society successfully hosted our first ever Regional Leadership Conference. We also owe the staff a huge thank you for making such an impact on our lives. We will always remember when Mr. V danced to “wrecking Ball” at a pep rally assembly, but, more importantly, we will remember the times when they treated us like family. I know for sure that Mrs. Grueter has always provided us with a classroom to call our home. Mr. Cotter has dried the tears we cried when we thought we had no future, and Mrs. Stewart brought a smile to our face every time she willingly showed up to a sporting event, concert, or an early morning meeting.

Comstock High School has truly been our second home, and the people here have become our second family. So maybe I can’t explain what this school means to me, or express my appreciation for everyone here tonight, but I would like to offer a few last words before we head our separate ways. Often times, when I imagine myself living my best life, I imagine it like painting a picture. We have a choice of the colors we use, the lines we make, and the image we want to portray. We cannot, however, choose if we make mistakes along the way. A famous painter by the name of Bob Ross was known to say that he, “didn’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” In his eyes, mistakes were a way of opening his mind to a new idea that he maybe hadn’t thought of before. So Colts, whether or not your life goes as planned, you are leaving a mark wherever you go, and I truly believe that every individual here is capable of painting the most beautiful life, full of vibrancy and passion. I hope you choose to pick up the paintbrush, and let your legacy speak; and Class of 2018, there’s only one thing left to say, I’ll CC ya later. Thank you.

Watch Katie deliver this speech on YouTube.