<body><div>GRADUATES SPEAK News Staff Wed, 06/07/2023 - 15:13 Image <ul class="slides"><li><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3osLUX_0moW8qPu00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3osLUX_0moW8qPu00" width="525" height="420" > Fredericksburg High School graduate Carolina Osterberg gave her valedictorian speech during the FHS graduation ceremony held on Friday, May 26 at FHS Stadium. — Photo by Russell Viers </li><li><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2UGhtR_0moW8qPu00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2UGhtR_0moW8qPu00" width="630" height="420" > Harper High School graduating senior Talli Millican spoke to the audience of the Harper High School graduation ceremony on Friday, May 26. — Photo by Tony Galucci </li></ul> Body By Carolina Osterberg FHS Valedictorian Good evening, everyone. Anyone who knows me probably knows how much I’ve been dreading giving this speech, so I’ll try to keep this brief. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> I’d like to thank a few people, namely: my sister, my mother, my father, and the rest of my family for their endless love and guidance. Jag hoppas jag har gjort er stolt. I’d like to thank my friends: Graeson Fanning, Ava Snoozy, Sara Vehle, Lennon Cockrill and Jada Avila for caring for and inspiring me for years. I’m so proud of you all, and I’m honored to have been your friend. I’d like to thank my teachers, everyone I’ve ever had from age 3 to age 18, for their hard work and dedication. I’d also like to recognize the rest of the staff, all the teachers I haven’t had, every principal, coach, counselor, custodian, and cafeteria worker for their commitment to all of us students. However, I want to specifically honor a few teachers who truly changed my life. I’d like to thank Mrs. Julia Pickarski, the first teacher I ever had, for inspiring in me a love of learning that will last me a lifetime. I’d like to thank Mrs. Naomi Pyka for helping me to see the world and myself differently. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> I’d like to thank Mr. David Remschel for pushing me out of my comfort zone and for always believing in me. I’d like to thank Mark Hierholzter for giving me the gift of music and for being my friend. I’d like to thank Mr. Gilbert Renaud for his wit, his book recommendations, and the conversations we’ve had together. I’d like to thank Mrs. Joan Speer for her brilliance, her dedication, and her passion for everything she teaches. Lastly, I’d like to thank Mr. Andrew Matthes for opening me up to a whole world of new possibilities and for encouraging me to innovate. To everyone I named, as well as everyone I didn’t, I’m honored to have been your student and grateful for everything you taught me. To all my fellow students, I think we should all be proud, of ourselves and of each other, for making it to this stage today. We are all here in part because of the support and guidance we’ve received from our parents, teachers, friends, mentors, and others, and it’s important to thank them all. I thank y’all. Aside from working so hard here at school, you have both truly been the best parents a girl could ask for, so thank you. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> And to all the other parents and family that are here tonight and to those that could not be here tonight, we thank you, as well. You are the ones that have truly been with us throughout it all. This accomplishment of ours is yours, as well, so again we thank you, and we love you. Well Class of 2023, we did it. We are about to graduate high school. As Taylor Swift said, “The scary news now is that you’re on your own now, but the cool news is that you’re on your own now.” Congratulations classmates, we made it. Thank you once again to Harper ISD for the last six million, eight hundred thirty-two thousand, and eight hundred minutes of our lives. Here’s to always making the next one count. I will forever be grateful to have been a Harper Longhorn, but I am officially putting my horns down, Gig ’em! Thank you. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> By Kamrynn Baethge HHS Salutatorian Good evening families, friends, teachers and staff! Upon hearing that I was salutatorian, I was overwhelmed with feelings of happiness and pride. However, getting the news that I needed to prepare a speech, well that quickly turned into a nervous writer’s block. I have always been intentional with my education, but not to the point of perfection, not to the extent of valedictorian or salutatorian status. This speech wasn’t something I envisioned giving for the past four years. So, as you can imagine, I have spent the past several days wondering what to say that would be impactful. Honestly, I wondered how people would remember Kamrynn. Then it occurred to me, this speech isn’t really about me, but about the things that have shaped and molded this group of people sitting before you into the Class of 2023. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> First, to our faculty and staff, I hope you never underestimate your ability to change lives. To Mr. Pape, your kind morning welcome will be dearly missed as I’m running to first period almost tardy. Coach Lumpkins and Mrs. Tatsch, thank you for the warm hugs and smiles that met me in the hall on the way to PALS. Mrs. Pascarella and the cafeteria staff, thank you for the numerous hours you put into your job of servanthood to others. I will miss seeing Mrs. Ortiz reapplying her lipstick and freshening up her powder at the lunch table while walking to sixth period. Mr. and Mrs. Marek, thank you for teaching us that our only limits are the ones we place on ourselves. Mrs. Cantwell, I have to say, there is no one that can out “Horn Pride” you. I am going to miss complimenting your outfits every morning. There are 180 days in a school year, and I don’t think I ever saw the same one twice. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> The truth is, nothing I just mentioned was an extraordinary act of generosity or friendship. It was each faculty and staff member’s choice to believe in kindness that makes me look back on the past four years with joy. Maybe that was a lesson in itself, the most meaningful rewards maybe aren’t monetary things, but simply the reward of making another person feel valued. So, from each of us, truly, thank you. Next, to my Mom and Dad, I wouldn’t change a thing about the cards I’ve been dealt. Because of you, I have grown to be independent, strong and forgiving. From dress up fashion shows in Mom’s heels, to prom. From playing softball in the backyard with Dad, to pitching on a turf field in the playoffs. From building tree houses with Kendall and Karsann until dark, to helping my sister paint the walls of her new home. Although this is the end of one chapter, I will never stop learning from your guidance and worldly wisdom. You are the molds to which I have been formed. And you are the reason I continue to grow and become all that I was created to be. Growing up is a bitter-sweet affair for all of us, but parents, second parents, relatives who became like parents, thank you for being alongside one of the greatest adventures of my life. Finally, to the Class of 2023, I have to say that you have grown to be like family to me. Although I get the honor to stand before you today, the reality is that it isn’t just about one or two people, but about a group of students who will never stand side by side with one another like this again. We have cried, laughed, grown together and made memories that we will never forget. I was given this honor as a result of my grade average, but our grade averages are not a factor of success once we leave this place. It is our character and resilience to move forward, and for that reason we are all deserving of recognition today. As Teddy Roosevelt said in his famous speech, The Man in the Arena, “The Credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” While we have conquered 12 years of school, our time does not stop now. The triumph doesn’t come to a halt. We have dreams to chase, jobs to fill, relationships to gain all as we continue to turn the pages of our story. Class of 2023, I hope you always remember to dare greatly, because those who don’t dare will never know the feeling of failure, or victory. I can happily say that today many of us get our first taste of victory, all thanks to the time we spent in a pretty amazing arena. If you would, please join me in congratulating the Class of 2023. Thank You. But I also want to recognize the most instrumental person to your success: Yourself. You are the reason you’ve made it this far. It is your hard work behind each and every one of your accomplishments. You made yourself the person you are today. And it is that foundation that will serve us in the future. The successes and failures we’ve experienced, the lessons we’ve learned, and the people we’ve become here will carry us forward. We are the masters of our futures. In whatever endeavors you pursue and whoever you become, I wish you all the best. So long and goodnight. By Connor Clements FHS Salutatorian Before I start, I want to preface that I did this speech just like most of the other school work I’ve done throughout my life, the night before it was due. It is an honor to be here as the salutatorian for my class today. I actually found out about a humorous name for second place being “first loser”, and some might see that as a depressing title, but I like to see it as that the word “first” is in there. Throughout my time in high school, I have made so many different memories. I’ve learned to collaborate with others, and have met all kinds of different people. Whether it be in activities like band, engineering, tennis or just regular school classes, I have grown through experiences which I will take with me for the rest of my life. I want to thank my parents, grandparents and teachers for supporting me throughout these past years and helping shape who I am today. Most of all though, I want to thank each and every student that I have had the privilege of sharing my school years with. Because ultimately it was all of the students who made my great experience what it was. Whether it be some of my closest friends, people I don’t talk to outside of a school setting or even people I have never talked to at all and just see in the halls. My fellow students are what made my experience valuable and worthwhile and I couldn’t have gotten through it without them. We’ve been through a lot over the course of our school years, but we all got through it, and I think we’ve grown because of it. We’ve learned resilience, perseverance, and how to deal with adversity. As we now all go our separate ways and off into the world on our own, we have endless possibilities ahead of us. This next chapter of our lives will be one of both excitement and great difficulty. Although there is adversity ahead for each one of us, we will rise to overcome it, because that’s what we’ve always done and what we will continue to do. Each one of us has the power to make an impact on the world, and it is up to us to make it a positive one. On that note, I want to congratulate the entirety of the Class of 2023, and wish you all success in your future careers and aspirations. Thank you. By Talli Millican HHS Valedicctorian Good evening families, friends, teachers, staff and most importantly class of 2023. Thank you all for being here tonight, I am sure you all played a role in helping us get to where we are today, so again, we thank you. As I started to write this speech, I really started to reflect on the last 13 years, which is also six million, eight hundred thirty-two thousand, and eight hundred minutes. And while this sounds like a long time, it went by in what seems like just one, single, minute. And now in less than 30 minutes, we will have diplomas in our hands and officially be Harper Longhorn Alumni. Everyone told me that this time would fly by, but I never believed them, until it was time to get ready to graduate and I look back and wonder where all the time has gone. Our parents’ song is titled, “Never Grow Up,” but this is all we ever wanted to do, was grow up, and grow up we did. We all could not wait to be in middle school, then high school, then get our driver’s license, even if it took some of us, me included, multiple tries, then ultimately, graduate. Some of us have literally been counting down the days until graduation thinking that it couldn’t come any sooner, and others have been dreading this day. Either way, ready or not, here we are. In just the one minute that it will take us to hear our name called and walk to receive our diploma, our entire lives will have changed. This change is inevitable. We are about to face the biggest transition that we have ever faced. I like to joke that at A&amp;M, one of the hardest things for me will be going from “horns up” to “horns down.” This just shows that everything we have ever known is still going to be engraved as a part of who we are, but no longer our identity. I will no longer be the coach’s kid, the teacher’s kid, the athlete, the FFA member, the valedictorian, and everything else that this town offered to me. Even though this town will no longer be who I am, it is the reason I am who I am. It is because of Harper, Texas that I know my comfort zone is the most dangerous place that I can be, to push myself, that working hard and failing is more honorable than cheating and succeeding, to not take things for granted, and so much more. Along with the lessons I have learned that have helped shape me into who I am, there are also 38 people sitting behind me that I have to thank. One thing that everyone knows about our class is that we like to keep things fun and exciting. I’m not sure if there has been a single school day over the past 13 years that I have not laughed so hard I’ve gotten a stomachache. But as a class, we also know when to be serious and when it is time to work hard. We have spent countless amounts of minutes dedicated to our studies, athletics, ag, band, theater, UIL and more. Many of us have also completed well over 20 hours of college credit through dual credit classes. I stand up here today as the valedictorian, but this was no easy task. Close to half of our class earned a 4.0 GPA. We all accomplished this while also making history in all of our extracurricular events. This just shows how special of a class we are, not to mention that we also beat the faculty in the annual end-of-the-year kickball game, which hasn’t happened in several years. So, Class of 2023, we have already been granted these six million, eight hundred thirty-two thousand, and eight hundred minutes, where we have proven many things, but we are not promised the next minute. As some of us are headed off to college, a trade school, the work force, or the military, I know that wherever life takes us, we will make the most of it and we will all find success because we have been taught all the necessary skills to be successful. Now, I want to take just a few minutes to thank all the people who are responsible for teaching us these necessary skills. I want to start off by thanking the Harper ISD faculty for everything they have done for us. As a teacher’s kid, I see first-hand all the things that the teachers do for their students on the front lines, but also behind the scenes. Your hard work, dedication, and love for us does not go unnoticed. To the lunch ladies who kept us fed and the custodians who work so diligently to keep our school clean, we thank you. To people like Coach V, Mike Keith, Tony Gallucci, and the picture queen Yvette Schubert who have captured truly how much of a joy these past four years have been through a camera lens, we thank you. To the coaches who push us to be the best that we can be both inside our sport and out, we thank you. To the underclassmen that we have many memories with, we will miss you and we wish you the best of luck in your last years of high school. To my mom and dad who wear so many hats at this school and do it so well, <a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

GRADUATES SPEAK
News Staff
Wed, 06/07/2023 - 15:13

  
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      Fredericksburg High School graduate Carolina Osterberg gave her valedictorian speech during the FHS graduation ceremony held on Friday, May 26 at FHS Stadium. — Photo by Russell Viers
    

      Harper High School graduating senior Talli Millican spoke to the audience of the Harper High School graduation ceremony on Friday, May...