Valedictorian & Salutatorian 2010
Rebecca Bennett - Valedictorian
I want to first start off by setting an atmosphere of gratitude. Although this is a time of high praise and acknowledgement of where we are, we must not forget from where we have came. I grew up in the times where we entered a new millennium and a new century, where our solar system decreased by a factor of one, where many Americans lost their homes and went without food due to the harsh winds of Katrina, where many lives were lost and still are being lost in a war where weapons of mass destruction were not found. I have witnessed a time where America seemed to live in fear due to the terror done to two strong towers which still have not been rebuilt. I have felt the world once again depressed and deprived of money. On a livelier note my eyes no longer see in black and white, but have seen color in a white house.
We have to be thankful that we have made it. We have graduated and moved on. We have overcome the harsh winds of the storm, the crumbling of the walls from which our security came, the fear of recovery, and the hunger that grew in our stomach for change. Our politics have seen a splash of color. We have to be thankful because many have not tasted and seen this night June 10,2010. People may have glanced and took time to reflect as I did of where we came from. People may have thought that we never would make it, but we were never given anything that we could not bear. We made it to this night with purpose in mind and do not let anyone tell you differently.
Purpose will drive you to succeed. Purpose will give you wings above the words and thoughts of your enemies. Purpose will destroy generational curses. Purpose will graduate you when no one else seems seasoned to move on. My fellow classmates embark on this your new season. Do not take it lightly that you are being honored for your maturity and awareness to take these high school years by force and to excel. Someone once asked me what was the hardest thing I had to overcome and I told them high school. High school years are the years where you find yourself and try to define yourself. Unfortunately many get lost in what is going on and try to transform themselves into what others defined for them. What makes it so difficult is being in an environment where everyone is not sure about who they are, but class of 2010 you did not fall to this confusion. You knew you were destined to be graduates of the Euclid High School. You had purpose!
When people laid their mouths on you and spoke negativity over your life, when friends turned their backs on you, when family just did not understand, when jobs could not understand that you had purpose on your life so your time with them was limited, when your graduation depended on the OGT's, or maybe it was the losS of a loved one, the sleepless nights that you cried. All this for purpose! What did not kill you, only made you stronger. It made you stronger to continue to walk in purpose. It made you stronger to walk in who you are. Do not look at purpose and become fearful. You can still live life to the fullest because purpose will lead you and make room for you.
Once again I have to re-emphasize gratitude. I am thankful for the people we have encountered, and for the obstacles we have overcome. I am thankful for the words of encouragement to counter attack the negativity spoken. Anything anyone ever told you with mind to destroy you I am here to tell you its a lie. You have greater works. So on this night, to the Class of 2010 and to all those who have joined us in this time of joyous praise, be encouraged! We have made it! And do not ever forget that! As I said before, high school was a time of defining and finding who we are, but our next step, no matter what is, it is a time for us to refine and walk in who we are. FOR WE ARE OVERCOMMERS!
God Bless.
Joseph Barwick - Salutatorian
Good evening family, friends, classmates. I am honored to be able to speak at this monumental ceremony. I would like to thank my parents, my siblings, my teachers, and my friends, for all of their support and guidance that has helped me to get to this point in my life, and for putting up with me for the past 18 years. Tonight, we celebrate everything we have accomplished during the past 12 years of school, most especially, the past 4 in high school. I congratulate all of my classmates who have made it here tonight. It is truly a great accomplishment, and I am proud to be a part of such an excellent group of people. Tonight we also celebrate the beginning of a new adventure. Many of us will be going on to college, or into the military, or straight into the working field. Whichever path we choose to take, the experiences we have had up until this point in our lives, have shaped us into who we are today, and will guide throughout our lives, helping us to one day become who we are meant to be. Tonight, what we celebrate the most is potential. Each and every one of us holds unmeasurable potential. Our parents, teachers, and other mentors have seen a glimpse of what we can become. It is largely because of them that we are here tonight. They have seen our potential and have been able to point us in the right direction for us to succeed. But from now on, our parents and teachers won't be standing right beside us, helping us to make the right decisions. Our futures are in our own hands now. It is up to us to make the most out of ourselves. We each have great potential, but what good is potential if it is never met? What good is a kite if it never flies?
We are all kites. Up to this point, we have been running into the wind and have let out string, enough to take flight. Tonight, we are released into the wind. Our experiences are the string, and, starting now, the only thing keeping us from blowing away in the wind. As we continue to learn and grow, our experiences increase, and our strings lengthen. We will fly higher as long as we continue to push through the winds of adversity. As we overcome challenges, we are strengthened, and our ability to reach our potential increases. It is when we give in to the wind that we begin to descend and fall further from our potential. May we never give up on our dreams, but continue to face the wind, no matter how strongly it blows, that we may reach our potential and soar among the clouds. Tonight, the sky will be painted by the Euclid High School's graduated class of 2010. I wish you all the best. Thank you.