New Stevenson Grad Says High School is 'About Discovering Who You Are'

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Congratulations class of 2013. What has happened in the last 18 years that landed us at this graduation ceremony? Among other things, we attended Stevenson High School. Many people don’t know what this truly means, but we all do. It means making small talk with the security guards. It means watching a pep assembly on a projector screen because the sports center can’t hold all our spirit. It means when we hear ACT, AP, PAC, ILC we don’t flinch. But the sight of a purple pass makes us cringe. And whether we liked it or not, it means we took world history.  

I never expected world history to change my life. Mr. Lyons was my world history teacher, and he told us to draw a boat in the margin of our notes. That boat was us on our journey. Then he asked us to answer these three questions: who are you? Where are you going? And who is your captain? I thought he was crazy. He said by Halloween you’ll get it. And by Halloween I did. High school isn’t about East Indian trade routes or ancient Chinese dynasties. It’s about discovering who you are. In order to know who you are and where you are going, you have to know where you come from, and we have all shared in each others’ journeys. We all have a common green and gold thread woven into our past. The moment we walked into advisory on Freshmen Orientation Day. Relief after turning in that research paper. And of course today. Even though this may feel like the first day the class of 2013 is truly all together, we have been in the same boat all along. Even though your history teacher may not have asked you those questions, high school itself certainly did. 

Stevenson often asked us to answer those questions through challenges. I’ll never forget the day my geometry teacher kept me after class and said “you teach the class next period.” At first, I thought no way could I teach a lesson that I had just learned, but there I was, standing in front of the class, helping other students. We have all been challenged and influenced by those around us, but don’t forget that you have also been that influence on countless lives. This was never more tangible than in the final activity at a school retreat my freshmen year. Half of us sat on the ground with our eyes closed. The other half wandered the room, tapping the head of each person that touched their life that weekend. It was such a moving experience. So think about the heads that you would tap right now. [pause] Imagine the taps on your own head. [pause]

Stevenson is a strong force and we each contributed to that power. So whether you were the one to never step on the six-fingered patriot or the one to claim you had three lunch periods on free cookie Friday, you brought something to Stevenson. As we continue to find ourselves, embark on new journeys, and meet new captains, may the wind catch our sails and guide us through rough waters and smooth seas. Thank you.