Good evening ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the graduation of the Class of 2023!
I really have no idea what to say in this speech so I’ll start off by saying thank you. Thank you to everyone that helped me get to where I am today. I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you to all my teachers, coaches, leaders, friends, and classmates.
Thank you Mason; I wouldn’t want to share Salutatorian with anyone else. Also if this speech is bad people at least have another one to rely on.
I would like to give a special thanks to Mrs. Jensen because as much as she’s tortured me these last six years she’s also given me many compliments which has given me the confidence to do anything, and I know what you’re thinking and the answer is yes, she paid me $5 to say that. Gotta make money somehow. No for real, thanks bruh. Also thanks to my dad for pushing me to do my best in anything I do. And there’s another $5! Listen, I’m just trying to pay for college.
I really do wanna thank my dad because he’s made it very, very clear to me that the only reason I’m here is because of him! He pushes me to do things I don’t want to do. He pushes me not to quit when all I want to do is quit. He tries to improve my life any way he can and teaches me a lesson any chance he gets.
And now thank you Shanna. You stepped into my life with the hardest job imaginable (raising Grace) and you did better than anyone else ever would have. You’ve been the greatest stepmom on the planet and even though I’m not always the best at doing chores or showing up to school on time I’m glad to say you are my mom.
Now let’s get into it for real. The greatest years of my life have been with this class and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. They are also the only years I’ve lived but you are just gonna have to trust me. This class has done everything together since preschool and now we’re about to go our separate ways. After tonight there most likely is not going to be a time where we’ll all be together.
Ten years ago none of you knew you’d be sitting here listening to me talk today and 10 years from now I’m sure you’re not gonna remember a thing! If there’s one thing I want you to remember, it’s this: everyone in this room has the ability to be good at at-least one thing. I urge you guys to find that thing and pursue it. Give it everything you have. Don’t quit when you want to. Do the things you don’t want to do in order to get your dream because one day you’ll look back and be glad you did.
Let’s be the class that can look back at our lives when we’re on our deathbed and say we wouldn’t change a thing. Let’s be the class that looks back on our lives and say, I gave it everything I had, and let’s be the class that looks back on our lives and say Dang, I’m glad I seen that.
This class is the greatest class, sometimes, kinda. Some teachers might remember us as the class that never showed up or the class that talked too much or the class that laughed too much. But I think those are my favorite things about my class: we talk when we’re together, we laugh when we’re together, and we all miss school at least once a week. Jk, not everyone did that it might have been just me and Ry.
But look at us all now. It was enough to graduate and you’re welcome teachers, because I’m not quite sure some of you could’ve handled another year with us. My class did very well in high school and now it’s time for real life. I can’t wait to see how each of you do and I wish you the best of luck.
Thank you guys for making elementary, middle school, and high school the best years of my life. I’ll never forget it!
– by Isaac Leech, Salutatorian, Bryce Valley High School
Feature image caption: Isaac Leech helps his class understand why they are the greatest class in his mind at graduation 2023.
The Salutatory address for Bryce Valley High School’s 2023 graduation.