Tai Nguyen
Ann Sobrato High School
Class of 2018 Valedictorian
I am proud to say the senior class has earned over $2.5 million in scholarship money. Now that we’re going to college, that means more Cup of Noodles for dinner.
College will be fun, but the future can be scary. To make it simpler, life is a cup of noodles—it requires purpose, process and praying.
The purpose of a cup of noodles is to satisfy your hunger. What will satisfy you? What is your purpose? Whether it is your dream to change the world, a legacy you want to leave or just something you do for your family, the first step to finding your purpose is knowing yourself, and from that you can succeed. Staff members like Mrs. Gharibyan, Ms.Gomez and Mrs. Witthaus show us what it’s like to have a purpose and inspire us to find our own.
A cup of noodles requires one minute in the microwave with water. What does fulfilling your purpose require? Purpose requires a process. Which means trying over and over again until we expose our weaknesses. And only once we learn our weaknesses can we utilize our strengths to grow as a person and fulfill our happiness.
Once we have made our cup of noodles, we pray that our process worked. If those noodles fail, then we pray the next cup will be digestible. Say we fail that class, we lose someone who’s dear to us, or we didn’t reach that achievement. Failure will hurt. Then we pray for strength to endure the hard times and become a person with grit.
The next time you make a cup of noodles in your dorm room remember: find your purpose, trust the process, and pray for the strength to endure a difficult life.
If you want to change the world, start by making a cup of noodles.
For the last time, there was a saying we’d chant after winning countless rallies. So how about it one more time. “One – Eight-Dominate!”
And now, Principal Courtney Macko will begin the conferring of diplomas.
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Raymond Bui and Amanda Jackson
Ann Sobrato High School
Class of 2018 Co-salutatorians
Good evening. Thank you all for coming, and special thanks to all of you Warriors fans for missing what is hopefully the last game of the NBA Finals to be here tonight. Jazzmine and
Lindsey, thanks for your entertaining yet sentimental reflection of these past four years. As we consider our own high school experiences, we’d like to take a brief moment to express our appreciation to those who have helped us throughout this time. Without them, who knows where we would stand today?
Thank you, of course, to our teachers who, whether they’re grading hundreds of essays or teaching extra AP lessons during tutorial periods, have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our learning. Thank you to our counselors and administrators for all of their crucial behind-the-scenes work. To our own parents who were often on our backs, pushing us to work harder, thank you for always having our backs when we needed your support. And to the kind-hearted parent drivers who stopped to let an endless stream of students make that impossible left turn into the parking lot at 8:09 in the morning, thank you too. And, of course, thank you to our fellow students, who through the friendships we have found, the memories we shared, and the bonds we have created, have shown us what it feels like to be a part of a second family.
Wow! That was a lot of thank yous. But let’s step back for a second. Most of us are only 17 or 18 years old. We don’t know all the answers, and we can’t profess some deep universal truth. But what we can do—and have been taught to do since before we could walk—is say thank you. Graduating high school is a major step toward independence, but we’ll be relying on the kindness, advice and expertise of others for the rest of our lives.
We’re here to express appreciation to the people who have helped us now and to those who will help us in the future. Most of all, we are truly grateful to be members of the Bulldog family. Thank you, Sobrato Class of 2018.
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Belle Tabares
Class of 2018 Central High School
I remember the day, the day I was sentenced here, to Alcatraz Penitentiary. Let’s be honest, Central is just like Alcatraz; it’s isolated in the community, We are off in the distance at the edge of town, surrounded by a sea….
of brown
Dried up
farmland,
And in the distance, we see our freedom:
Live Oak and Sobrato.
But enough about that, back to my story.
I walked through the College & Career Center at Live Oak High School hoping that my counselor wanted to see me about summer school, or hoping they would overlook my grades and just say, “You can still graduate from here.” But as I walked through the door frame, I saw my counselor’s face.
The conversation was straightforward. He sounded like a broken record. As a matter of fact, he sounded like my dad.
“Belle, how’s school going? How are you doing in your classes?”
“Do you know what you are going to do after high school?”
I, of course, replied with “fine” or “good” and the infamous teenage shoulder shrug of “I don’t know.”
But then my counselors threw a major curveball and started to talk about graduation options. I sunk in my chair and braced for the worst: “Central might be a good option.” I cringed, thinking about the island far away from the mainland. After sitting there zoning out, I came back to reality.
My reality.
I was going to Central, and there was nothing I could do about it.
The first few months at Central felt like I was shackled in handcuffs with a 20 pound ball trailing behind me, unless it was just the bathroom escort during the class period.
But since I’ve been here, I’ve gotten to know some of my classmates, and reunited with some old faces from elementary and middle school. But even though I was surrounded by faces, I felt alone…in my mind. It’s like being in solitary confinement. It’s torture.
We all feel that way sometimes. Alone.
But we’re not.
We all came here for similar mistakes made in our past. But today, it’s time we start looking toward our future.
This past year, I’ve started to learn how to let myself show a bit more.
The more I was learning of who I was becoming, the more the chains were getting looser.
The more I got involved with the school, the more I started to feel like an adult.
When you’re a teenager, every rule feels like a restriction. And those restrictions feel like handcuffs.
Have something to say? Raise your hand. Need to go to the bathroom? Wait for an escort. Are you hungry and can’t concentrate? Wait until lunch. Want to color? Stay within the lines. Have an opinion? Make sure it’s school appropriate.
Like I said, restrictions.
But restrictions are just part of growing up. I’m not saying that you should go crazy after today; I’m saying it’s time to grow up and break those restricted chains of those who told you who you can’t be—who you should be rather than who YOU want to be.
To be quite honest, I’ve spent so much time thinking about graduation day, but I never imagined it. I guess this is growing up. We’ve spent so much time thinking about it, and now it’s here.
So, Class of 2018, today is the beginning, it’s time to take the chains off. We did it! We’ve been paroled!
Thank you. Please welcome my fellow inmate, Lucas Hirschler.
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Lucas Hirschler
Class of 2018 Central High School
Welcome friends, family, and graduates. My name is Lucas Hirschler, and today I want to welcome you to celebrate what marks a special day in our lives, one that we will never forget. Today we take a huge step in becoming an adult and finding out who we really are by acknowledging our journey.
Everyone goes through hard times in high school, times that make you want to be anyone but yourself. There are times that you just want to give up and disappear into thin air, so you don’t have to deal with your problems or your peers. It is in these times that you can really learn about who you are and develop as a person. It is when you are at your lowest when you learn how to rise. Because it is when you are down, that you learn who you are. It is the struggle that makes us stronger.
It is important to embrace the difficult times; it is how we deal with the up and downs that shape the kind of person we become. This is something that I’ve learned throughout my educational experiences. There were so many times when I wanted just to give up. I wanted to give up after middle school. I wanted to give up after failing my first two years in high school.
I wanted to give up before I even gave Central a try. I knew if I gave up, I could never look at myself in the mirror and recognize my reflection. If I gave up, I would be dishonoring myself. And there is no greater sin than dishonoring who you are. I knew I couldn’t just give up because If I stopped believing in myself, I would let down my brother, my mom, my dad, and the faculty and staff at Central who believed in me.
My journey through school has shaped who I am today, and I never would want to change that. My experiences are our experiences, and we can’t blame them on anyone else but ourselves. When the time came, I knew that I had to change and push through all these obstacles. It made me a stronger person. Yes, my confidence may have been brought down during times of my lowest, but as I learned from my mistakes my path became more clear, confidence and ambition filled my ego. Now I am graduating from CHS, on time, and going to my school of choice: Georgia Trade School Academy of Welding.
Central High School is built on making kids succeed, even when no one believes they could. This school is built on the idea that if you believe, you can achieve. This school doesn’t live up to the negative labels that people portrayed it to be, and that’s why I’m glad that I gave Central a chance.
Thank you.
Congratulations Class of 2018.
Don’t ever stop believing in yourself!
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Channing Bushman
Oakwood School Class of 2018
My name is Channing Bushman, and I have attended Oakwood for six years, since seventh grade. I have participated in just about everything—theater, art, Interact, Model UN, Volleyball, wildlife committee, the Rotary Speech contest, and just about every volunteer opportunity that came my way. I love to learn, and I have treasured my time at Oakwood.
Four years ago, in this very gym at Oakwood’s eighth grade promotion, our advisors Mrs. Call and Ms. Hare gave a speech that took a look at each of our futures. They predicted that a few years down the road, Nick Wilson would be the owner of the Orioles, Reece Whitelaw would soon be featured on BBC as the 17th Dr. Who and James Conn would invent a cure for stupidity. Some of us have changed quite a bit since that time, and others… maybe not so much.
But, either way, if the future that had been envisioned for our eighth grade selves will be realized or not, it certainly is looking good for all of us, individually and collectively. Among this class, we have individuals who will attend all kinds of schools, planning to fulfill their aspirations, and do so to the fullest.
Calla Schubert is attending an amazing art school in Laguna Beach. Joshua Escover got a full scholarship for dance at Chapman University. Renee Gastelum was accepted to an Organ performance program at BYU school of music, a program to which only four are admitted each year.
Oakwood will be represented at a variety of UCs and CSUs, and have a few appearances elsewhere on the West Coast and even a few back East, and all in between. Our limited numbers will spread far and wide, but while we’re at it, we’ll be sure to change the world. And maybe even the universe, too.
It’s not like I think changing the world will be easy. It’s been tough every step of the way. We have all elected to attend Oakwood, a more challenging school, but have thrived and ultimately, succeeded—proof of which fills the seats on the stage today.
We all now have gotten through the college process—applications, scholarships, and then decisions, not to mention the work it takes to build a strong resume and to get good grades and to participate extracurriculars every year leading up to this one. But, as of now, we’ve made our choices. We’ve decided that we’re going to take what we’ve learned here at Oakwood and really make a difference, wherever we go, whatever we do.
I’d like to tell you all a little secret. I guess it won’t be so little a secret once I tell all of you, but as long as we keep it between us, I figure I can let you know. I am going into the field of American Sign Language/English Interpreting…out of spite. Well, not entirely. When I was in middle school, two of my friends, one of whom was Cathy Dinh, watched a show called “Switched at Birth,” a show in which one of the main characters is deaf.
I, being desperate to make friends as all middle schoolers are, elected to learn it with them. Then, I had someone tell me that it wasn’t a real language. And I, being me, took it upon myself to prove him wrong. So I continued to learn, and I found I really enjoyed sign language. I began to take online courses and join forums. I found a school that specializes in ASL/English Interpreting and Deaf Studies. I visited Western Oregon University’ s campus in late October last year just as the leaves were turning and fell absolutely in love. I applied and I got in and I somehow managed to convince my parents to let me go there. And that’s where I’ll be moving in, bright-eyed and bushy tailed in September.
I will work so, so hard to be the best ASL interpreter Oakwood has ever produced. I’ll advocate for those who need it most, and hopefully end up teaching others the skills I learn and practice and utilize.
And maybe, if they’ll let me, I could even go on to start an ASL program at Oakwood, this great private school at the southern end of Morgan Hill, the place that fostered my love of learning and allowed me the wonderful opportunities to get where I am today.
Each of us has our own story. I’m sure you ‘ll hear your share of those before you leave today. Each one of those stories is unique, as each one of us is unique. And we now have something unique to share with the world.
There may only be 42 of us, but as is determined in “The Hitchhiker’ s Guide to the Galaxy,” isn’t 42 the answer to life, the universe and everything?
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Nick Wilson
Oakwood School Class of 2018
Hello and welcome, my name is Nick Wilson. When my parents enrolled me here at Oakwood in 2003 for preschool, I was too young to realize what a great place it was for me. In my entrance letter to ECE, my parents wrote that I will be fast to make more friends than the two I already had—Davey Power and Cam Dorcich.
Cam used to push kids off the bikes in the ECE playground for me so I could get the coolest ride. I saw the great friendships my brother Andrew had at Oakwood, and I wanted to have friends like that.
Soon after my first year, I met someone whom I am still BFFs with. Taylor Andre and I have gone through basically everything together. At first, we were not that close because we were in separate ECE classes, but during elementary school Taylor and I got very close. We have also participated in several school trips: Coloma in fourth grade; science camp in fifth grade and all of the middle school trips.
These school trips helped us grow closer as friends. Taylor and I have done a lot over the years and we haven’t changed much. We still watch stupid videos on Youtube, talk about cars, work on cars, and talk more about cars. We basically obsess over anything with wheels and an engine.
A new thing that we added to our routine is where we cruise the back roads and enjoy scenery. Correct me if I’m wrong, Taylor, but I think getting our drivers licenses was the best thing to happen to us, and funny enough we even got them on the same day.
Before I made my decision to come to Oakwood High School I applied to go to Bellarmine. Fortunately for me, I decided to come here. It was one of the best decisions I made. What I was excited about was continuing friendships from middle school, and also meeting new friends. One person that I got really close to during our one year of JV Basketball is the bandwagon Patriots fan himself Corey Baldyga. Corey and I bonded because, well let’s face it, we sat on the bench the whole time. Once I found out Corey was interested in the same stuff I was, we became fast friends..
One aspect of school that I haven’t mentioned yet is the faculty. After four years I am sure most of you want to know what having my father for a teacher is really like. Like all of you I still cannot read his handwriting. I don’t always get A’s on essays, I definitely don’t get A’s on every quiz, and I’m not immune to a classic Dr. Wilson roast either, so he’s basically just like every other teacher.
Good thing about a smaller school is that I was able to get close to my teachers. Mr. Berniker, I always enjoy our daily sports conversations after class even though he’s a 49ers fan. Dr. Drabman is my fellow car nerd and I love talking cars with someone else other than Taylor or Corey. Mr. Hollenbeck, your clever puns will be missed. Madame, my French teacher in college won’t even come close to how awesome you are. To the rest of the faculty members who helped me reach the successful end to my lengthy Oakwood career, I thank you.
I feel confident that I am prepared to take on the next chapter of my life at the University of New Hampshire. I’d like to thank my Oakwood family and my actual family for being my props and my prods during my academic career. Thank you!
And to the class of 2018, I found a quote which sums up our bond as a class throughout high school.
At the end of the day, life is about being happy, being who you are, and I feel like we are so blessed to have the support system and the best family to really just support each other no matter what we’re going through. I’d like to thank the great Kim Kardashian for that quote, and more importantly I’d like to thank all 41 of you for making high school an unforgettable 4 years, thank you!
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Isabella Rickard
Oakwood School Class of 2018
Well, here we are. Every time that I passed the countdown on the Student Center whiteboard until the last day of school, I thought about how unreachable this moment appeared to be. It seems just yesterday that it was the first day of freshman year when I stumbled up to the Oakwood high school building, fresh faced and chubby cheeked, without a clue of what a wild ride high school would be.
While I have your attention, I’d like to thank a couple of people. I’d like to thank my teachers for going above and beyond in so many ways – helping me with lessons and keeping my ego in check. I’d like to thank my classmates for making life interesting and always entertaining. Above all, I’d like to thank my ghostwriter for writing me such a good speech.
Oakwood creates its own culture which has manifested itself in truly unique ways. With the student center as our canvas, we’ve had some wonderful artwork displayed in the forms of teacher memes, immortalizing our professors, as well as daily polls that would incite surprisingly heated debates, including “Is a hot dog a sandwich?” or “Is water wet?” Thanks to Iris, we were all commemorated in the form of movie posters, featuring Jared as the Jaws shark, myself as Yoda, and Corey and Sammy as Bella and Edward in Twilight. Who could forget our all-star co-ed softball team? Or our utter triumph of finally winning the Furphy on Meme day?
Oakwood culture also manifests itself in other ways too. In just four years, we’ve been whipped into shape. Girls have become women, boys have become men (well, most of the them), perspectives have been broadened, minds have been cultured, and thanks to Dr. Wilson, bad writing has (hopefully) improved . I came to Oakwood in sixth grade—shy, quiet and nerdy. I would have never fathomed doing any of the things that I have done. I could barely make eye contact; I would have never made a speech. But after six years, I stand here a changed person: a product of Oakwood.
For its wonderful moments, high school has not been a walk in the park. After a tsunami of stress, tests, homework, tests, projects and tests, some of us feel like we’ve narrowly escaped. But the important thing is that we survived.
So now what? We are barely adults; how are we supposed to know what to do with our lives? A wise man named Dwight Schrute once said, “Whenever I’m about to do something, I think ‘would an idiot do that?’ And if they would, I do not do that thing.” Wise words to live by, truly.
In whatever you choose to do, live with authenticity. Those who truly love what they do are successful in what they do because the dedication and hard work do not become a burden. In other words, life is short. Death is inevitable. So go where you want to go, do what you want to do. Whether you choose to be a doctor or mechanic or run away to the circus to be a trapeze artist, do whatever makes you happy. Be the best trapeze artist you can be!
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Sammy Varma
Oakwood School Class of 2018
Good Afternoon parents, friends, teachers, administration, and of course the class of 2018. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Sameer Ravi Varma if you’re my parents and are about to yell at me for the millionth time to clean my room, Sammy to my friends, Sampson to Coach Brandon, and Samuel to those who think that an Indian guy would actually have that name (laugh) I’ve been at Oakwood since kindergarten there’s not a day that goes by that I regret my choice (kidding). Seriously, having been at Oakwood for 13 years means that occasionally I get nightmares about the fact that some of the faculty here have known me since I was five and they probably know way too much about me. But, in all sincerity, having been here so long means that I’ve been able to watch in wonder as this school has grown with me these past 13 years.
When I first began as a little green shirt all I wanted to do was play basketball outside with my friends and look at Mrs. Brennan’s parakeets. Graduating to wearing a white shut meant actual school no more fun naps (let’s be honest the real kids who need naps are high schoolers). It was time to get serious in first grade by trying to earn enough Doughty dollars to get a free McDonalds lunch. From speeding through my math homework as quickly as I could to memorizing and writing poems (a lot of poems. Seriously, we had to write and recite so many poems in elementary school) to marching around campus like cadets with our fifth grade teacher acting as our drill sergeant, the five years of elementary school went by like a blur. Oh the innocent days, where running to get a spot to play four square during recess and lunch on the blacktop was the most important thing in our lives.
The three years of middle school went by pretty quickly with snowy trips to Yosemite in 6th grade, snorkeling in Catalina in 7th, and running around New York City in 8th. Performing in the middle school musicals and playing on a school sports team for the first time were highlights of those school years. A buzzer beater that brought us victory in basketball against our bitter rivals, Spring Grove, will go down as one of the greatest moments in school history… or at least in mine. I choose to remember those moments instead of the hours spent on Latin roots, word voyage, and quia.
When I high school came around, I didn’t know what to expect. I continued at Oakwood because it was close. I didn’t really think much more of it. Most of my elementary and middle school friends moved on to other schools so I was a little nervous. Did I make the right decision? Do I want a change? Maybe a bigger school is what I really want. These questions were quickly answered as I realized early in my freshman year that Oakwood was the best place for me. I mean where else would a skinny Indian kid be able to play varsity basketball and be the lead in the school musical. Oakwood has provided me the opportunity to pursue all my interests from athletics to theatre to academics. The size of the school has proven to be a huge positive for me. Having a physics class of two was great because we could just work through problems together at a table and then have Mr. Hollenbeck bring in his special pasta sauce to fuel our brains. In my linear algebra class of four we have casual conversations about the exciting up and coming sp01t of Quidditch then a few minutes later more serious discussions about neural networks. Taking Spanish with Professor Orozco in a small class allows every person to speak and participate, and we have all learned a lot more than we think … except I still don’t think I understand when to use the preterite or the imperfect tense… These are just a few of the countless memories I have of this school.
Every once in a while I marvel at the fact that 13 years later I am still standing in the same spot. No seriously I’m pretty sure I stood right here during my first grade play, acting in the complex role of an ant.
Our time at Oakwood will shape how we react and respond to every moment that our futures present to us. Oakwood taught us to try new things and to step out of our comfort zone. To rise to our failures with humility and to celebrate our successes with our eye on the next horizon. To never let our expectations limit us and to allow ourselves to be surprised by what we are capable of. To respond to crises with grace and to ground ourselves in our friendships and loved ones. We didn’t just survive Oakwood -it is because of Oakwood that we will survive what’s next.
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Ariana Berumen and Grace Smith
Live Oak High School
Class of 2018 Class Theme
Here we are, June 8th, graduation day. Together, over the past four years we have been faced with challenges: some of which we defeated, and some of which defeated us; but all of which we have learned from. Not only did we learn about DNA (the secret of life) in Biology and realize every object is a symbol in English class, but from winning championships or perfecting a number, to worrying about problems, together we have started to discover ourselves.
Together, we have worked to make our campus a safer space with our kindness projects and our artistic abilities building a sense of identity. And most importantly, we have worked to make this world a better place with our activism and our search for our voice. Together, we have witnessed the reality of school shootings that have awaken us and made us realize that we need to stand up for what we believe in, no matter what our views are and no matter what it is we are passionate about. And with these passions, we have left our mark on this campus. We founded or reinstated new clubs and organizations that we knew would make a difference. As a woman of color, I have discovered my passion and drive to fight for women’s rights and for the rights of marginalized groups, leading me to bring back MEChA.
While I (Grace) joined the Green Team to help ensure a recycling program alongside other students. With this class’ constant desire for change, we have been like no other.
But instead of reminiscing the past four years, let’s envision our futures. As the sun sets on our high school career, it is time for us to search for our sunrise on our own. We have become the generation of change, now we must rise and continue to be the ray of hope to help others grow.
We must use our voices that we have found or are on the way of being found to chase our dreams and to reach our horizon. Each horizon, each sunrise, and each sunset is different for everyone as some of us have chosen to continue with a higher education, some of us will go straight to work, and others will serve our country. But always remember that each of them is just as admirable because no matter where we are, we will never stop learning.
Continue to gain knowledge whether it is from a textbook, from your friends, or from your enemies to reach your goals. Continue to discover new dreams, new passions, and let them be heard. Let’s go out and create a more just world. Let’s go end hunger, end discrimination, or search for the change that is important to you. Don’t let anything hold you back because if high school limitations didn’t stop us from doing what we wanted, why let others keep us from pursuing our potential?
So, we challenge you to be the healer, the inventor, the artist, the teacher, the student, and to be the radiant light the world needs. No matter where your horizon lies, embrace your beauty, let your voice be heard, and show the world that “here comes the sun” because as Malala Youfsafzai said, “If people were silent, nothing would change.”
Congratulations Class of 2018! Always remember cherubs,“weigh your opportunity costs” as you “figure it out” and “go forth, and conquer” the world!
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Ashley Cowell
Live Oak High School
Class of 2018 Salutatorian
Thank you Cera and Isaac for addressing how big an accomplishment it is for all of us to be here today. I would like to take this opportunity to talk about what our graduation represents for us: a step into our future.
For some people, graduation is just another day in their lives, inconsequential and unimportant, but for us I am sure this graduation will signify us taking charge of our own lives.
Author Douglas Adams once said “There is an art, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground…and miss.” Today is our graduation day and we’re standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down into the abyss and behind us at the well-trodden path that we’ve spent the last few years travelling. As we receive our diplomas, we have the choice to keep our feet safely on the ground, to continue along the side of the cliff, letting opportunities pass us by. Or we can take the risk, we can fling ourselves into the air, and we can discover we can soar. Douglas Adams meant success is like flight in that you have to take risks in order to discover you can succeed.
The ability to fly is inside each of us and we will have to work hard and care deeply to find our wings. We’ve made it through 12 years of school, we’ve made it to graduation, some of us have made it to college, some to the military, some to trade schools, and some straight to careers.
We’ve done so well up to now, but it’s far from over. So, as we graduate high school and move onto the rest of our lives, I hope we learn to take the risk. I hope we learn to throw ourselves at the ground so we can miss and learn to fly. And while standing on the edge of a cliff doesn’t exactly inspire the urge to jump, remember, we may be ending our high school careers, but this graduation signifies the beginning of an era, our era.
Thank you, Live Oak Acorns, Class of 2018.
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Isaac Muniz
Live Oak High School
Class of 2018 Valedictorian
Good afternoon Live Oak Class of 2018. Throughout the past four years, we have grown, we have fought, we have learned all that makes us scholars and all that makes us more complete. Freshman year, time seemed to move slowly when our futures were merely a thought and not a looming reality we face today. I never would have realized that I would make it this far. As cliché as that sounds, it is very relatable to virtually everyone here in the stands today. Like many of you, I have struggled to overcome my challenges and as a result, I have the ability to stand before you today to tell you about them. I acknowledged my struggles and grew as a result of my background as it was full of misfortunes. Because my father was incarcerated, my mother was responsible to put up with my three older siblings and I which motivated me to do better and improve upon myself and my academics. I yearned to become a better person. From these struggles, I didn’t simply succumb to my misfortunes and wallow in them, I saw an opportunity to grow and develop while simultaneously allowing myself to note that I was going in the right direction.
I am here to inform you that your struggles are nothing to be ashamed of. Regardless of if your past was good or bad, you can take your past and shape the future the way you want it to be. All of you in the stands here waiting in this heat can take what you have learned and put it to your individual use to guide yourself in the direction you want your life to go. You now have the whole planet in the palm of your hands and you can shape it however you may please. Spread your wings and be free. As Tyler, the Creator and Kali Uchis eloquently put, “you’re a bird and you’re supposed to fly away.” However, it is crucial to never forget the place you came from. I am sure many of you have felt this before and it is not wrong to feel this as growth and development is crucial to being the person you are today. All of you sit here because your struggles, whether they be big or small, led you to this point. You saw yourself and wanted to achieve something better and that is why you are able to graduate and overcome your struggles because your past experiences influenced your behavior and your motives.
Cherish the past, but also look forward to your futures. Let your past be the catalyst to you changing the world, as it is a motive I will take in my life wherever I may go and whatever I might do. Don’t wallow in the past, admire it and be thankful you had the experiences you had so you can make yourself better than you were in high school. I would like to thank my mother for being with me this entire journey and being my inspiration since day one, I cannot thank you enough for being so supportive for me and my future. Congratulations Class of 2018. We did it. Good afternoon and farewell.
Please welcome Live Oak’s Salutatorian, Ashley Cowell.
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Ceera Huffman
Live Oak High School
Class of 2018 Co-Valedictorian
On behalf of the Class of 2018, I would like to thank our family and friends, our superintendent, assistant superintendents and esteemed school board trustees for coming to this remarkable moment in our lives.
Today, we celebrate our accomplishments. Fellow graduates, after 720 days at Live Oak, we have made it. We have persevered and reached the finish line. Today is the day that we leave our childhood behind and enter the world as adults. However, none of us would be here without the support from our faculty, friends and family.
For the past four years, our teachers have taught us valuable lessons which we can apply both inside and outside the classroom. My peers and I are so lucky to have such devoted teachers. For example, Mr. Martin has diminished the terrors of math and has been there to listen when we need to rant. Mr. Goularte has give us the tools to be politically responsible citizens and advice on the life skills necessary for adulthood. Mrs. Wiemann has instructed us how we can forever improve our writing skills and to always “seize the day.” Not to forget some of the staff, such as Mr. Webb and Mrs. Hemeon, that left before our time was done but have impacted our lives.
Classmates and friends, after the tears, laughs, stress and joy over the years, our time here at Live Oak has come to an end. We will always remember the Live Oak drumline at our rallies, the spirited football games, and even our dreaded finals. Our friends have motivated us when times were hard and left us with memories of the good times.
Last but certainly not least, our families have been a crucial part of our achievement. Our parents pushed us to do our best. Our grandparents encouraged us by telling us how proud they were. And our siblings were there to cheer us on when life was overwhelming.
My fellow Acorns and I know that our success was not achieved without the guidance, assistance and motivation from others.
Now, as we walk across this stage to receive our diplomas, remember these words from C.S. Lewis: “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
Thank you. We will now hear a few words from our Co-Valedictorian Isaac Muniz.
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Cheyenne Duarte, Ariana Berumen, Michelle Corona
Live Oak High School
Class of 2018 Biliteracy Candidates
Cheyenne: “[Language] is the glue that holds a people together, and it is the first weapon drawn in a conflict”
Bonne après- midi, “Buenas Tardes”, “Good Afternoon”
My name is Cheyenne Duarte
My name is(spanish) Ariana Berumen
Je m’appelle Michelle Corona
And we are all recipients of the biliteracy seal along with # other students here at Live Oak High School.
Ariana: America is a country made of immigrants, various languages, cultures, and perspectives. As children, we did not understand the importance of this diversity due to the lack of education on cultures besides our own. Live Oak has exposed us to this diversity through its language programs and has allowed us to develop an appreciation for the culture within.
Michelle: Along with this appreciation comes the ability to recognize the globalization of multilingual individuals who can traverse cultural boundaries and defeat the walls that seem to seperate us. This communicative “superpower” is the basis of international business deals, the premise of a united global front for change, and the stepping-stone towards a more equal and accepting society. This skill proves not only to be useful amongst dignitaries and ambassadors, but within our own homes.
Cheyenne: As societal norms begin to adapt, what were once believed to be unconventional families now represent the norm. In most cases, the addition of family members comes with unique and distinct challenges- sometimes even a language barrier. The ability to interact with my ecuadorian grandparents, uncles and aunts who show me entirely new facets of a culture that I couldn’t have begun to understand without my education with the Spanish language.
Ariana: On the other hand, as a native Spanish speaker, continuing to study the language has allowed me to gain more pride in my native tongue. It has helped me become a person who wants to help break those barriers that create unnecessary division; those barriers that have at times divided my family from other cultures.
Parents, students, faculty members, and friends: it is because of the extensive education on these aspects that we stand you before you today educated, well rounded adults and ready to be the change we wish to see. This is what we have prepared for and this is what we will do.
Michelle: I speak in behalf of all french classes, thank you for two wonderful years, madame. We will miss you incredibly. Merci pour votre dévouement. Vous nous manquerez.
Ariana: felicitaciones, Michelle: toutes nos felicitations Cheyenne: and congratulations to the graduating Class of 2018!
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Zoie Brotherton, Maddie Roman
Live Oak High School
Class of 2018 Class Gift Presentation
(Zoie):
On behalf of the Class of 2018, we would like to say thank you to our friends and family for being here and to all the faculty for helping us get to this stage today.
(Maddie):
When deciding on our senior class gift, we wanted to ensure our gift would make a difference on and beyond campus. In our four years at Live Oak, the teachers in the Science Department have never lost their passion. Their budget may have a limit, but our learning should not.
(Zoie):
Because of these limitations, we have decided to donate our remaining funds to the Live Oak Science Department, so every student will have an equal opportunity to find a new love for science through hands-on learning experiences. With this donation, we hope to give everyone the chance, as Mrs. Paulsen always says, to “do better than yesterday.”
(Both):
Thank you!
