Howdy friends, family, teachers, and administrators. Tonight we celebrate the long awaited exit of THAT class. And yes, the class I’m talking about is the one that made some teachers question their career choices, pushed others straight into retirement, and somehow still managed to charm our way to the finish line. You’re welcome, Teague ISD. But behind the chaos and charm, there were people who stood by us, supported us, and believed in us—even on our worst days. Before I go any further, I want to take a moment to thank the ones who helped me make it here tonight.
First, I want to thank my amazing family for showing up and supporting me throughout my journey in high school. I want to thank my mom, Julie, for supporting me and always believing in me. To my dad, Drake, thank you for pushing me and shaping me into the person I am today. I hope you are proud to be my parents as much as I am proud to be your daughter. To my teachers, thank you for listening to me talk and complain even when you had your own personal stuff to deal with. You will never know the impact you make on student lives by being willing to let them talk and treating us like adults. Although we were young and made mistakes like children do, you believed in us and guided us to this night. To the teachers in our AG department, I can’t express the gratitude and respect I have for y’all. Because of teachers like Mrs. Smith, Mr. Shaw, Mr. Strange, and Miss Gore, we have students who enter shy and scared, turn into the students who give speeches and feel confident to go out into the world and make a difference.
I can’t believe we made it this far. You guys! We survived COVID, although before the survival, we literally sawed the desk chairs off with those N95 masks’ strings, and infuriated our administration, (who may or may not have been my own father) and yet somehow became adults along the way. It feels like decades ago that we began our freshmen year or what I like to call the 9th level of Dante’s Inferno. I think back on the past twelve years of school, and with this group of classmates, and boy did we put the teachers through the ringer. But when I think of that class, I see unashamed, determined, bold, and adventurous young people. Instead of troublemakers, I see students who dare to break the boundaries; instead of contention, I see assertion; instead of apathy, I see a desire for more. Instead of difficulty, I see opinions. I know that we have made quite an impression on Teague ISD and our community, but I certainly hope and pray that after all the chaos of the Class of 2025, that you are all proud of us for making it to the end.
