Tippecanoe Valley H.S. Graduates Class Of 2020
July 28, 2020 at 1:09 a.m.
Tippecanoe Valley H.S. Graduates Class Of 2020
By Jackie [email protected]
“Firstly, I’d like to say good evening to the teachers and facility, the family members presently viewing the ceremony and most importantly to my fellow graduates before me. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” asked TVHS salutatorian Quintin Allen starting off his speech.
The last day for in-person classes in Indiana was March 13, with schools going to remote learning after that.
Allen said he has seen previous salutatorian speeches and a lot of them focus on the future.
“I’m afraid I’m a bit of a disappointment,” he said. “Our futures have never been more uncertain.” To get a better look at the future, Allen looked at the near past.
“I’m sure many of us were planning on partaking in spring sports and clubs. This did not come to pass. Many others had concerts, theater shows, recitals. They were never performed. Others still had looked forward to our senior trip, prom. Neither happened. Vacations were dashed. Festivals were cancelled,” Allen said. He also talked about the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including layoffs. “The ceremony we take part in today had to be pushed back almost two months.”
Allen said many of the graduates felt unsure if they would be able to attend college or if there would be jobs once they graduated from school.
“Many of us don’t know what to expect once we walk off this field tonight,” Allen said.
He said over the past couple months, graduates have been told this is their new normal. However, the term normal is subjective, noting there are some students who spend hours practicing painting to paint one picture and spend hours practicing athletics in the heat, which someone people don’t think is “normal.”
“Why should we stick to someone else’s definition of normal?” Allen said. He said the graduates have the opportunity to shape their new normal.
TVHS valedictorian Kirstyn Yoder said while graduation was postponed for two months, the graduating class still got to celebrate this important point in their lives and she was grateful for that.
She thanked everyone at the graduation, stating that everyone had a role in shaping who she was. She stated she learned to not be so passive in “voicing my opinion because of you.”
“Mostly, I’ve learned the importance of knowledge because of you,” Yoder said. She said she hoped she taught something similary important to some of the graduates in return.
Yoder also thanked her parents, saying she’s exactly “where I am because she was granted two people who possessed the greatest of values and ethics for parents.” She thanked her parents for always supporting her and showing her endless love, no matter the circumstance.
She also had a note for the graduating class.
“Believe in yourself and your ability, no matter who might doubt you and standing up to them in whatever manner necessary will take you a long way in this life,” Yoder said.
After Allen’s and Yoder’s speeches, TVHS Principal Brandon Kresca asked those in the graduating class that are serving or will be serving in the military to stand up to “accept our applause as a token of our appreciation for your service.” Three students stood up. Those students, according to the list of students listed to graduate, were Gavin Hill, Aaron Jamison and Nathaniel Heckman.
Kresca said he thought “for months and months of what I would say to you.” One of the things he thought of saying was an apology for a year cut short.
“All the memories and fun times we had planned, all the things we had lost, the last you ever got to experience,” he said. He said he wasn’t going to do that.
“I choose today to not to focus on the negative, but to focus on the positive,” Kresca said. He also said just because you have a negative thought, doesn’t mean you have to believe it.
“Just because something is hard, doesn’t mean you have to consider quitting,” he said. Kresca also said just because you’re scared doesn’t mean you have to live in fear.
“This is one of my favorite quotes: ‘Life is not a sprint. Life is not a marathon. Life is a series of sprints with boxing matches in between. We get hit by adversity, defeat, negativity, the list goes on and on,’” Kresca said. The graduating class already knows that.
The class made it through one chapter of life and they have many more chapters in their book to write, Kresca said.
He said the graduates will continue to live their lives fueling the positivity and fighting the challenges that come their way. “You will continue to live life to the fullest by fighting every step of the way, by being the best version of yourself,” Kresca said.
The diplomas were then presented, and the night concluded with Kresca telling the graduates they could turn their tassels.
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“Firstly, I’d like to say good evening to the teachers and facility, the family members presently viewing the ceremony and most importantly to my fellow graduates before me. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” asked TVHS salutatorian Quintin Allen starting off his speech.
The last day for in-person classes in Indiana was March 13, with schools going to remote learning after that.
Allen said he has seen previous salutatorian speeches and a lot of them focus on the future.
“I’m afraid I’m a bit of a disappointment,” he said. “Our futures have never been more uncertain.” To get a better look at the future, Allen looked at the near past.
“I’m sure many of us were planning on partaking in spring sports and clubs. This did not come to pass. Many others had concerts, theater shows, recitals. They were never performed. Others still had looked forward to our senior trip, prom. Neither happened. Vacations were dashed. Festivals were cancelled,” Allen said. He also talked about the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including layoffs. “The ceremony we take part in today had to be pushed back almost two months.”
Allen said many of the graduates felt unsure if they would be able to attend college or if there would be jobs once they graduated from school.
“Many of us don’t know what to expect once we walk off this field tonight,” Allen said.
He said over the past couple months, graduates have been told this is their new normal. However, the term normal is subjective, noting there are some students who spend hours practicing painting to paint one picture and spend hours practicing athletics in the heat, which someone people don’t think is “normal.”
“Why should we stick to someone else’s definition of normal?” Allen said. He said the graduates have the opportunity to shape their new normal.
TVHS valedictorian Kirstyn Yoder said while graduation was postponed for two months, the graduating class still got to celebrate this important point in their lives and she was grateful for that.
She thanked everyone at the graduation, stating that everyone had a role in shaping who she was. She stated she learned to not be so passive in “voicing my opinion because of you.”
“Mostly, I’ve learned the importance of knowledge because of you,” Yoder said. She said she hoped she taught something similary important to some of the graduates in return.
Yoder also thanked her parents, saying she’s exactly “where I am because she was granted two people who possessed the greatest of values and ethics for parents.” She thanked her parents for always supporting her and showing her endless love, no matter the circumstance.
She also had a note for the graduating class.
“Believe in yourself and your ability, no matter who might doubt you and standing up to them in whatever manner necessary will take you a long way in this life,” Yoder said.
After Allen’s and Yoder’s speeches, TVHS Principal Brandon Kresca asked those in the graduating class that are serving or will be serving in the military to stand up to “accept our applause as a token of our appreciation for your service.” Three students stood up. Those students, according to the list of students listed to graduate, were Gavin Hill, Aaron Jamison and Nathaniel Heckman.
Kresca said he thought “for months and months of what I would say to you.” One of the things he thought of saying was an apology for a year cut short.
“All the memories and fun times we had planned, all the things we had lost, the last you ever got to experience,” he said. He said he wasn’t going to do that.
“I choose today to not to focus on the negative, but to focus on the positive,” Kresca said. He also said just because you have a negative thought, doesn’t mean you have to believe it.
“Just because something is hard, doesn’t mean you have to consider quitting,” he said. Kresca also said just because you’re scared doesn’t mean you have to live in fear.
“This is one of my favorite quotes: ‘Life is not a sprint. Life is not a marathon. Life is a series of sprints with boxing matches in between. We get hit by adversity, defeat, negativity, the list goes on and on,’” Kresca said. The graduating class already knows that.
The class made it through one chapter of life and they have many more chapters in their book to write, Kresca said.
He said the graduates will continue to live their lives fueling the positivity and fighting the challenges that come their way. “You will continue to live life to the fullest by fighting every step of the way, by being the best version of yourself,” Kresca said.
The diplomas were then presented, and the night concluded with Kresca telling the graduates they could turn their tassels.
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