The Herald is publishing some of the speeches being given by local graduating seniors at high school commencement ceremonies. See more speeches and photos here.
Elly Cashdollar:
Life Tip #1: Commit to try.
Wow, we’ve made it! Take a minute to just look around and soak it in. This is it-our graduation. I know some of us graduating today have been here longer than others (S/O Mr. Worster) but no matter how long you’ve called Meadowdale your home, today marks the end of of that era. Just for a moment remember back with me to the beginning of our freshman year, walking into Meadowdale for the first time ever, when you took a deep breath and commit to this thing called high school.
Where did that commitment take you? I know for me it took me from that shy, timid 14 year-old girl who walked into summer tryouts for volleyball completely unaware of where this sport would take her, and turned me into the player I became, a co-captain of the varsity volleyball team. This experience isn’t unique to me. Here we have become artists, athletes, actors, leaders, scholars, musicians and friends. We would never have accumulated all the experiences at Meadowdale that we can now look back on, if we had not shaken off the nerves and committed to try. We’ve made it to this point because we didn’t give up as freshman, and look at us now successfully completing high school. Every great accomplishment like this one always starts with a commitment to try, to decide to not give up, but instead to look for the positive, find success and build on it. We did that here, through our freshman year and then for three more.
Fast forward now to where you will be at the end of this summer. Each of us has a unique adventure ahead of us and yes many of us will be at the “bottom of the totem pole” again, whether that is as a freshman in college or at work. When you get to that point, and are tempted to be overwhelmed, remember you just need to commit to try. You’ve done it before and can do it again.
I challenge you to find something each day to be proud of or excited about. Some days you may have to look harder than others, but the moments will be there. If it rains look for rainbows and if the days get dark, look for stars. We all know life isn’t easy, but if you stay committed and don’t give up, you will be successful. You have a proven track record, marked by the diploma you are getting. Your accomplishment here today is just the start of the many more great things to come in your future, if you commit to try!
Cindy Nguyen
Life Tip #2: Failure is not the end of us.
I remember ripping my hair out one night junior year, half-delusional, as I was taking a practice SAT at 2 am. All of a sudden, I heard a huge splintering crack as the walls of my room shook.
A tree had fallen on my house. Yes. A tree.
Now, before I move on, let me note that junior year was a horribly confusing time in my life. To illustrate, here is a tweet from that year:
“There is no hope for me, there is only futile effort and only depressing tweets and poetry will come out of this”.
I know, right?
But when that tree fell on my house, I felt that my worst fears had been confirmed: the world was literally crashing down around me, and all I could do was sit there, helpless. To me, failure was this weird limbo where expectations never met reality and things that were once so simple were now the most destructive forces within my own life. I had lost control; I had failed.
The morning after, I looked outside to inspect the damage. The huge tree was resting against my house in a way that only fairytales romanticize, and covered in beautiful green leaves (which were actually invasive english ivy, shoutout to Mrs. Thompson and the APES class!) Eventually, the construction team came to dismantle the trunk. This tree that had once represented failure and hopelessness was soon chopped up and whisked away, leaving only small dent in my roof that was easily fixed. At that moment, I realized that ultimately, failure is a state of mind, not a state of being. The world was never going to destruct around me. I would never be the sum of what I believed my mistakes were.
I am standing here today to tell you that failure is not the end of me; it is only the start in which I begin to build myself anew and to reevaluate my place in the world.
As we move forward, we will undoubtedly face this overwhelming confusion once more. We will become unstuck in time, forced to confront our mistakes and once again, pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and fearlessly beat on.
Finally, I believe Elle Woods puts it best: “I thank you one and all, the ones who’d thought I’d fall, who taught me how to fail, and who helped me to prevail. I am standing here today, because you helped me find my way”. Class of 2016, thank you for proving that failure will never be the end of us. Thank you for all that you have done, and for all that you will become.
Elissa Rankin, Valedictorian
Life Tip #3: You can be anything you want to be.
As one door closes, another opens. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cliche as all get out, but true. Now, middle school was a dark time for all of us… I know that for most of 7th grade, I wore the same black fleece and Old Navy skinny jeans paired with a very awkwardly placed bun every single day. Going to high school was a fresh start! A chance to reinvent ourselves. And looking around, I’d say we all did a pretty good job, don’t you think? After all, I haven’t seen anyone wearing those silly bandz in years. Today, we are given that same chance.
While our high school career is over, as you walk across this stage, you are not just receiving your diploma — you’re receiving a clean slate, too.
You are no longer “that kid who played clarinet in band freshman year” or “that girl who fell asleep in class EVERY. SINGLE. DAY” (sorry Mr. Graham!) — you are whoever you want to be, starting right now. Moving on from here, we are no longer determined by our high school selves.
To change, you just need to be willing to try.
But more importantly, you need to be willing to fail.
I can’t tell you how many times I have talked myself out of doing something, because it “probably wouldn’t have worked out, anyway”. But instead of saving myself the potential embarrassment of failure, I just cheated myself out of the experience of trying. And that in itself is failure.
Last summer, I traveled to Greece with some of my best friends. While celebrating the festival of St. Paraskevi, my friend’s aunt invited me to dance with her. Now, let’s make one thing clear: I can’t dance. At all. So I said no, that I’d just watch instead. But immediately I was flooded with regret. After all, when else in my life would I have the opportunity to participate in a Greek festival? Thankfully, I got a second chance since the festivities lasted through the night. So, out of rhythm and definitely out of step, I danced my heart out (or at least tried to) and I will forever be glad that I did. The experience was definitely worth the embarrassment of all of the stomped-on feet.
So as you go out into the world, please take a moment to dream about who you want to be. Dream without limits, dream without self-doubts — because you can be whoever and whatever you want to be – as long as you are willing to try.
Kristin Yim
Life tip #4: Keep doing you.
It is an honor to be standing here today addressing the class of 2016 and their loved ones. However, I’d like to dispel some common notions you may have. I’m not up here because I am the smartest, because I did everything right in High School, or because academics is my only passion. For instance, I recently learned that West Virginia is a state. My only question is, where is East Virginia? Also, I am rarely on time to things because of my strict napping schedule. This was sometimes an issue because I was involved in an array of activities ranging from sports to music to clubs.
While I do enjoy what I learn in the classroom, my other activities bring me a different type of joy. Acing a test is cool, but seeing my Link kid have a great time at Link Dance is way more satisfying. Pulling off a group presentation at the last minute is a very important life skill, but the greatest display of teamwork I was ever a part of was at the Lady Mavs Rubber Chicken Basketball game, when, with 30 seconds left on the clock, my friends and I started counting down 5,4,3,2…and watched this poor Woodway Warrior shoot a 3 only Steph Curry could drain.
Society will tell you that putting academics first is the right choice, but, honestly, that’s not entirely true. For some of you, your list of things that matter has music, sports, friends, family, church, volunteering, or whatever you’re passionate about on top. Whatever it is, you put your efforts and focus into that. While my passion for school has given me this opportunity to speak to all of you, in no way can our passions be compared and one be valued more than the other.
Class of 2016, it’s easy to follow what you’re passionate about in high school but as you grow older and gain more knowledge I hope you don’t lose sight of who you are. I wish you the best as you go on to become your own unique type of successful and just keep doing you.
Ngozi Ezeokeke, Valedictorian
Life tip #5: Sports are more than just a game
As I reflect back on my years at Meadowdale, out of all the things I have been a part of, sports have had the most impact on me. Athletics have helped me to improve on my leadership skills and confidence. I specifically remember my junior year track season when I had an injury that prevented me from running most of the season. I was able to use that time to help lead practices, and learn the best ways to motivate and encourage my teammates.
High school athletics are something that many of us have experienced whether we were participating or spectating. Whether it was going to jam the stands, the rubber chicken basketball game, or any other sporting event to support your friends and peers, most of us have been a part of Meadowdale athletics in some way. Personally, I think that sports don’t get enough credit. And yes parents I understand that it can be frustrating to have your students staying up late to get their spirit gear looking perfect, play in the pep band or to finish homework after a game, match, or meet, but I truly believe those late nights are worth it. Athletics help to increase unity within our school, build lasting friendships, and promote other life skills such as teamwork and determination.
Our class of 2016 has been a part of some phenomenal accomplishments in athletics throughout our years here at Meadowdale. The softball team just won a state championship this year, cheer has won 3 state championships, and volleyball has won 2 academic state championships. And I would like to add that we have won jam the stands, 3 out of the 4 years.
Now I want each of you to think of an athlete that you admire. Or if you’re not a sports fan, think of an actor, singer, or anyone else in your life that you look up to. What characteristics about them stand out? Are they leaders, hard workers, good teammates, do they have a good work ethic? Whatever those attributes are, my challenge for all of you is to take those characteristics and work to eventually have those qualities to apply to you as well.
At the end of every sports season, there is an off season. We are about to enter that off season as we finish high school. What we do between today and the start of our next journey can be the deciding factor in whether we succeed. So take the lessons that you have learned throughout high school to make your future seasons the best they can be.
Alexandria Chang, Valedictorian
Life Tip #6: Embrace optimism.
When I was around four years old, I found out that we had bamboo in our backyard and immediately started hoping that a panda bear would come visit our house. You could call it extreme optimism or just a fundamental misunderstanding of geography. Since then I’ve become slightly more pessimistic about my day-to-day life. I would rather avoid an emotional rollercoaster by setting my expectations low and then being pleasantly surprised if they’re exceeded. After a test, I’d tell myself that I probably scored a B, in hopes that an A would surpass my expectations.
But I think I’m still optimistic about bigger aspects of my life, and it’s a part of our youth that I hope you too will carry with you after high school. I’m not saying you don’t need to work hard. You shouldn’t hope that you’re going to win big playing bingo at the casino and never need to work again. That’s not optimism; that’s delusion. Optimism is simply the belief that things will work out eventually.
For instance, I went into my freshman year nervous about making friends and somehow decided that joining the volleyball team would be a great way to alleviate this fear. Let me make one thing clear, however: I was absolutely terrible at the sport. Completely awful. I honestly don’t know how to emphasize this enough, but suffice to say that the successful passes were few and the head bruises were many. All the summer camps in the world didn’t help, and by the time tryouts came around, predictably, I was cut. In a sports movie, the next scene would be a montage where I would spend five hours a day at the gym, improving my volleyball skills, and next year I’d surprise everyone by making the team. Instead, I chose to look around at other sports, eventually finding cross country and track, which made running, silly cheers, and copious amounts of pasta an integral part of my life for which I am so grateful. Being aware of the other options kept me hopeful that eventually I would find my niche and motivated me to not stop trying after the volleyball disaster.
It’s this spirit of open-mindedness that I believe is the key to embracing optimism in a practical way. Again, it’s not sitting back and simply letting things happen while hoping for the best. It’s about being hopeful that things will work out, opening yourself up to the different paths you could take, and putting in the effort to get there. You have to have courage to take risks, but without optimism, bravery has no foundation. So as you go out into this new world, be an optimist; as Winston Churchill said, “it does not seem too much use being anything else.”
Tiffany Daniggelis:
Life Tip #7: Remember where you came from.
First of all, I would like to congratulate again the class of 2016. As we all go our separate ways, I want you to remember the joys of high school and the special things you’ve learned as Mavericks.
We all started as freshmen in a school we didn’t know much about. I had so many questions swirling my mind on the first day of school: is the senior cafe reserved only for seniors? What am I supposed to do with myself during AT? Is it true there’s a pool on the roof? And as time went on, I learned the answers to all these questions, and a tip for all you kids not in high school yet: there is totally a pool on the roof.
Years passed and I learned more and more about the wonders of Meadowdale and the people I was lucky enough to spend these past 4 years with. I learned quickly not to ask Mr. Parker a question during lunch because his squad has lunch in his classroom everyday and students are DEFINITELY NOT ALLOWED. I learned homecoming week is a chance to unabashedly embrace the spirit of high school and Color Wars is hands down the most popular day of the year to take pictures.
I learned senioritis is real and wearing a hat in Mr. Landon’s class is a practical death sentence. I learned there is almost nothing as relaxing as driving down Olympic View Drive on a sunny day with the windows down, jamming out to your favorite song. I learned Teriyaki burritos are a Lynnwood delicacy everyone should try at least once in their life. I learned high school isn’t like High School Musical at all: it’s even better. I learned all these things these past four years, but most of all I learned how to enjoy life with the people I love and be proud of being a Maverick.
As you all are squirming in your seats, counting down the seconds until this speech is over, I want you, the class of 2016, to take in this moment and look around at the friends you are surrounded by and the teachers who gave you knowledge you will never forget. As you grab your diploma and officially graduate, do yourself a favor and remember the good times you’ve had these past four years. Remember what you’ve learned and apply it to your life every day. But most of all, don’t forget where you came from.
We all started as freshmen in a school we didn’t know much about. I had so many questions swirling my mind on the first day of school: is the senior cafe reserved only for seniors? What am I supposed to do with myself during AT? Is it true there’s a pool on the roof? And as time went on, I learned the answers to all these questions, and a tip for all you kids not in high school yet: there is totally a pool on the roof.
Years passed and I learned more and more about the wonders of Meadowdale and the people I was lucky enough to spend these past 4 years with. I learned quickly not to ask Mr. Parker a question during lunch because his squad has lunch in his classroom everyday and students are DEFINITELY NOT ALLOWED. I learned homecoming week is a chance to unabashedly embrace the spirit of high school and Color Wars is hands down the most popular day of the year to take pictures.
I learned senioritis is real and wearing a hat in Mr. Landon’s class is a practical death sentence. I learned there is almost nothing as relaxing as driving down Olympic View Drive on a sunny day with the windows down, jamming out to your favorite song. I learned Teriyaki burritos are a Lynnwood delicacy everyone should try at least once in their life. I learned high school isn’t like High School Musical at all: it’s even better. I learned all these things these past four years, but most of all I learned how to enjoy life with the people I love and be proud of being a Maverick.
As you all are squirming in your seats, counting down the seconds until this speech is over, I want you, the class of 2016, to take in this moment and look around at the friends you are surrounded by and the teachers who gave you knowledge you will never forget. As you grab your diploma and officially graduate, do yourself a favor and remember the good times you’ve had these past four years. Remember what you’ve learned and apply it to your life every day. But most of all, don’t forget where you came from.
Raymond Zhao, Valedictorian, ASB president
Life tip #8: Live in the moment
In this very moment, you all are probably super thankful that this is the last speech since we’ve been sitting here for almost 20mins, but think about this. All of us graduates have had to sit through 2 hours of class three times a day, 5 times a week. So if you think this is hard, think of what we’ve ALL endured for 4 years. Some people may not see graduating high school as a big accomplishment, but sitting through four years of lectures… I[‘d] say that’s the real accomplishment.
But as this chapter of high school closes, another mysterious adventure begins. So mysterious that EVERYONE around us wants to know about it and with every conversation we encounter the simple question, “what are you doing after high school?” Seems easy enough. Maybe you could answer “I’m going to college, I’m taking a gap year, I’m going to work, I’m going to travel, I’m doing this or I don’t know I’ll let you know when I figure it out”, but then that simple answer sucks us into a black hole of anxiety and we begin obsessing and planning for our future.
For me, my mom, who is sitting somewhere in this audience and is probably really confused on why I’m talking about her, would ask me all the time. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And I would respond “I mean I don’t know…I’ll let you know when I figure it out”. Promptly after my mom would retort “[ Insert Chinese phrase]and blah blah blah”. Now I know most of you don’t understand Chinese, so it probably just sounds like background noises, but after hearing that question so many times that’s what it sounded like to me too. Background noise. It was something I didn’t want to think about but was being forced to think about. And after that, I was sucked into the black hole that is the uncertainty and anxiety of the future.
At age 18, I’ll go to college, at 22 I’ll go to grad school, at 26 I’ll start my career, at 30 I’ll get married, 32 buy a house, 34 first child, 36 second child, 38 third child, in my 40s save up for my kids’ college fund, in my 50s my children will move out and I’ll have a mid-life crisis, and finally I’m in my 60s and I retire and then where will I be? Constantly planning for the future and forgetting about what’s going on right in front of me. It’s inevitable. We can’t help but prepare ourselves for what’s ahead of us, but that doesn’t mean we should stop living in the moment. At a certain point, there won’t be a future ahead of us because we can’t live forever so stressing about what’s ahead of you.
Think about it, what will all of us remember from high school? Maybe it’s that one time you went to GG and almost died from an exploding firework right beside you. Maybe it’s the late night walks down Edmonds beach that could technically get you arrested for trespassing, maybe it’s that time you dared to go to Jam the Stands even though you hate big crowds. Or maybe it’s the time you went to Beth’s Cafe at 2am instead of sleeping on a school night. Whether it’s a memory you regret or the best moment of your life, those are the highlights of high school that we remember and cherish. Those are the adventures we had because we all dared to live in the moment and be spontaneous. We’re not going to care or remember all these little petty details we planned out for our future because NOTHING goes exactly as planned.
I can guarantee you I won’t get married at age 30, buy a house at 32, and start having kids at 34 like I planned because 1. I don’t know if I can trick someone into marrying me that soon, and 2. Life doesn’t work that way because nobody can predict the future. So next time, instead of caught up in the future, dare to delve into the spirit of living in the moment and just enjoy life, because those are the moments that will last a lifetime. Most importantly graduates, live in THIS moment and enjoy graduation with all of our fellow classmates and others who are here to support you. Thank you to Brian Primm for the inspiration on all of our life tips, and Class of 2016, Think about it, and C ya L8r.
Nathan Heilpap
Dear class of 2017,
Here’s a life tip for ya. As we can imagine you are excited to be a senior. Excited for your last homecoming week, college, and of course freedom. All of us sitting here today admit that when you’re studying for your honors algebra 2 final or you’re simply trying to turn in your syllabus that high school can seem a million miles long.
Senior year is truly amazing. Half the time you don’t come to school or maybe for some of us more than half the time. In fact the question changes from “how was first period” to “are you going to first period?”
You’ll oftentimes hear from your friends and family who have graduated that you should take in every second that you have of your senior year because it will go faster than you think. And of course doing what most teens do we don’t listen.
As the graduating class of 2016, let us tell you what it’s like:
Rushing to your last first day of school in your car with a gas light that you’re fairly certain just does not turn off. You’re confident that you don’t need to leave early because you know right where your class is at. Then you realize that Mrs. Frindell has a class all the way out in Timbuktu and you of course are late. Now you have your first assembly of the year. Your first true test as a senior because you can either go to the assembly or use your free reward at Starbucks and nobody will care because you’re a senior, right?
Going to lunch and making sure that you have exactly $1.63 in coins in the center console of your car for the popcorn chicken. Or maybe it was payday yesterday and you’re feeling like adding some jojos to the total. Lucky for us Costco was added as one of the desired lunch locations, unfortunately this added to the amount of tardies and/or absences. Mr. Clem, I’m sure, enjoyed the luxury of slamming the door on students as they were sprinting to the door. Or coming back to Mr. Parker who won’t say anything about you being late, but will look at you and leave you with “huh” and carry on with his lesson.
Your last Jam the Stands. You’re desperately trying to stay in the front row as you are continually shoved over by the T-R-U-C-K chant. The pure joy of holding your keys up and kindly asking the opposing team to drive home safely because at Meadowdale we encourage safe driving as we have tried to explain to Ms. Marriott a countless number of times. And nothing can be more exciting than a Tyree Carson interception in the fourth quarter to help seal a Meadowdale 28-21 victory over Edmonds Woodway on this very field. Or a resurrection of the blue hole as they stormed the court after a Meadowdale win over Mountlake Terrace on senior night. And lastly a fastpitch state championship. All things that pay tribute to the unique and outstanding culture that Meadowdale has to offer and that so many of us whether we were in the band, in the stands, or on the field were lucky to be a part of.
Soon enough you will be sitting here as we are today. As you get ready to take the leap into the real world, we ask you to be thankful. Be thankful that your parents have pressed you so hard about your plans for the upcoming year, be thankful for all of the tireless work that you’ve put into countless job and college applications. And lastly be thankful that you’ll no longer have to sit with your parents and listen to the answering machine tell you which periods you have missed for the day.
So before you go rushing into your senior year, remember that these are memories that will last a lifetime. So please allow yourself to take it all in.
Sincerely,
The Class of 2016
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