Class President – Lizbeth Polanco

Good evening, and welcome faculty, staff, administrators, family, friends, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, Class of 2021! Let me start by saying it is such an amazing feeling to be gathered here today graduating as a class with our loved ones watching over us. Despite all odds, we have made it this far. These past four years have been ones to remember. From being shy freshmen scared to participate in Spirit Week to being in our Senior year collectively chanting Essoha’s name for every little word he would say. We have laughed together, grown together, and now we graduate together.

I am going to be honest, I sat down for a while contemplating whether I wanted to talk about the pandemic in my speech today. The truth is, it WAS a part of our four years and became a significant factor in how this year played out. I would argue to ANYONE, that we are among some of the strongest classes to graduate from NL. Some of us lost our last chance to become captains of our favorite teams, physically compete with our peers in our clubs, and we all lost the opportunity to fully experience some of our in-person events that we have waited so long for. However, not all things are bad. We learned to have patience, to be grateful, and I hate to say it but some of us have even learned how to wash our hands for 20 seconds.

If this year has taught you anything let it be that everything is unpredictable, and some things are out of your control. I wish I could tell you that everything is up from here, that it cannot get worse than a global pandemic. But, in all honesty, I don’t know and I can not say that. What I can say though is that I know you, I know this class, and after observing how each of us can make the most out of every situation we are put in, the unpredictable becomes nothing but a minor obstacle that I know each of us will get through in the end. Class of 2021, through these unprecedented times, love each other, care for one another, and remember the memories we have created.

I would like to thank all of those who have brought me here to this point. Mom, thank you for being the hardworking woman you are--tirelessly working to provide the best life for me and my brothers. Derek, Randy, thank you for being my role models and being the ones I look up to and strive to be. Finally, to all the teachers, administrators, and staff, thank you for being the ones to support us through it all, without you, this day would not have been possible for any of us. And with that, I have a bit of homework for you all, I know that is the last thing you thought you would have to hear today but, as we spend these final few moments together, thank all those that have been by your side throughout these four years in high school. At times where we felt the most isolated thank that one teacher, one friend, one administrator, one family member who never failed to make your day despite how bad it may have been. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for all the brilliant minds that sit before me today. Class of 2021, our class is the future and its already looking bright.