An Unmatched Spirit

Wow. This was an unexpected turn of events, wasn’t it? I’m sure none of us could have guessed high school would end this way, but here we are. And let’s be real, if this was going to happen to any class, it makes sense that it happened to ours. Right now, we’re living in a time of uncertainty, confusion, and change. But if there’s any class that can power through this and come out stronger, it’s also ours. I mean, four of us, myself included, were born on 9/11, one of the most chaotic and confusing days in history (shoutout to Amy, Keely, and Paige). We all look towards the future with a bittersweet feeling, but I’d like to focus a little bit on the past.

 

The year was 2016. Absolute bangers like “Stressed Out” by Twenty-One Pilots and “Closer” by The Chainsmokers were played through our earbuds. (Not AirPods; not yet!) We danced to “My Boo” and we drank our water with our sticker-covered Nalgene water bottles and in our free time, we played Pokemon Go. We did, however, experience the loss of Vine, but we had the Kimmy and Taraji show to make up for that. Times were simpler.

 

As sophomore year rolled around, we changed our Birkenstocks for Chacos, but for some reason we kept the socks. When we were bored, we played with fidget spinners and slime, we pretended the floor was lava, and debated whether we heard “Yanny” or “Laurel.” Sophomore year also introduced one of our biggest struggles we were ever faced with: not being able to have our phones in class.  

 

Then, junior year came along and we changed our small plaid out for the big plaid. We had our horses in the back and honestly, we should’ve kept them there. Our rugby team killed it and won state, but the senior class didn’t do so hot with their senior prank. Although we weren’t able to pull off our own prank, I’m pretty sure the cops wouldn’t have been called. And, who could forget the multiple fire alarms being pulled for burnt popcorn in the microwave?

 

And then came senior year — whew. I want to give our class a quick shoutout for not giving into the VSCO girl trend unlike a certain junior class this year. Instead, we dressed up as e-boys for Halloween. We beat the teachers in the seniors vs. teachers basketball game by a landslide and were awesome spirit patrol leaders for Dash-a-Thon. We were introduced to the wonderful mind of Father Patric and went on the immersive and spiritual journey of Vocare — and never came back.    

 

Over the years, if there’s one thing we’ve experienced, it was change. Whether it was saying goodbye to loved faculty members and saying hello to new ones, or dealing with the inconsistent and confusing schedules, or a pandemic, we adapted. It’s what we do, and in some ways, it’s all we can do. The next few years of our lives will undoubtedly entail change. New faces, new settings, new routines. And although the unexpected can be scary, it can also be freeing. So I encourage everyone, myself included, to be open to the change we will face and embrace it. Allow yourself to grow, accept new opinions, and welcome new experiences. As many of you know, I’ve had my fair share of struggles, and I know many of you have as well, but those challenges have only made us stronger and prepared us for what lies ahead. And if this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we make the most of our change and we thrive.

 

Our class voted on what characteristics we think best describe us. I was surprised, and honestly a little insulted no one said “insanely intelligent” or “drop dead gorgeous” but it’s fine, I’ll get over it. All jokes aside, I think the top three traits we voted for perfectly describe us. The third most voted characteristic was “funny,” which is a given considering we have Jonna (Lareau) and Morgan (Casetta) in our class. We were always able to look at the brighter side of things and make the most of the situation with a joke or two. The second most popular characteristic was “strong,” and I really don’t have anything else to add to that one. Yes, we were strong over the years, even for freshmen, but our strength really shined during our last semester. We powered through it all. Lastly, our most voted for characteristic, and the one that makes me the proudest, was “inclusive.” I remember seeing peers of different social groups hanging out and laughing, and being overwhelmingly happy to see each other get along.

           

We have some amazing women in our class. We have Jadin (O’Brien) who’s going to earn gold in the Olympics some day; we have Moira (Reardon) who will probably get canonized just for existing; we have Elsa (Mager) who will invent some insanely complicated machine; and we have Megan (Novotny) who will be our president someday. The bottom line is, we have some insanely inspiring and talented women in our class, and it’s such an honor to be able to call you guys my sisters. I mean, I’ve been calling Amy (Gehringer) that for a while, but that’s beside the point.

 

We have a spirit that is simply unmatched by any other. Can you name any other class that has gotten not just a repeat, not just a three-peat, but a four-peat on Empress Crown? The answer is no, you can’t, because no one’s ever done that before. When we come together, we kinda kill it. We came together for the good times, like partying like Gatsby for the Black Tie Christmas, but we also came together in times of loss and sadness. Whether we realized it or not, over the past four years, we grew as a family. And the thing about family is, no matter how much they get on your nerves sometimes, we always have each other’s back. And I know that’s a huge cliché to call you guys family but get over it.

 

Just a quick little anecdote: I remember one week in the first semester, I was really down. Like, very visibly. Very down. I wasn’t myself. And one day, I looked in my mailbox and saw a note that read “Angels are watching over you. Their wings wrap gently wrap around you, whispering you are loved and blessed.” It touched me so much that I hung it on my wall in my bedroom. Whoever left that in my mailbox didn’t write their name, so I will never know who was looking out for me. But I will never forget that moment. During one of my darkest times, one of my peers was there for me, rooting for me. It showed me how lucky I am to be part of my class and how welcomed and cared for I am.

 

Lastly, I would like to say thank you. Thank you to our parents and grandparents that drove us to our games and watched our performances. Thank you to our brothers and sisters that dropped us off and picked us up from school. Thank you to our generous alumnae and donors, and most importantly, thank you to our faculty and staff. Over the past four years, you have helped us grow and become the amazing young women we are. You have taught us many lessons, in academics and in life, and have shown us care and compassion. And although I greatly appreciate the love and kindness I’ve received over the past four years, I will never forget the support and understanding I got during quarantine. Thank you for caring for us and seeing us as more than students, but as people. For wanting the best for us, for putting aside grades and due dates and focusing on our well-being. During a time so stressful and confusing, you were there to provide comfort and support. We are all so blessed to have you in our lives, and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way.

 

Finally, I would like to thank the class of 2020. Thank you for the memories I will cherish. Thank you for the small talk in the hallways, the hellos in the lunch line, and the stupid inside jokes that I’ll remember randomly someday in the future and smile. Thank you for nominating me to be your class speaker, I hope I did an okay job. Thank you, good luck, and God bless. Peace out.