As we celebrate the special, monumental occasion: graduation, it is hard to believe we are officially Pleasant Valley alumni. We grew up. We grew up anticipating the bell ending class for so many minutes, days, months, and years until we finally have the chance to close the chapter of our high school lives. And now, we’re just a few short minutes away from finishing; sealing this chapter, and eager to begin the next part of our narratives
Many of us grew together, standing side by side from kindergarten to adulthood. Others grew close with proximity and circumstance, making the most of all their time spent at PV. Nonetheless, we have all been bound by one common goal as we’ve grown up: to graduate! And we’re overjoyed that the moment is finally here; we’ve all accomplished this goal, together.
We’d like to take a moment to thank some special guests in the audience today. Parents, siblings, family members, and friends, you have all helped the class of 2023 soar throughout high school and beyond. We wouldn’t be here today, filled with fond nostalgia of childhood if not for the nurturing and comforting memories created with loved ones. We wouldn’t be here today, filled with enthusiasm, ambition, and great dreams of the future if not for the encouragement from those we respect. So, thank you, to our closest supporters and advocators, for helping us get closer and closer to achieving our dreams.
We’d also like to express our gratitude to Pleasant Valley’s incredible teachers and faculty. Your dedication and determination in ensuring we excel have truly paid off—culminating in a class of powerful students who will accomplish phenomenal things. Teachers: the innumerable hours of planning, lecturing, grading, and nurturing will not go unnoticed by us. We speak for the entire class of 2023 when we sincerely say thank you, for being our challengers, trailblazers, and inspirers.
Thank you to all the unyielding supporters and believers throughout our lives who have guided the class of 2023 to flight.
Finally, we’d like to give a heartfelt thank you to our classmates. To our closest companions and our academic peers. From those fleeting friendships made just to get through a class period to the deepest bonds that turned friends into family, we’d like to thank you for making this journey so memorable. It has been a pleasure and honor to be a member of the Pleasant Valley class of 2023, thanks to our peers’ strong character, heart, and determination.
And we hope this undying determination sticks with the class of 2023 for the rest of our lives. We have experienced, endured, and overcome hardships at our age like no other generation. Yet we made the best of it, and will undoubtedly continue to tackle each and every situation with courage, creativity, and collaboration. As you embark on the next chapter of your lives, enter it confidently, knowing that you are more than prepared. Take risks, dream big, and continue to chase excellence. Once again, graduates, congratulations and enjoy the spirit of success.
