Senior Speeches 2022-23

My story here relates to basketball, but the bigger lesson is broader. Don’t let others define you, don’t let them limit you, match ambitious belief with corresponding levels of commitment and work, and you can realize your dreams. I have now accomplished my long term goal and I have now set new goals that I will achieve. I will take this approach to the University of Missouri as I continue to chase my dreams on the court and in the classroom.

I am really glad to report that I am happier now than ever. Not only that, but I am ready to create again.

Preparation is the one thing that allows you to be comfortable in situations that may be new to you. And with preparation comes perseverance, because if you are prepared for something in life you will have the confidence to persevere through the hardships that are thrown at you in life. Now, I am a senior taking 3 APs and 3 honors classes along with playing varsity basketball. I can truly say that preparation and perseverance over my high school years have allowed me to become who I am today.

Even though I just transferred here back in January, I can’t say enough to thank this wonderful school. From the moment I stepped on campus and on the basketball court, I can say that I was welcomed with open arms."

Our new [football] coach believed in all of us, and despite challenges we’ve all faced, our senior year has had the best season by far for this team that us seniors have ever experienced here at RHP.
If there's one thing I would want to leave my speech off with, it’s that sometimes things will happen that are unexpected, but that we can make the best of these situations.

When you think of cliches, you think of commonly used tropes in television or movies. I would say that a majority would say that cliches hinder your writing and goals from displaying their true potential. Movies tend to have lots of pop culture references. One could say that these are a type of cliche. But we like pop culture references? The reason we like these things are because it gives the audience a sense of familiarity and reality. A reality filled with my friends and family making memories. While attending this school, RHP, you inherit a new understanding of how a society should treat one another. When you look at the staff and student body of a school like RHP, they always feel like family. When you enter the school, you are not just a “number”, you are, well, you. You are given the tools you need to not only succeed at Rolling Hills Prep but beyond.

After I had culminated, my parents thought about sending me to RHP for highschool. I was very uncertain at first and didn’t want to start fresh or leave my friends. But I also didn’t want to struggle in my classes anymore. The first day eventually came, I was nervous and had butterflies in my stomach. I had run into a friend who was in my mom's summer geometry class and was later introduced to her friend group. I didn’t feel as nervous, and when I had entered my classes everyone was so friendly and welcoming. Throughout the year things got better for me. I had a support block and learning specialist to help me if I was stuck and more time to do my homework. I also started gaining more confidence and learned to advocate for myself. I had gone from a C and D student to a straight A student.

Having ADHD and struggling with it allowed me to become more empathetic toward others who are struggling with similar problems. For most people, a hero is a perfect person who does everything correctly at all times. But to me that does not make a hero, a hero is a person who fights for what is right even if it’s challenging. Heroes know their limits and choose to exceed them to achieve their goals. A hero should be flawed because humans are flawed and imperfect. A true hero defends people and learns from their mistakes instead of just making excuses. When I struggle to overcome a mental or physical problem, I remember these stories and always feel inspired to keep pushing through. I want to teach mythology to other students so that they can also feel inspired by these stories. The advice I’d like to share is you will face challenges in life that feel like an unclimbable mountain, but it's up to you whether you pick up your tools and climb them or just turn around and give up.

Not everyone will find their purpose in life as quickly as I did, but I do believe that everyone will find what they are meant to do because that’s what life’s for. You walk through life aimlessly, you will fail but you will also get back up and repeat the process. Eventually, you will reach something that you won’t fail at.

I have found that life is like a painting, you must step back from it every once in a while to see where you're at and what needs fixing. Life can also relate to a painting in the sense that it starts blank, and you paint your own picture and you maneuver your way their life, there will be times that you want to go back and change it but no painting is reversible. when you finally complete it reveals a beautiful picture that tells a wonderful story.

As I always say, “we don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” So, go and make your own little accidents and you too will find your way in life.

Now looking back 3 years ago from where I started, I see that this disease (fibromyalgia) has helped me gain a lot of values. I would be lying if I said my fibromyalgia never stopped me from doing things, however I tried to overcome this challenge. I learned that I shouldn't take things for granted that I always found so simple cause they might not last forever and that one moment can slowly change everything. This whole experience has taught me a lot about life and changed my perspective on things forever. Even though I will have to deal with it at college and eventually when I have a job, all the things I learned made me become a more mature and better person altogether.

Junior year at RHP went by so quickly. I somehow got through it and I felt that spark I used to have in sixth grade, the drive I had in seventh grade, and the determination I had in eighth grade. Now senior year. Nearing the end of the most important four years of my life. I adjusted and changed. I might never get into Yale or Stanford or Berkeley or become a dentist like I dreamt of but now I can take a different route. I have the option to, and to find a different path for myself. That’s the power and beauty of a new environment and change. Thank you.