July 6, 2022 at 3:58 p.m.
‘Let our hopes … shape our future’
‘Let our hopes … shape our future’
‘Let our hopes … shape our future’
To my fellow classmates, to my fellow graduates, congratulations we did it. As cliche as it sounds, we all just accomplished something incredible. You should each be proud of yourself for what you did. The last four years weren’t the prettiest or the easiest. There were good times and bad, but our past doesn’t define our future. It is what we do with the things we have learned from the past that matters most. Catholic High provided us with the tools for success. We will use these tools to build our future and continue on with our lives. Today may be the end of our four-year journey through high school, but in fact, it is the beginning of what lies ahead.
It is now time we take the next step in our lives, whether that be college or another path. Some of us will reach adulthood in the coming months and some are already there. It is our time to move forward onto bigger and better things. It might seem scary to take the plunge, to go out in the world and explore uncharted territory. Some of us are going to new cities and places where we don’t know anyone. Others, like myself, are staying here in the Capital Region, but that doesn’t make traversing a new environment any easier. I’m going to be honest with all of you, I’m nervous about next year. But I’m also so excited for what comes next. New opportunities, new adventures and new possibilities await us all in the coming years. It will be our chance to grow and learn.
We may not be able to predict how our lives will turn out in the next couple of years but we will make the most of it. It won’t always be easy I can guarantee that, but it will be worth it. The people here sitting on stage next to me are the future. We are the future doctors, teachers, engineers, parents, spouses and many other things. The future may seem far away, but it is here right in front of us, waiting for us to make it our own.
When thinking of the future we must also remember our past. Many things happened in our four years of high school. There was a pandemic that shut down everything, forcing us to go remote. There were multiple mass shootings that families are still grieving over. There is a war going on in Ukraine that is still claiming lives. I’m not pointing out all of these things to make you sad or scared. I just want you to know that although the future may seem bleak, we can still build a brighter tomorrow.
Remember not only the bad things that have happened in the last four years but also the good. There have been several scientific feats like the first picture of a black hole and the creation of the COVID-19 vaccines. We have donated billions of dollars to charity and saw the highest voter turnout in recent American history. Let our hopes, not our hurts, shape our future.
So let us use what we learned in high school and growing up to create the world we want to live in. We determine our path, we choose what we will be, and we will remember our past and look forward to the future.
Thank you Catholic High for the last four years and for equipping us with what we need for the future. Although one chapter of our lives may be ending, a new one is just beginning. Congratulations to all of the graduates and good luck in your future endeavors. I will leave you with this thought: The future is not something to predict, the future is something to build.
EMMA DEERFIELD - Salutatorian
‘We will always have the memories and school spirit in our hearts’
Welcome again, friends, family, faculty and my fellow graduates. As many of you know, my name is Emma Deerfield, and as this year’s salutatorian, I am given this opportunity to talk about our history together.
Before I share some of my favorite memories with you, I would like to thank all of the teachers and staff for making our high school experience possible. I also want to thank everyone that has come to support us today. Without all of you, we would not have completed this milestone in our lives.
I am grateful that we are a part of the last graduating class from the 7th Avenue Troy Catholic Central building which was our second home throughout our high school years. Although the basis of attending school is to get a quality education, further our faith and prepare us for college, it was not always about our academics.
We enjoyed exploring the school through Easter egg hunts, the down time we had before sports practices started, and even our senior prank. Now that the year has ended, we have finished our sports and are saying goodbye to our coaches, teachers and friends. Although we are saying goodbye to the Powder Puff Game, the Winter Classic, basketball games, and the eventful volleyball game at Pyramid Lake with Dr. Kujan, we will always have the memories and school spirit in our hearts.
The beauty of our small school is that we have collectively had an impact on one another regardless of how insignificant the interaction may have seemed. For example, walking into English class every day we were welcomed by Mrs. Hannah’s joyful greeting of, “Hey gems!” In the winter, you could always go to Mr. Horn for a cough drop, but only one at a time. Although we only had the Crusader Cafe for a short period of time, Mr. Hannah was always there to provide us with food and a quick marketing lesson. We have had so many shared experiences, like the ring ceremony and a variety of dances. We shared field trips, pep rallies and Mass. But even though we’ve shared so much, what those experiences meant to each of us and how they’ve shaped each of us, is distinct to each and every one of us. We are just setting out, each in our own way, each in our own direction, but carrying with us the experiences we’ve had here together.
I don’t know if I would have achieved this goal somewhere else, but I do know that this is the only place where I could have experienced these memories. I am so grateful for those of you, especially my mom, who supported my academic journey. And I’m so appreciative of those of you (teachers, friends) who made this an interesting, fun and memorable four years.
I’m grateful for my time here with all of you, and look forward to seeing what we each build on the foundation of our shared experiences. I wish you all the best of luck in your futures and hope to hear about it. Thank you.
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