THE IMPACT OF TEACHERS; HOLD FAST

SALUTE TO GRADS: Valedictorian and Salutatorian speeches from Saratoga Central Catholic High School

Philip Tranchina, Valedictorian, and Isabella Lamere, Salutatorian, for Saratoga Central Catholic Class of 2026.

The impact of teachers

For those who do not know me, my name is Philip Tranchina and I am very grateful and honored to be standing before you all today as the valedictorian for the Saratoga Central Catholic Class of 2026.

In the third chapter of the Book of James, the Sacred Author asks, “Are any of you wise or sensible?” He then commands, “Then show it by living right and by being humble and wise in everything you do.” St. James goes on to say, “But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine and sincere.”

The way I interpret his words is simply that God gives us some really important tools we should use to live our lives the way He wants us to live them, but He does not gift us all of them. Some things we have to pick up on our own in order to live right and be humble and wise.

But where do we get these earthly tools? Certainly from our families — our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other blood relatives, as well as from friends and elders whom we are blessed to have as models and mentors in our lives. But obviously there is another group of people in our lives that have a big impact on the way we live and on our futures. Do you see where I am going with this?

Outside of my family, there is no group who has done more to shape the way I live my life and to prepare me for my future than many of the teachers I have had over the years. St. James recognized how special teachers are and how difficult their vocation is when he stated earlier in Chapter 3 that, “We should not all try to become teachers. In fact, teachers will be judged more strictly than others.” This has not changed in 2,000 years. I am sure you will all agree that good teachers leave lasting impressions on us. They provide us with many of the important tools we need to live the right way, as St. James noted. Teachers provide us with what we need to live right and be humble and wise.

And among teachers, Catholic school teachers are deeply special, since they make even more sacrifices, especially financial, to teach us our faith.

Please indulge me for a few minutes as I reflect on my academic career and the teachers who had an impact on my academic and spiritual journey.

I began my education at St. Aidan’s Catholic Elementary School on Long Island and was there through the fourth grade when I moved to Upstate New York. I attended public school for three years and then resumed my Catholic education when I came to Spa Catholic in the eighth grade.

All of us have had teachers who have made lasting impressions on us. I wish you could have met my second-grade teacher, Ms. Cornils. She gave up a lucrative Long Island teaching position because she could not wish her kids “Merry Christmas!” Her faith and her willingness to share it was strong. I cannot think of any teacher better suited to prepare students for First Holy Communion.

Another teacher who comes to mind is my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Farinacci. She was very passionate about nature and the environment and who, I am pretty sure, would only teach us about the Amazon and Arctic, if there were no other aspects of the curriculum. I am planning to pursue a degree in environmental science at the University of Maine and the roots of my interest in this field began with her so many years ago.

Obviously, I cannot speak of amazing teachers without also crediting all of the devoted, wonderful teachers we have had here the past several years. Some have moved on to other pursuits, but many are still here. My class and I have never felt we could not go to any of them to ask a question or for advice and support. They have had a tremendous impact on our class, enlightening us both mentally and spiritually.

As I mentioned, I started my journey at Spa Catholic in the eighth grade. I, like many others, was intimidated to start a new journey at a new school, especially after going through the COVID-19 period. I was particularly nervous because I had to start over for a second time in a new environment after moving up from Long Island three years prior. I was anxious but excited to be back in a Catholic school. It is what I know, but it helped that a few public-school classmates transferred over with me.

You would have to listen to me much longer than you probably would care to if I mention how every teacher I encountered here at Spa Catholic made an impression on me, but I would be remiss if I did not mention a few by name.

My art teacher Mr. McGee, who has since moved on, was creative and caring. I am fortunate to run into him from time to time and he always is interested in what I am up to and what I will be doing in the future.

Although not a teacher, Nurse Kowalski has always looked out for me. We are all fortunate to have someone with her compassion with us year after year.

I would like to thank Mrs. Sedlak for her support and guidance throughout my academic career here. She has been an inspiration to me as we share so many interests. I have enjoyed listening to her stories of her life adventures.

Finally, I must recognize Ms. Douglas for coaxing me — or rather forcing me — to join the SCC Drama Troupe after learning I did tech work at another school. I learned so much from her and I thoroughly enjoyed being part of her productions. She is truly an unsung hero at this school and I got to witness first hand what a labor of love each of her productions is.

Looking out, I see a vast horizon filled with opportunities for each of us to conquer. Even though we are stepping into an uncertain, divided world, I do not doubt we will all go on to accomplish great things in our futures despite the challenges ahead. The years we have spent growing, learning and overcoming obstacles are not in vain. As we move forward on our own journeys, I hope we carry with us the lessons we have learned, the friendships we built and the confidence we developed.

So in closing, on behalf of the senior class, I would like to thank the teachers, coaches, support personnel and the administrators at Saratoga Central Catholic for their continued care, commitment and helpfulness. I would also love to thank our parents and guardians for their constant and consistent support of us and our Catholic education. Again, I have no doubt that our class will go on to achieve great things in our next phase of education, whether college or other training, the workplace and the world.

Thank you and may God bless all of us!

Philip Tranchina, Valedictorian for Saratoga Central Catholic Class of 2026

Hold fast

Hebrews 10:23 tells us:

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

When we started at Saratoga Central Catholic, we were hopeful.

Hopeful that we would fit in.

Hopeful that we would make friends who would last a lifetime.

Hopeful that our teachers would be kind, understanding and inspiring.

Hopeful that our class would win Spirit Day.

Hopeful that there would be a snow day.

Sometimes hopeful that we could just make it through the day. Some of us are hopeful that we’ll make it through this speech.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope

I have so much hope for all of our futures — that we will be happy, healthy and successful, whether we’re headed to college, or a trade school, or taking a gap year. The hope we all share is rooted in our faith in God as we trust Him to lead us down the right path for each of our lives.

Attending Saratoga Central Catholic has strengthened that faith because, along with learning math, science, history and English, we’re also learning how to be followers of Christ and to lead our lives in His image, through theology classes and community service. None of us are perfect, but we can do our best to hold fast and to hang on tightly to the values and faith we have learned and practiced at Saratoga Central Catholic.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering

What does it mean to do something without wavering? It means staying steady when things go wrong, being determined, being focused and staying committed. You know how to do this, Class of 2026! I see your unwavering strength to persevere despite all sorts of challenges. I see it in the excellent accomplishments of our athletic programs, mock trial, your awards and scholarships, in your impressive community service hours, and every time you pushed yourself to study for a hard exam, completed a group project, or wrote a difficult essay. We may have temporary setbacks — I know that I have — but we have faith and hope to anchor us, along with the prayers of those who love us.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Have you ever wondered, “Why is this happening to me? I’m a good person. I believe. I pray. I didn’t do anything to deserve this awful mess!”

God loves us. He never promised that bad things wouldn’t happen to us, but He has promised to always be with us through all life’s difficulties. Even when we feel alone or like nothing is going right, we should remember that the same God who brought each of us to this graduation day also promises to be with us in our futures.

I am so grateful for my education at Saratoga Central Catholic, and I am humbled to serve as your class salutatorian. I truly could not have done it without the steadfast love  of my parents Eunice Ferreira and David LaMere, the support of my brother Sam, the  prayers of family and friends, the assistance from my tutor Tony Devizzio who helped  me catch up when I was ill for a long period of time, and to my fantastic educators — Mrs. Crowther, Mr. Lynn, Ms. Izzo, Ms. Penny, Ms. Douglass, and of course, Principal Signor. I especially wish to thank Mrs. Costantino, my guidance counselor and our class advisor. One of the kindest people I have ever known, Mrs. Costantino continually encouraged me, believed in me when I needed it most and celebrated every milestone with me. We are blessed to have such caring staff and teachers at Saratoga Central Catholic.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026. Omnia pro Deo. All for God.

Isabella Lamere, Salutatorian for Saratoga Central Catholic Class of 2026