Voices from the Class of 2016
It is tradition that we dedicate this space to student speakers at local high school graduations.
After graduation, it does not get any easier. We’re going to have obstacles. We’re going to have failure. We’re going to have people blocking us from our dreams. And, come on, face reality, we’re going to be #studentloans2020 for some time so we have to get used to that.
But we’re also going to have triumphs and personal victories. And what fuels the fire is that perseverance to take life seriously. So let’s follow the words of the great philosopher Shia LaBeouf, “Never quit. Just do it. Make your dreams come true.”…
Being legendary, that means going out. It means living out our dreams as quickly as we can, because we don’t know how much longer we have left. It means that life is short, so we must reach outside that comfort zone. It means that each of us, by joining clubs, by taking that new class, by showing up every day and becoming an integral part of this school. We are legendary.
Kevin Hu
Valedictorian
Rancho Bernardo High School
The “Life of Pi” adequately sums up our four years. We are ejected into a lifeboat in an entirely new world, trying to navigate our way through the turbulent waters of adolescence. On our boat remains a friend like a Bengal tiger. A friend that just tolerates you for these four years. And by the end of your journey, you are amazed that this friend has stayed by your side all this time and did not kill you. Pi’s journey reminds me of the adventures faced by many of us. On the last day of Pi’s trip, the tiger deserts him. For us, our animals left us on our last day of our senior year because the administration says that we are apparently not allowed to bring any dogs or tortoises on school property …
Our lives are not fiction, but we all have our unique stories to tell. Stories that are comprised of characters that will come and some that will go. Chapters with triumphs and some with downfalls. The plot of your story will flash right before your eyes, just like these past four years. So even when you’re feeling as lonely as Holden from “The Catcher in the Rye,” try to surround yourself with Ron’s and Hermione’s that will help you defeat Lord Voldemort and any other obstacles on your epic journey ahead.
Michael LaPorte
Valedictorian
Poway High School
Like any teenager, over the past four years I’ve spent the occasional sleepless night staring up at the sky through my window. From these nights, I developed a crippling Starbucks addiction and an appreciation for the structure of constellations. In front of me, the sea of bright and eager faces of the Class of 2016 remind me of those very stars that brought order to my most chaotic nights. On an astronomer’s map, every star of a single constellation is connected by dashed lines, as invisible yet unbreakable as the bonds between each of us. Every star is necessary the overall shape, just as each of the individuals before me is essential to the Nighthawk Legacy.
From the moment we were greeted by overzealous LINK crew leaders, we took our place as tiny stars in this constellation. Through the next four years these reluctant lights grew to brazen flames, as the Class of 2016 began to identify by the three universal characteristics that brand us Nighthawks. As Nighthawks, we all share a genuine preparedness for the next steps we take, an acute perception of our various futures and a comprehensive understanding of the world around us. These shared characteristics cemented the friendships and partnerships that have allowed the Class of 2016 to make a lasting impression…
Rather than getting caught up in our own achievements, we learned to appreciate the success and diversity of others. As we Nighthawks scatter throughout a variety of fields, whether it’s the military, the workforce or a prestigious university, we are ready to take our places among hundreds of thousands of other stars ...
Elena Crespo
Student speaker
Del Norte High School