Oak Mountain High School 326 graduates 5476 Caldwell Mill Road • Birmingham, AL 35242 Eagles • 1,572 students • The No. 9 high school in the state and No. 1 in Shelby County
Dear Class of 2020, Well, it feels strange to say it, but this is it. It’s been a wild ride, Class of 2020, and neither of us would have dreamed of sharing it with anyone else. We’ve been through a lot over the years, good and bad alike. We were the only class to have an extra math class instead of advisory back in sixth grade—remember that? And the last class to be taught by Mrs. Golliver, with her Jolly Ranchers and literary projectiles and that inflatable mountain. We were the first class to have SOAR60 all four years, and we were the class of 9 National Merit Semifinalists. Most recently, we were the first class to send a basketball team to the Final Four. Now we’re the class that has to graduate in the midst of all this madness, the class that had the end of our senior year and everything that comes with it—prom, banquets, award ceremonies, probably a trip or two, graduation itself, all of it—snatched away from us, as if we were marathon runners pulled out of the race just as the finish line came into sight. But, as awful and unfair as that is—we did it, you guys. We made it. We’re done. Our class’s journey has been a roller coaster, full of the highest highs and lowest lows, but, like all things in life, we’ve made it special by facing it together. Each of us have had our own struggles and our own triumphs, but it is exactly our vibrant individuality that makes this class great. We are truly greater than the sum of our parts, each a distinct, colorful tile in the mosaic of our relationships
and experiences at OMHS. To the athletes who brought us together in school spirit and gave us something to rally around, thank you. To the choir and theater kids that made our talent shows and plays and musicals so special, thank you. To the band that kept us entertained at every football game, pep rally, and Homecoming Parade, thank you. To the Student Government officers that represented our interests and made sure everyone’s voice was heard, thank you. And to every single one of you, thank you for the years of friendship and encouragement you’ve shared. Thank you for the blood, sweat, and tears you’ve poured into Oak Mountain since day one. Thank you for everything. We’re going to miss you so much. Finally, we want to thank all the teachers whose classrooms we’ve been lucky enough to call home over the years. You have supported, reassured, and cheered on so many students, helping us in ways you don’t even know, and none of us would be where we are now without you. We know we speak for everyone when we say thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for everything you do. And thank you from the two of us especially, for teaching us not only to learn, but to love learning. From your valedictorians,
Matthew Bray and Elizabeth Camp GRADUATION 2020
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