SENIOR CLASS FAREWELL

KIT SENIOR CLASS FAREWELL

We wouldn’t — couldn’t — be here without the community that raised us … everyone in this community who mentored and supported us and equipped us to face this world

AVERY: Hey Everyone, It’s Avery EMMA: and Emma AVERY: Your friendly neighborhood co-Class Presidents, coming to you live from the great outdoors EMMA: Well, not live

AVERY: Yeah, you’re right, it’s not live It’s not live ’cause, you know, we’re in a pandemic A pandemic that took away our senior year — took away forensics; it took away prom; took away Quiz Bowl; took away graduation, Junior-Senior Dinner All the things we’ve worked for are gone; honestly at this point [camera cuts] they might as well just do it on Minecraft I mean, jeez We’re giving our grad speeches outside In T-shirts Because of course we are, it’s a pandemic Ugh

EMMA: I don’t know if you’ve heard, but these are unprecedented times

AVERY: Everything’s fine First, I want to wish everyone happiness and good health in these times, and extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has continued working through them Today is a day unlike any other It simultaneously culminates our high school experiences, and it also reminds us of what we’ve lost This is not the end any of us envisioned for our high school careers

EMMA: Amidst all this unexpectedness, we’ve had adults tell us many things We’ve been told time and again that the world needs us, and that we are going to be the ones to take this moment and create change But I think it’s important to begin by making something clear: We know

AVERY: The Class of 2020 has grown up in a world that is uncertain It’s a broken one with a burden of responsibility — where everything from climate change to literal pandemics create an uncertain future We’re allowed to feel grief and frustration at what can sometimes seem to be insurmountable odds Nevertheless, we persist

EMMA: The Class of 2020 is entering the world with a unique awareness and preparedness to wrestle with the world’s faults And we’ve already started

AVERY: Our class is rich with diverse passions and people who have already done incredible things with them Our Roeper roots call on us to continue to use those passions to create a better world And last I checked, we have no intentions of stopping now that high school is over

EMMA: Because despite its many faults, we know this world is a beautiful one So in the moments that beauty shines through, let us wholeheartedly embrace the joy they bring Moments like this one Today is a celebration like no other

AVERY: Across our community, everyone will be hearing the same words, laughing at the same pictures, and coming together to celebrate us

EMMA: That means celebrating our accomplishments, but more importantly, it means celebrating our friendships, memories, and simply the people we are

AVERY: These are the things that define us, and in the cliché-making words of Polonius, “This above all: to thine own self be true ”

EMMA: However, we wouldn’t — couldn’t — be here without the community that raised us We couldn’t be here without the parents and teachers and bus drivers and administrators and maintenance staff and alumni and everyone in this community who mentored and supported us and equipped us to face this world So even if it takes years after leaving Roeper to entirely realize the impact of this community, thank you to everyone who made us who we are

AVERY: We’re at the precipice of a whole new world; new places, new people, new lives … and yet, we’re here together This is our ultimate triumph as the Roeper Class of 2020; one last time where all our experiences intertwine

EMMA: So, with my final words as a high school senior … AVERY: “One last time …”

EMMA: We want to say thank you It’s been an honor, AVERY: a privilege, EMMA: and an absolute joy

AVERY: Here’s to the Class of 2020 …

EMMA: And all the beautiful uncertainty that awaits us F