VALEDICTORY ADDRESS

Trinity Hall has given us all the opportunity to lead EXTRAORDINARY LIVES, “ and it is our responsibility to give others the ability to do the same.

Caroline Meany, Class of 2020 Valedictorian, is a member of the Boston College Class of 2024. Here are a few excerpts from her valedictory address:

I am truly honored to be speaking on behalf of these amazing women. Women who I have had the privilege of spending the past four years with. Obviously, this is not the ending any of us wanted, or could have imagined. But, just because we may have missed out on our last few months here at Trinity Hall, does not mean we haven’t left our own legacy or exceeded expectations.

As freshmen, we were the biggest class and many wondered if we would be able to form the same sense of sisterhood as the three classes above us had. Many also questioned our leadership, and whether or not when the time came we would be able to lead our fellow sisters. We were held to a high standard, but I think we surpassed that standard.

We have truly grown as leaders. And there are a few moments that specifically come to mind when I realize just how much we have grown. When I think of these moments and reflect on how we have handled ourselves throughout a challenging senior year, I see just how well we rose to the occasion. Through a global pandemic, we continued to work hard and encourage our fellow classmates to do the same despite the ambiguity of the situation.

The women of the class of 2020 are responsible for the creation of numerous clubs and the continuation of many traditions. We have led teams to state championships, won Basie Awards, and helped win the ShopRite Cup. We have played an integral role in establishing the distinguished reputation Trinity Hall has today.

We became the leaders we always knew we could be, and the best part is that we did so together. All 65 of us formed an incredibly strong sisterhood. Throughout our time here at Trinity, not only did we work together, but we constantly learned from one another.

As I was writing this speech, I wondered how we could maintain the amazing connections we have formed, especially in a world that is, for lack of a better word, “a mess.”

During our four years at Trinity Hall, we have been given opportunities that most young people do not have. We have been given the opportunity to look at the world from different perspectives, challenge ourselves, and question our beliefs. And so I realized the best way we could remain connected is by creating these same opportunities for the next generation, no matter what they look like, who they like, or where they come from.

Not only will this common goal help us to maintain the strong sisterhood we have created over the past four years, but it will also allow us to give back and create a much better world, a world that Trinity Hall taught us is possible.

Many of you probably know that I love quotes, so I’m going to leave you with a quote that I think is very fitting for the message I have just shared: “When one woman, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, she has no right to keep it to herself. Jacques Yves Cousteau.” Trinity Hall has given us all the opportunity to lead extraordinary lives, and it is our responsibility to give others the ability to do the same.