San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
UDSON EARLY COLLEGE ACADEMY
Good evening parents, teachers, faculty, distinguished guests, and the Judson Early College Academy Class of 2022. I am honored to have this opportunity to speak to you all.
Tonight, I would like to present to you, “Gracelynn’s Glamorous Guide to JECA!” This is a Gracelynn-approved guide to surviving JECA, summarizing the lessons I hope we have all learned from freshman to senior year.
Within the first couple weeks of freshman year, we learned that JECA’s a little weird. Not only did we have to get used to being in classrooms with thirty-year olds, but we also had to get used to carrying around a three-foot tall flamingo statue to the bathroom. Thanks, Ms. Lee.
We learned to never touch the plastic cover over a fire alarm. You’ll get suspended and miss your first homecoming. We learned to always walk upstairs when you’re out of dress code or without an ID. Taking the long route to class is worth it if it means avoiding Mrs. Taylor’s wrath.
We learned how to hit the dance floor in Coach Coleman’s class, even if it was a little bit mortifying. And we learned from Mrs. Martin that real life is just as magical as Harry Potter’s, if we willed it to be.
Then sophomore year came around. We learned to not burn incense in the school bathrooms; you risk losing everyone’s privilege of being able to close the bathroom door. (I’m serious; we have not been allowed to close the bathroom doors since sophomore year…)
We learned that Mrs. Taylor truly belongs on America’s Got Talent, with her renditions of the “Happy Birthday” song and art that truly rivals Picasso’s.
Then I, personally, learned to never wear face paint in the sun. I’m not sure if this was just a me-experience, but at sophomore year’s flag football game, I got a 22 painted on my cheek. Little did I know that it would tan onto my skin, and I would have a 22 imprinted on me for a month. Near the end of sophomore year, we learned to beware of extended spring breaks. They may become more extended than we initially thought. Junior year came around, and we learned that if you’re lucky enough, sophomore year’s extended spring break may let you skip the hardest year at JECA.
We all became best friends with Quizlet this year and enemies with professors who wrote their own test questions.
Our final year, senior year, came out of nowhere. We learned to not underestimate people because you never know how goodlooking someone may turn out to be after quarantine.
We learned to park straight or risk finding ourselves featured on @jecaworstparking‘s Instagram page.
We learned to be mindful of the names we print on the back of our class t-shirts, regardless of how hard they may insist, as they may not stay long enough to actually see us cross the stage.
And then, probably the most important lesson of them all, we learned to run if you ever see the names “Bernard” or “Adams” on your course registration.
Now, on a more serious note: senior year taught us that people grow. Some of us don’t even speak to our freshman-year friends, and that’s okay! We’ve all changed and turned into these amazing individuals, and that means being okay with forming new relationships.
And, now, our final lesson of the night: be thankful to the people who have helped us most.
We wouldn’t have made it to graduation by
Gracelynn Ray ourselves, so I want to take this moment to thank all the people who helped us survive these past four years. Thank you to every parent in this room who endured our mood swings and acted as our personal chauffeurs. Thank you to every teacher we have ever had who dealt with our constant pleas for extensions and extra credit. Thank you to all our friends who supported us and wiped our tears away. And last, but most definitely not least, thank yourselves! Be proud of yourself for not quitting. You may think that today is not that monumental of an achievement, but look at us. We started out with 130 students in our class, and only 83 are graduating tonight. That should tell you that there is something special about each and every one of us that allowed us to endure the trials of JECA.
Now that pretty much wraps up “Gracelynn’s Glamorous Guide to JECA!” I will now conclude my rambling, as I think that it’s about time we get to graduating. So, thank you all for listening, and let’s get this show on the road.
Good afternoon, friends, family, faculty, and staff! And to my classmates: Hey, Hey, Hey Shamrocks!!! Welcome to the Graduation of the Incarnate Word High School Class of 2022!
My name is Briana Saenz, but you may also know me as the only student in AP Chem, and I have the honor of being this year’s valedictorian. Before I get started, I would like to take this moment to thank God, our teachers, parents, family, friends, and all those who guided us throughout these four years. We couldn’t have made it this far without you, so thank you for your continued support and never-ending confidence in us.
Well Shamrocks, we did it! After four crazy, incredible years, and a very long walk while wearing heels and listening to bagpipes, we have made it to our graduation. At this moment I am tempted to repeat the ever so commonly used phrase “high school passed us by in the blink of an eye” and yet as I was writing this speech, reflecting on the past four years, freshman year seemed like 4 decades ago instead of only a few years. High school was a time for so many new and exciting experiences, each one shaping us into the people we are today. The vast culmination of memories makes the time we spent at Incarnate Word feel like a lifetime, yet, whether we want to admit it or not, we had a lot of fun the past four years, and time flies when you are having fun. So, before we get our diplomas, throw our caps in the air, and run full speed out of these doors, as I’m sure some of y’all are dying to do, let’s take a trip down memory lane one last time.
Let’s start with freshman year: the year of firsts. The first time playing Kahoot in Mrs. Medrano’s Biology class. The first time being yelled at by an upperclassman for walking too slow in the hallway. This was the year of yellow lanyards, hiding our phones during lunch so the teachers wouldn’t see them, and decking out in orange for our first and last real Word Day.
Sophomore year, we thought that one year of experience made us the cool kids in the school, but we were still babies, only with red lanyards instead of yellow. That first semester gave us some great memories. The Thanksgiving pepper spray incident, the absolutely PERFECT lighting in Ms. Allie’s room on Halloween, sliding homework under
Mrs. Kellogg’s door at 3:20 because we procrastinated too long.
Unfortunately, the transition to virtual school in March 2020 changed everything. No more advisory breakfasts or cramming over 30 people in one open mod. This change did come with some benefits, however. We avoided the infamous napoleon test, got to spend more time with pets, and learned to make the best whipped coffee.
Initially, we thought the only side effect from the Covid outbreak would be an extra week of spring break, but fast forward a few months and we are starting Junior year, virtually.
Blackboard was gone and Blackbaud was in. Us Juniors were desperately trying to memorize polyatomic ions for chemistry, and lectures started looking more and more like an episode of
Dora the Explorer. The teacher asks a question, waits a few moments, then answers the question themselves when no one answers.
When students were finally welcomed back on campus, Incarnate Word began to feel like Incarnate Word once again, minus our world-renowned cookies
(RIP). Although we had some trouble recognizing each other with the masks, we had some good times. The waffle party in Mrs. Pedersen’s room, jamming out with Joe Melendrez AKA the best Christian singer ever, and taking AP tests for the first time. Well not so much taking the actual tests, more bonding over how much we didn’t want to take them.
By the end of Junior year, I think I speak for everyone when I say we were ready to be seniors. We started off the school year strong by welcoming new freshmen with the traditional Big Sister Little Sister picnic. I spent most of that time trying to ignore the fact that most of the freshmen were already taller than me but that’s beside the point.
We did our best to avoid senioritis
and getting posted on the IW sleeping account, but luckily, we had capstone (and AP Chem) to keep us busy and awake. We made a lot of memories this year. Hanging out in Brother’s room mod 11, senior skip day, sneaking into lunches, senior appreciation day, tripping in the annex when our beloved ramp mysteriously disappeared, and of course senior prank day. No one will ever know how those fatheads got into
Ms. Farias’ locked office.
Now here we are, sitting in our seats waiting for our name to be called, so we can receive our diploma and move on to the next chapter of our lives. If you could go back and do it all over again, would you? My answer is no. Even though there are things that I did or didn’t do that I would want to go back and change, every mistake, every stumble, every hard experience, led me to the beautiful moments we experienced the past 4 years.
Even though high school wasn’t totally perfect, nothing in life is, but that makes those perfect moments, the ones where you wanted to freeze time and stay there forever, all the more precious. So no, I would not go back and do it all over again because after everything we have been through as a class, as friends, we have grown together and become stronger. This coming August, when we part ways to our new schools, remember this; we are a family, and this school is our roots. Never forget where you came from because every moment and memory that you made at Incarnate Word has shaped you into the person you are today.
I know that all of you are capable and intelligent people who will go on to do great things in the world. So, keep the memories you have made here close to your heart because you are Shamrocks, and no one can change that. Congratulations Class of 2022! Thanks for the memories.
As I reflect on the past four years of
High School, I realize that it was never supposed to be about getting the best grades or being on top. In the beginning, I said that I have been waiting patiently in anticipation for this moment. However, as I stand up here right now, I might have chosen to do things differently.
I have worked so hard to get where I am today, but I now find myself pondering the question, “At what cost?” I remember countless times when I found myself sitting on my bathroom floor while tears stained my cheeks, and the walls hugged my body closely. When I would get up and look in the mirror, I was unrecognizable, and I couldn’t begin to understand the extent of my worth or identity at the time. It has taken me grappling with anxiety to realize that my identity, in fact all of our identities, remains partly unknown. Our identities are constantly evolving and are shaped by each experience we encounter, making up only a fragment of who we are. However, what is not unknown is that I am so much more than just the “smart girl”. I am strong and capable, and my worth is not determined by a numerical value. I have come to understand that I needed to go through those moments of fear and doubt to be standing here today. This year, I’ve met amazing people that have taught me the importance of friendship, community, and restoring relationships. A close friend and fellow student always questioned why I placed so much pressure on myself and doubted my capabilities when they believed in me. They taught me that you are always in the position to achieve something as long as you trust in yourself and God. Trusting yourself means being vulnerable enough to experience new lessons and build new relationships, which I did this year. To recall some of my accomplishments: I won prom queen, I placed 3rd in the state for Nurse Assisting, I received three certifications in phlebotomy, EKG, and medical assisting, and I finished out my last year in track by traveling to the state meet. The craziest thing is I accomplished all of this while maintaining my GPA. In 2020, I would have never been able to find a balance between significance and success in my life, but I have now. Therefore, I advise all of you to find that balance in your life by prioritizing the people and activities that matter to you. As you go out into the world and strive for success, remember that life without significance is dull, and begin to ask yourself, what is success if it holds no value?
We have all followed a common path while at Judson High School: fun times with friends, feelings of anxiety or pressure, moments filled with laughter, Friday night lights, or those late nights packed with coffee and studying - I know my peers in CMA understand what I’m talking about. Graduation is the end of another chapter in our lives, and as this chapter closes, I’m sure many of us are uncertain about the next one.
But we can’t skip through life like a song. We have to take in every minute and the lessons that come with it.
So, as we go on our separate paths, I would like to leave you some words of balance from singer Alicia Keys, “Be driven, be focused, but enjoy every moment, because it only happens once”. Thank you.
There is no other way I can start this speech without saying, it is a great day to be an Apache! I am humbled to have the honor to speak in front of all you as your friend and classmate.
It is crazy to think that only four years ago we came to this school knowing only our middle school friends, or no one at all. Some of us were scared, and some of us were excited to see what the future held. We got to know one another during those years and formed an unbreakable bond as the Antonian graduating class of 2022. Because we are graduating today, maybe I should have started off by saying that this is our last day to be Antonian Apaches. The years felt short, but they brought us so much joy. We were told they’d fly by, and that part of the cliche came true. Time did go faster than expected; however, in the wake of last year, each day felt special, and not to be missed, as if one even took time to blink, they might miss something.
True, school days were still school days, with tests, homework, projects, and such, but I honestly believe we can cherish our senior year of high school more than any other seniors who came before us. We came together and adopted the new normal; we went to games and brought back the Red Sea. We watched history happen as ten of our seniors turned the tide against Central Catholic on our home field. We defended the red and embraced our school; we proudly united as a class before Homecoming, working together to win Spirit Week. Many of you selflessly gave back to your local communities, taking part in philanthropic activities, volunteer work, and fundraisers.
Even the smallest actions, when witnessed by those searching for answers, make a big difference. We embraced our faith on levels both grand and small, coordinating retreats and other activities. We were campus ministers, we prayed for each other, we showed reverence for God, thanking Him publicly and privately for all His blessings.
Some of us even established new clubs and sports, making an indelible mark at Antonian. Individuality flourished this year through award-winning drama productions, students breaking multiple Antonian school records, and over twenty members of our class committing to college teams.
None of this would have been possible if we weren’t blessed to attend this school. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We win together, lose together, cry together, and cheer as one: we are Antonian. God’s wondrous love is visible in all of us, and we should remember that He bestowed a sense of trust within all of us to look forward to the next day knowing that no matter what happens, He is with us.
This evening, our high school chapter comes to a close, and we must understand something about our
Antonian identities. I said before that this day might be considered our last day of being Antonian Apaches. But being an Apache doesn’t end when we cross this stage. Being an Apache is a living, breathing part of our changing lives, full of people we met, our teachers, and what our experiences taught us. We will carry a piece of Antonian into our adult lives knowing that our identities might change with the new experiences and people we will encounter in college and life beyond. Being an Antonian Apache will always be a part of who we are. So, I end with this: today and every day is a great day to be an Apache!
Good afternoon! Thank you to everyone who has come out today to celebrate the achievements of the graduates of Class of 2022!
Class of 2022, we did it! WE have finally arrived at the day that we have long been anticipating. Congratulations to everyone for all of your accomplishments over these past four years. At this point, we are at one of the biggest steppingstones of our lives. Today begins the next, even more exciting chapter of our lives. Before this becomes the sole topic of the conversation, though, I’d like to take a few moments to reflect on these last four years.
It is quite easy to wish away the days of high school when we set our eyes only toward the future and its bright promises, but in doing so, we might overlook some cherished memories along the way. Today, I would like to look back on our high school days fondly, while we are together as a class, one last time.
At the start of high school, many of us came in as wide-eyed, eager to learn freshmen, looking forward to most of what we had been told of by our upperclassmen peers, maybe with the exception of senior thesis. My ninthgrade-self questioned how it was even possible to write so many pages! We looked forward to humane letters, not necessarily because of the seminars which awaited us, but because we were informed that we were finally allowed to drink coffee and would have a break during class. Each and every one of us can speak to the challenges of Euclidean Geometry. I remember the first few days of Mr. McCauley’s class consisted of us seminaring on the Pythagorean Theorem. We could all state that the equation was true, but when the question of why it was true was posed, no sufficient answer could be given, and it was vexing. We all felt greatly accomplished when we finally reached prop 1.47 and could successfully demonstrate it. Of course, the celebratory feast that came along with it was an added bonus. We began to develop friendships which would strengthen it time, went to dances, experienced our first symposium, and participated in a multitude of extracurriculars. Live was good!
As we moved into sophomore year, we were presented with a few philosophical texts that forced us to think deeper than we ever had before. Some of us took geometry and finally experienced its horrors, while others took pre-calculus and had the joy of having Mr. Hausotter for the first time.
I think all of us walked out of his class with the unit circle memorized by heart, as well as a few other catch phrases. We all left for spring break that year expecting to return the week after and share stories of our vacations and antics with one another. I remember first hearing that we had an extra week off school, and then having the same message repeated to be by various friends.
Naturally we were all extremely enthused to have this extra week. Little did we know our lives would change forever. One week then spanned into the rest of tenth grade and for some of us, online school continued through junior year. I am sure we remember the massive packets we would receive and return on a weekly basis. It’s quite hard to forget the somewhat awkward, yet fun, Zoom seminars.
The book we were all excited to read together at the end of the year, Crime and Punishment, was subjected to the cruel fate of whether or not technology decided to cooperate on a given day, but we did our best. We joined online tutoring sessions, sometimes to receive help, but often just to talk with teachers and peers. I believe that here, our class showed strength and perseverance. Here as well, I would like to thank all of the teachers and administration for their dedication and true desire for us to continue to learn and pursue the truth. During junior year we had the pleasure of reading some of the greatest texts in the school curriculum. We were immersed among the stories of the great heroes of the Trojan War and the cunning tales of Odysseus. We spent many, many hours grappling with the various concepts in The Republic and Nicomachean Ethics. We tried to parse through Socrates’ divided line and the enigma that is the cave allegory. I remember Mrs. Mathie assigning us the first two chapters of the Ethics and telling us to spend 45 minutes reading it. I thought, to myself, that 45 minutes was quite a lot of time to read about a page and a half. The reading, did, in fact take that long and in seminar the next day we ended up stuck on the first chapter. We were forced to examine the forms of things, such as virtue, before we could examine any particulars. This would serve as amazing practice to prepare us for senior year when we read Thomas Aquinas. I remember our love of playing foursquare and nine square on HL break and during lunch. No one could forget how competitive we became as we played the game at any chance we got. Sometimes even Mr. Mathie joined in on our competitions. Even though our class could not be together as a whole that year, we all found ways to support one another, even from afar.
And now we have come to senior year. This year we were pushed as we hadn’t been before, and yet this year, I would argue that we grew the most as students and as people. It is the common idea of many that senior year is the easiest year of school, at Great Hearts though, this couldn’t be further from the truth and that is not necessarily a bad thing.
We all faced the reality of having to make big decisions about our future while balancing schoolwork and the task of writing a thesis. With the multitude of challenges, though, came a multitude of triumphs. Would we have become the people we are today if we hadn’t been pushed to improve by our peers and teachers? We cannot simply expect to improve by remaining idle or taking the easy way out. No one said life would be easy. Anything worth pursuing is not meant to be easily attained. If we aspire to attain any level of greatness, we must be willing to work hard to get there, and Great Hearts has taught us the value of hard work. Our teachers pushed us, but they pushed because they saw potential and I am confident we will continue to pursue this potential throughout our lives. This year we were finally able to come together as a family after being separated and we developed truly meaningful relationships that will last us a lifetime. We enjoyed a trip to Washington D.C. together, getting to experience many of the wonderful sights and activities it had to offer. I remember getting to the airport at 3:30 in the morning and seeing the tired, yet excited faces as everyone arrived at the airport. I remember the excitement truly setting in as we stepped off the plane, eager to see the sights and make lasting memories.
It was our first chance to truly take a step in the world with a sort of independence we never had before. All of our adventures are something truly unforgettable. The minute we got back; time really began to fly. We submitted our thesis, took a sigh of relief and then prepared for our defenses. We finally got to have the experience of putting together a play and now here we are. I am so thankful for all the time I got to spend with all of you and thankful for all of the memories.
Thank you to all of the teachers and administration. Your dedication and support contributed to our growth, in encouraging us to ask questions, in kindling a love of great texts with our enthusiasm in seminars, and in helping us as we grapple with challenges and change. You have endowed us with skills to be successful in the world, by improving our way of thinking, making us better public speakers and by giving us a desire to know the truth as we head off on our own paths. Thank you for being our guides as we navigated through the journey known as high school, cultivating our souls to have love of the good, true and beautiful. That is an invaluable gift and one that will remain with us in life. Thank you to all of our families for our constant support and love. You have supported us through the highs and lows of high school, and we couldn’t have done it without you. You have been there to listen on the good days and the bad; celebrating our successes and consoling us when things didn’t go as planned. You all have been instrumental in our growth as young men and women and your love for us has brought us to this celebration today and will continue to help us thrive in life.
Seniors, as each of us get ready to head off for college or go towards wherever our future leads us, I have no doubt success awaits. I wish all of you the best luck as you move into this new adventure, and I am so thankful for these years we have all spent together. I hope our time together at this school will hold a place in our hearts, I know it will in mine.
I’d like to leave you all with a quote by Oscar Wilde:
“Realize your youth while you have it. Don’t squander the gold of your days, listening to the tedious, trying to improve the hopeless failure, or giving away your life to the ignorant, the common and the vulgar. These are the sickly aims, the false ideals, of our age. Live! Live the wonderful live that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing.” Congratulations Class of 2022! Thank you.
Hello Class of 2022,
Who are you? What is most important in your life? What do people think of when they think of you? Well, these are some questions that have been circling around in my heads. I think I’ve been able to gather some answers about me, but not all.
I am a Christian. I’m competitive. I’m emotional. I care. I’m human. Family and friends are the most important things in my life. But that last question I mentioned has had me in a choke hold. What do people think of when they think of me? How will I be remembered for making people feel? This is what will describe your legacy.
People won’t always remember the things you do, but they will always remember how you made them feel. Don’t take that fact lightly – that you will influence other people’s lives. Use it for good. Cherish the blessings you are given, because, let’s be honest, most of the time we take them for granted. Remember that you are loved. Someone in this world loves you. And remember to love others. people that you love need to know you love them. It makes a difference in how they view the world. Even a simple “I appreciate you” goes a long way. Love the people in your live while you have them because you don’t know what the future holds for anyone. Our community has definately learned about the unexpected. Something that should have never happened, happened. Our lives have been altered. But we still stand together as one community. We are Uvalde and I’m blessed to call this place home. The support and love shared between people show that we are more than just a town, but a family. If you need something, someone will be there. In this town everybody either knows everyone or knows someone that knows someone. Most adults went to school and were raised in the same town. We understand each other. Second Corinthians 4:8-9 says “We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again.”
In the book of Matthew, Jesus has left Galilee and is traveling toward Jerusalem. During his journey people would bring their children to get blessed by Him. At first, the disciples didn’t understand, but Jeses then goes on to tell them to let the children come to Him. For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like children. It is the people with childlike faith that God wants to see.
That is why I say, For the Kingdom of Heaven now belongs to Alexandria Rubio, Alithia Ramirez, Amerie Garza, Annabell Rodriguez, Eliahna Torres,
Eliahna Garcia, Jacklyn Cazares, Jailah Silguero, Jayce Luevanos, Jose Flores, Layla Salazar, Makenna Elrod, Maite Rodriguez, Maranda Mathis, Nevaeh Bravo, Rojelio Torres, Tess Mata,
Uziyah Garcia and Xavier Lopez.
And like I said, it also belongs to the people with childlike faith, in which
Eva Mireles and Irma Garcia greatly showed in being teachers. Jose Garcia showed this also in being a father.
These loved ones of families were taken too soon. They won’t be given the opportunity to follow their dreams or watch their family grow up. So tonight, I would like to include these children from Robb Elementary as honorary members of the Class of 2022 family. Please count your blessings and hug your family a little tighter. Don’t let go of their memory because it is now our job as we enter society to shape it. It is our job to show empathy to others and change the world because we know what is needed. Students and teachers of Robb Elementary, we are here for you and love you.
Hope can be gained or lost in a split second. But there’s something in life that can keep you grounded through everything: Faith. I understand it’s a touchy topic, but one that will be the most important in your life. Faith defines how you see everything in your life. We’re not required to believe or follow the words of the Bible unless you want to, but God’s the difference in living a content life and understanding the things we can never understand. I know this tragedy will never be forgotten, but Class of 2022, also remember the wonderful memories we do have of laughter, hope and joy. These are the moments that let us heal. They show us, believe it or not, there is more good than evil in this world.
Today is your day to celebrate your many years of hard work. You’ve come a long way since the first time you picked up a pencil and, hopefully, learned your ABC’s. As friends and classmates, we have memories we will never forget.
The million fire alarms being pulled each day at Flores. Making the seniors mad our freshman year when we would win the spirit stick at pep rallies. Having school canceled because of a 10-day snow storm in south Texas. Don’t forget, managing to have an “Anything but a Backpack Day”, where one of our own brought their little brother. Don’t let one evil in this world win by making us forget all. While we do celebrate each other today, we should celebrate the lives those kids were given and how wonderful they made our lives.
Each of us are going to embark on a new path. No matter where you go or what you do, cherish the life you were given and live it to the fullest.
Challenges will never stop appearing, but what we all should have learned is that there will always be people willing to help you get through them.
It’s extremely hard to be vulnerable and ask for help sometimes, but it shows strength. And then maybe one day you will be able to help someone out of a situation you were once in.
We were each given a purpose on this Earth, and I hope when you figure yours out, you use it for good. At times, we will slip up and make mistakes. We’re supposed to. It’s how you handle yourself after that will be your defining moment. I hope you can find the grace through life to want to build others up. I also hope you find the want in life for yourself to do good. Whatever job you get, enjoy it but don’t be consumed by it. Find content in adding a little joy to someone else’s day. Rejoice in the progress you will continue to experience. Make time for the relationships in your life because that is what we were made to do.
I need to thank Mr. Harris for everything he’s done for this class and the community. That goes along with thanking Dr. Harrell for the time and love he puts into his job. Thank you to the assistant principals for always having our best interests in mind.
The counselors and secretaries never failed to make their office aids have a better day, or just to have a listening ear. Thank you, nurses, for caring for the many weird sicknesses a teenagers manages to have. Thank you to our security guards and officers that watched out for us. Thank you to all the cafeteria workers for feeding so many of us each day and thank you janitors for cleaning up our countless messes.
To the Class of 2022, thank you for being here. Thank you for working hard and achieving this accomplishment. Be proud.
Thank you.