Our hard work has paid off, but more awaits

gives me major bragging rights. This competitiveness that they have instilled in me plays a big role in why I’m giving this speech.

Last year, I had the opportunity to sit in on a speech that the LSU softball coach was giving. It was very inspiringto me, and I’d like to share that story with everyone.

She shared with us a story from Greek mythology. The story of Sisyphus. Sisyphus was condemned for a sin, and his punishment was to roll a big, heavy boulder up a steep mountain. When he finally reached the top of the mountain, the boulder was pushed back down to the bottom, and this cycle was never ending.

The story of Sisyphus is our lives. We push, grind and overcome adversity to become successful, or reach the top of our mountain. But the top of our mountain is not where our story ends.

Winston Churchill once said, “Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”

For 13 years we have been pushing this big, heavy boulder up the mountain. Some days it feels like we aren’t getting anywhere, and other days it feels easy to push this boulder.

Look at us now. We’ve finally gotten to the top of our mountains. All of our hard work and sacrifices have finally paid off, but this isn’t the end. Now it is time to push that boulder back down the mountain and start the next journey of our lives. We may fail sometimes and slip down the side of our mountains, but we must be courageous and keep moving forward.

The Class of 2020 has definitely gone through a lot. We are a part of history. Our senior year may not have had the most desirable ending, but together we got through it, and we are celebrating now.

The COVID-19 pandemic does not define us, but it is an obstacle that we must overcome.

Having to adjust to online classes and create our own schedule was a challenge. Moving on after high school will be another. Although we associate a lot of negatives with this time, we should also think about how this will benefit us. I’m sure for a lot of us this was an eye-opener. After high school, we can’t sleep in until noon, eat, take a nap, eat again and stay up all night. In the real world, we have to create a schedule for ourselves and adapt to changes.

We should take every obstacle that has come to us as an opportunity for growth. As I mentioned earlier, the class of 2020 is making history — not just American but world history. No other class will experience the hardships that we have.

I’m honored to have shared these experiences with each of you, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Congratulations to the Class of 2020, and good luck to you all.