San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Hondo High School
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am Morgan Weynand, and it is my honor to stand here tonight representing the Hondo High School class of 2021.
On behalf of the graduating class, I would like to thank each and every community member, teacher, administrator, family member and friend that has made this night possible. We had no idea how this year would pan out and because of each of you, we are able to walk across this stage tonight and enter into the next chapter of our lives as all-around better people. So truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
One thousand, three hundred and eighty-five days ago we walked into Hondo High School with little to no idea where this crazy adventure we call life would take us. Over the past four years, we have watched each other grow and succeed. We have watched each other face hardships. And we have watched each other mature (with a few exceptions!).
But as everyone promised, the high school years flew by and along with those seemingly short years came memories that will last a lifetime. It seems like it was just yesterday that some of us sat in our freshman English class and tormented our poor teacher. Or maybe it was just yesterday that Katelyn Hermes signed
Mrs. Nickols up for the faculty basketball game without her consent.
But no matter what memories you will cherish from these last few years, it is the lessons that we have learned that will resonate in our hearts and minds as we continue down our individual paths of life. We truly have learned a lot over the past four years. For instance, Mrs. McGinnis wholeheartedly loves spending her free time doing calculus. Coach Trees is really good at winning arguments – so he thinks –and if you ever need a shirt, Bader Mart is always open.
Above all, we have learned to be resilient when life throws a curveball – and we all know there have been plenty of curveballs recently. We have learned to have faith in a better tomorrow, in ourselves and in others. But most importantly, we have learned to cherish the small things and to not take anything for granted because we never know when another day like March 13, 2020, could happen.
As I was preparing for this speech, I wrote the introduction and conclusion but when it came to writing the most important part of the speech, I struggled to decide what I really wanted to talk to y’all about. But then the challenge that Laurie Lentz posed for us at Baccalaureate kept resonating through my mind and I decided to rewrite my speech for the third time.
Mrs. Lentz challenged the class of 2021 to “live a life that matters.” So it got me thinking: What does it truly mean to live a life that matters? To each of us graduating tonight, it could mean an array of different things. For some, living a life that matters may have you joining the military to fight for this beautiful country. For others, living a life that matters may mean
joining the work force to utilize your skills or help provide for your family, an honorable and noble choice. And for some of us, living a life that matters mean continuing our education, whether it be at a trade school, college, or university, with the hopes of landing our dream job someday.
But no matter which path we choose, there are pillars of character that we should all strive to follow. These pillars of character come from within and help build a solid foundation for all future endeavors. These admirable qualities are what you will be remembered for in the years to come and will help provide numerous opportunities in the future. Good character develops from being fair, caring, and trustworthy.
However, the characteristics I find most important for us to encompass, include being responsible, respectable and showing proud citizenship. Graduates, as you continue to walk down your path of life, treat others with respect, accept people’s differences and be considerate. Additionally, always persevere, be diligent and do your part in making your home, community and world a better place.
As we walk the stage tonight, after over a decade of education, memories and lessons, we are not the same people who walked into Hondo High School four years ago, and I hope that at our class reunion in a few years each of you will have grown into even better people who have explored their passions and have made a positive impact on everyone and everything that you will have encountered.
Class of 2021, we have truly been through it all these last few years. And as each of you continue to seek out the extraordinary places you will go, I challenge you to take those chances, push those boundaries – and most importantly, seize those opportunities. After all, you are in control of your own destiny and although it will take dedication and perseverance, I have confidence that each of you will live life with purpose. Thank you, and may God continue to watch over and bless the class of 2021.