San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Karen Wagner High School
Good evening, and welcome to everyone in attendance for this momentous occasion in our lives. Welcome to our families, who have instilled in us the character that makes us who we are today and have supported our journeys with efforts we will never comprehend. Welcome to our teachers, who have worked tirelessly throughout the year to provide us with a path to the future. Welcome to our other school faculty, administrators, and board members, who have provided for us the very foundation that has permeated our lives for the past four years. And most importantly, welcome to the most amazing and talented group of people, the class of 2021!
Now, high school has been a tough one. The moment we stepped foot on campus our freshman year, we knew we were entering a new atmosphere, a new arena. We knew that the next four years were going to be fun but also demanding and even stressful. And we were right; some of us had to remember which one was Sweden and which one was Norway on a map and which civilization came before which, things surprisingly not as easy as they sound.
We were also served the T-Bird Special and had to get to our classes before the bell rang and the doors shut, an impossible feat at times. But seriously, we had to adapt to new styles of teaching, deal with new friends – and find out who we wanted to be in high school.
As we got more comfortable with the challenges and joys of high school, we entered our sophomore year. But unfortunately, the work didn’t seem to get much easier. Some of us sat through an insane OnRamps physics class, where we were piled with homework that lasted for ages, and it all just seemed too much to handle at times. But we kept going. We kept
staying up late at night to finish assignments. We kept spending extra hours practicing jump shots and penalty kicks. And from all of that work, we learned what dedication meant. We learned what perseverance meant. And most importantly, we learned what purpose meant. While we may not have always scored well on tests or done well in sports games, we learned to keep the grind up, to always push forward knowing that every minute of what we do gets us farther along the journey of life.
Going into junior year, we were a lot more prepared for the rigor of high school work. Sure, we had to deal with Dr. Toppen ushering us out the doors after school to clear the hallways, but we finally got to enjoy ourselves as we used the skills we learned our freshman and sophomore years to zoom by in classes and excel in all sorts of extracurriculars, from robotics and marching band to UIL, BPA, and that other business club (just kidding, we love you DECA). We claimed region orchestra, band and choir spots, became area champs in football and basketball, and much more. Reaping the benefits of our hard work was such a satisfying feeling that pushed us to keep going stronger.
But at the end of that year, we saw our fellow class of 2020 miss out on many of the joys of high school as the pandemic took over life as we knew it.
And while we initially thought it would subside by the time our senior year started, we completely underestimated the impact it would have on us.
During our senior year, change occurred on a mass scale, shifting instruction online, altering school schedules, and completely changing how we learned. All those years of work and dedication from our first three years of high school had led us to that moment, and it almost seemed to have gone down the drain. Unmuting ourselves became something reserved for the most compromising commands. Plagued with distractions all around us in our homes, procrastination swooped in and altered our mindsets to think that 10 p.m. was the perfect time to start an assignment due at midnight. The whole snow fiasco seemed to be one of the few times we could take a break, but even that led to chaos. And I just had to add this in: we really need to do something about most of the AP classes starting during the second semester. Stress built up as we wondered how we’d get through this school year, lacking the excitement, engagement, and joy that had once characterized our academic journeys.
But yet again, we persisted. We all worked harder than ever this year, balancing school, extracurriculars, work and friends in a situation designed exactly against those things. We transformed the way we managed our time, the way we prioritized our goals, and the way we learned. Nothing could stop us from getting that high school diploma and finishing the year off strong, and that’s exactly where we are today.
We have control over our lives. We decide what we do in the future. We have the power to say, “You know what? I’m going to get that job. I’m going to solve that problem. I’m going to be that person.” While others take the route of comfort and ease, we decide to invest in our futures by putting in the work today so that we can thrive tomorrow.
But sometimes, events and circumstances occur that we could not possibly control. We are exposed to new situations that may cause us to question our identities, beliefs and goals.
And that’s perfectly fine. Because we’ll adapt. We’ll accept change not with stubborn souls but embracing hearts. The world is continually evolving, and that necessitates our own continual growth as well. Change doesn’t inhibit our personal development; it makes us stronger. It makes sure we are always chasing our next big goal and that we are always learning. Change gives us chances to triumph in ways we never imagined.
So, class of 2021, remember that while we control our futures, we also have the freedom to redefine them when circumstances counter the norm, the freedom to redefine who we are and who we will be.
As all of you go forward in life – whether that be in college, the Armed Forces or employment – know that you have a purpose: a continually changing calling that will define your impact on the world. Know that you are more than what others deem you to be. Cross boundaries and climb new heights. Set out to accomplish everything you’ve ever wanted. And if you ever feel lost, know that we will always have each other’s backs in that pursuit of awesomeness.