Keystone School

Good morning teachers, administrators, parents and the Keystone Class of 2021!

I first want to tell the graduates today that we did it. We made it here, after a long tumultuous year, and we came out stronger and more ready to tackle the world. Thank you to the teachers, staff, administrators, parents,

Mr. Handmaker, Mr. Spedding, Ms. Penny and Ms. Christiansen for making this year memorable, even when we were separated in isolation.

I came to Keystone three years ago in my sophomore year as the second-to-last addition to the class of 2021, but the funny thing is, this wasn’t my first time in San Antonio. When I was 11, I had come here on a family vacation. As appropriate for the mind of a child, I associated the city with delicious food lining the River Walk, day trips to SeaWorld and Six Flags, and history lessons in the Alamo. I never thought that San Antonio would become my home, and that Keystone would become a place where I’ve gained a sense of accomplishment in the past three years.

I still remember the interview with Mr. Spedding when I applied to Keystone, a FaceTime call all the way from El Paso, and I want to thank Mr. Spedding for giving me the chance to come to Keystone, even though I was technically a late applicant. I remember fondly my first days on campus. At orientation, I felt a tap on my shoulder and was greeted by a warm, friendly face, who turned out to be Mrs. Elizondo, our sophomore English teacher. On the first day of classes, I was walking up the science building going to Mr. Nydegger’s Chem I class and was immediately greeted by two friendly faces talking about an upcoming BTS release. For the rest of the day, I was showered with kindness and welcome that I had never experienced anywhere else and I felt like I became a part of this large family.

That’s why the class of 2021— and Keystone — are so special. You’ve demonstrated grit, heart and soul throughout the past three years I’ve gotten to know you and you always lift each other up when things get rough. When the pandemic hit last March, forever changing the rest of our high school careers, we’ve still found ways to connect, whether it’d be spontaneous deep Discord discussions, movie and game nights, Zoom sleepovers, or even just random GroupMe spamming. You are passionate and unafraid to speak your voice, whether it’d be writing the somewhat controversial mental health article in the Keynote or making signs for our classmates during the sporting events. When we all go our separate ways to college, don’t lose that flame in your hearts. Continue to be kind and supportive and to inspire hope, to persevere and to be true to ourselves. I am so grateful that I was able to come to Keystone.

None of us thought our senior year would be like this. We are still wearing masks and we didn’t have a junior or a senior prom. Even so, we made the most of what we had – senior skip day at Nicole’s mom’s lake house, our class hiking trip, donating our prom money to the San Antonio Food Bank, our senior dinner, senior stone soul, and prank day. We were able to continue these traditions this year and I am more than thankful that we were able to still create these memories. Of course, a tremendous thank you to Ms. Christiansen and Ms.

Penny for their continual support and time as we navigated college applications during a pandemic.

I want to take a moment to thank the teachers. Mr. Nydegger, for teaching us chemistry and DJ Ny-Ny. Dr. Caraway, who in theory is a history teacher but in practice a historian with animated lectures and great punchlines. Ms. Steinhelper, for dealing with our biology jokes and banter. Mrs. Elizondo, for her endless reading quizzes and A Tale of Two Cities. Dr. Lawrence, for his love of Star Wars and Hamlet references. Mr. Lindsay, for his endless support of the Keynote and Dungeons & Dragons. Mrs. Preston, for all the chocolates I ever wanted and for teaching us derivatives at least 10 times. Mrs. Hall, for all the CheezIts and the Socratic seminars that got us passionate about our books. Dr. Armentrout, for lending an ear to our ethical debates. Ms.

Ortega, for expanding our creative horizons. The foreign language teachers, for showing us the world of possibilities. And many more teachers that I didn’t get the privilege of having. They have all challenged us to think critically and equipped us with the tools that we need to be successful, but they have also been our support system and our foundation throughout the past 12 years. We could not have done it without them. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so, so much.

To be honest, I never thought that I’d get a four-year full-ride scholarship to UPenn, become a Presidential Scholar, and become valedictorian speaking in front of you today, and I thank God and my family for their continual support. Class of 2021, make sure to thank our parents and family. They have been with us through the ups and downs and, although we may be leaving for college soon, they will continue to be proud of us and support us as we chase our dreams.

I believe all of us, with our unique talents and flair, will continue to be successful wherever we go, “for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” as 2 Timothy 1:7 says. I have felt deeply that this Bible verse perfectly encapsulates the Class of 2021, and whether or not you are religious, I believe that God will bless Keystone and bring honor to our school, the place we call home.

Class of 2021, we are at a crossroads and our roads are branching off, but one day, I hope we will all meet again, here at Keystone, and share memories and stories about our journeys into adulthood. Congrats again, class of 2021, and thank you!

Derek Pan Wong is the valedictorian of Keystone School’s class of 2021. He is fluent in English, Spanish and Mandarin. Derek finished his tenure at Keystone by being named a Presidential Scholar, the third in the school’s history. After high school, Derek will go to the University of Pennsylvania to study either psychology or political science and intends to pursue a career in international relations.