36 • GRADUATION 2020 • LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL • THE MERIDIAN STAR
PATRICIA SYNER
Valedictorian
First, I would like to thank all our friends and family who have come out here to support us tonight,
as well as those who are watching at home thanks to the live stream.
I want to give a really big thank you to our administration for working so hard to give us this
experience, and to Mayor Bland for making it possible. Thank you to those filming this event, handling
the live stream, and taking our pictures.
In the Harry Potter series, Albus Dumbledore says that “We are only as strong as we are united, as
weak as we are divided.” Well everyone, I think that we look really, really strong, especially tonight.
As I look around me tonight at all of us gathered here, it seems a little strange to be back together
after what has seemed like such a long time apart, though it has only been less than nine weeks. It is
strange, but it is also familiar and heartwarming, like hearing an old favorite song playing somewhere
you least expect it. Just as I would remember the lyrics and sing along to it, I look at everyone here
and remember the special ways you all laugh, smile, and talk, and I am reminded of the best thing
about being able to get together tonight.
We have waited so long for this. We wrote a countdown on Mrs. Dye’s board, that still remains
there, frozen at a certain number of days. Even though we all knew it was our last year, today never
stopped seeming distant, at least for me. In fact, with every test, with every assignment, with every
night of seemingly never-ending homework, it seemed to slip further and further away while we wished
for it harder and harder. At those times, all we wanted was to be done with it all. The light at the end
of the tunnel was our caps and gowns and diplomas. But, tonight, after all that has happened, I think
we are reminded that there is a much brighter light — each other. Being able to hear each other laugh
and talk and see each other smile, not through a computer screen, but in person, a connection no
Wifi can beat.
This night would have been special enough if things had remained the same for everyone after
Spring Break, but instead life looks more different now than we ever thought it would, than it has
ever looked before. And it reminds me, not of how uncertain these times are — after all, aren’t all
times uncertain in some way — but of how certain I am of us. Of our success, our goals, our futures
(whatever they may be), our bond, and ourselves. Because we are not just the class of quarantine or
coronavirus — we are so much more. We are the class of 2020. We are doctors, engineers, writers,
artists, business owners, and more in the making. And we are going to change the world — that’s not
a cliche ideal, that’s a promise.
Decades from now, when we look back at what we have accomplished, we will see so much to be
proud of. Decades from now, when our children ask us about what we were doing in the year 2020,
we can tell them that we were succeeding — not just surviving, not just going through the motions
— and we will tell them that we were well on our way to our dreams, because even though there’s a
global pandemic happening around us, we haven’t stopped. We have kept pushing and doing our best
because that is what we do. That is what we have always done, and that is what we will continue to
do as we venture out into this wide world. Because if what’s happening in our lives right now can’t
stop us, nothing can.
In Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark says that “Part of the journey is the end.” And, just like the
Avengers series, our high school saga is drawing to a close. So, I could say a lot of tear-jerking things
about how this chapter of our lives is ending, and we will never be able to return to it, and that is sad
and bittersweet, but I don’t think my mom brought enough tissues for that, so please forgive me if I
skip ahead a little bit. Yes, high school is ending — our journey here, in Meridian, at Lamar with all our
wonderful teachers, our wise administrators, and our awesome friends, is ending.
But like Tony said, that is part of life. And do you know what else is part of life? Getting to
experience the next chapter in it. Turning the page and seeing something blank because, hey, we get
to write what’s on it. As we go forth into the world and all of its glimmering possibilities, we get to
choose the paths we take. If you are like me and you are thinking about that personality test we took
in Mrs. Dye’s class based on your path through the woods, that may sound a little daunting. And I
think that’s okay, that’s natural, as long as we don’t let the obstacles in our paths — whether it’s our
fears or some other barrier — prevent us from discovering all the amazing things we can accomplish.
I believe that while the path ahead may be a little daunting, our time here at Lamar has equipped us
with all the tools we need to forge ahead and make our places in the world.
We are equipped with faith. As a school, we have turned to Bible verses, devotionals, and prayer
not just in times of need or in times of celebration, but every day. We are reminded that God loves us,
that God is always with us. Faith gives us strength and hope, which are essential at any point in life.
We are equipped with confidence. We have been able to try so many new things thanks to our
administrators and our teachers. Whether through a new club, a contest, a theater production, or
sports, we’ve had many opportunities to venture out into unfamiliar territory and discover what we
like and figure out more about ourselves and who we want to be as we move forward.
We are equipped with knowledge. We have learned an immeasurable amount from our teachers,
our guest speakers, our coaches, and each other. Everything we have been taught has helped us grow, know how to approach situations in an informed way, and confront complex problems and topics with
our own educated ideas. These abilities are incredibly significant and allow us to have a strong platform on which we can build as we continue our journey with knowledge in the coming years.
We are also equipped with compassion and friendship. Throughout our time here at Lamar, we have made some truly strong bonds. Our teachers and our peers have taught us understanding, patience,
and empathy. Aside from faith, I think these are some of the most important attributes to have, and I believe we will find that we can use them to continue to create meaningful relationships as we find new
friends and mentors in college and beyond.
With all these tools and all that we have overcome to reach this point, that path ahead of us seems more wide-open, more welcoming. That’s how I like to think of it — as a new adventure, a new journey
to undertake during which we can continue to grow, learn, succeed, and forge new bonds. I hope that everyone can see these coming years as exciting and full of possibilities to have new experiences, gain
new ideas, and meet new people. After all, growth is essential to achieving success. Without growth, we’d still be practicing our ABC’s, and recess would be the most important thing in the near future. But,
thanks to change and growth we can become not only whatever we want to be, but also the most amazing version of what we want to be.
In her poem “The Summer Day,” Mary Oliver asks a question that I think is fitting and exciting to ask each other, and ourselves, right now. “Tell me, what is it you plan to do / with your one wild and precious
life?” It is exciting to ask that, even if we cannot give a definite answer, because we are certain about one common thing: that our wild and precious lives will be filled with so many precious experiences and
people, many of which we first found here, at each other’s sides, at football games, in the classroom, and in the cafeteria. We will find more when we leave the gates of Lamar, when we embark on our next
journey, and based on our time here, that is surely something to look forward to.
Now, I am going to end this speech the same way I started it. By giving thanks.
Thank you to our administrators, who have worked tirelessly to put this night together, and who have been there for us throughout the years, making sure that we were on the right track and that we were
having the best experiences possible.
Thank you to our coaches for pushing us, leading us, and teaching us so many lifelong lessons about integrity, faith, sportsmanship, and hard work.
Thank you to our teachers, who have accepted our questioning, our complaining, and our tiredness, because they could see through to our willingness, our eagerness, and our curiosity. Thank you for guiding
us to the right answers, not only in our assignments, but in our lives as well.
Thank you to our families, who have done so much for us, more than we will ever really know. Thank you for helping us grow, for teaching us about love, faith, and responsibility. Thank you for always and
unconditionally being there for us, and thank you in advance for all the lessons you will continue to teach and all the love you will continue to give.
Thank you to my fellow classmates, who have taught me so many things about friendship, teamwork, and life. I feel that during this year, despite all its challenges, we have grown closer as a class. We
have supported each other in stressful times and celebrated with each other in happy ones. We have shown that we are strong because we care about each other and because we work together to succeed.
So, thank you for all your jokes, your companionship, your help, your personalities, and your uniqueness. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being you.
Thank You, Lord, for making it possible for us to gather today and celebrate. Thank You for the technology that allows those who aren’t present to also celebrate with us. Thank You for guiding us to this
moment, for sheltering us throughout all of our storms. Thank You for all the wonderful people we are surrounded by.
Since I am sure by now everybody is shifting in their seats, I will wrap up with just a few more words. Though this time is bittersweet, and our journey at Lamar is ending, let us choose to focus on all the
good that we have experienced on our way here. Let us focus on our triumphs rather than our tears, and let us be joyful for each other and our success. Let us look ahead to our next exciting adventure and
our new possibilities. And, lastly, let us smile as big as we can because, Class of 2020, we finally made it!
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