Good evening to the students, families, friends, and faculty that are here to witness the climax of our four years of hard work and determination. My name is Hannah Bagley, your vice president and salutatorian of Grasso Tech’s Class of 2020. It is my pleasure that I get to welcome you all to today’s ceremony.

Four years ago, we all started a new chapter in our lives. The students here walked through the doors excited and anxious to experience the thrills and fun of high school life. The parents here watched their child climb the steps on the bus that would bring them to a place where their passions and personalities would shine brighter than ever before. Now, we are about to start a new chapter, where we go our separate ways and find our purpose in life, whether that be through college, missions, or whatever else. Our class has accomplished so much these past four years. We brought more pride to our shops and made our time in each of them worthwhile. We have set the standard for the underclassmen and that is certainly something to be proud of.

Parents, you best give extra congratulations to your children. They managed to juggle the academic work of a regular high school in half the time, all while mastering a trade in the remaining half.

I must say that over these last four years, I have noticed something remarkable. The bonds our class has created and the exceptional teamwork that has arisen as a result of those friendships is rather amazing. Coming to high school in ninth grade with only four other people from my middle school, I feared that I would not have the easiest time in the world making new friends and essentially starting over. That process, thankfully, was not as difficult as I had initially thought. I am sure that many of you may have been in a similar boat as me, but I can bet that none of you had the same level of shyness and introverted tendencies as I did back then. I still remember the day in tenth grade where I yelled at one of my instructors during a dispute and I could hear collective gasps and whispers across the classroom such as “ooooh” and “wait, what’s her name?”.

That was among the first few times other students outside of my normal classes heard me speak. Even Mrs. Jameson had to comment on my silent nature from years prior. She had turned to me when we were on our way back from the Fall Leadership Conference in junior year and said, “You know, when I had you in my class for those two months, I don’t think you ever spoke a word to me.” You know what? I most likely didn’t. Things have obviously changed since the first couple of years, and here I am giving a speech, which younger me would’ve absolutely dreaded.

Alright, time to get back on topic. Through my years here at Grasso Tech, I was able to find friends that allowed me to be who I wanted to be and accepted me for that. I’m sure that many of you feel the same way. I’m also sure that many of us have also found our potential true loves here. I know I have. Along with those bonds that we’ve shared across the years were great memories. The times we’d waste discussing anime with Mrs. Leigh. Playing Mario Kart at last year’s homecoming. The winter celebrations. There are many more I could mention, mostly pertaining to my own friend circle, but I’m sure you all have something to contribute to the memory bank.

As we prepare for these great new adventures and challenges, we must also acknowledge the elephant in the room. The COVID-19 outbreak has undoubtedly affected every senior class’ year. Our graduation was reduced to its current state as a result of this pandemic. Many of us feel as if we are being robbed of the moment we have been working towards for our entire lives.

Virtual learning was also a grand challenge that, for some, was an easy adjustment. For most, though, it was certainly a challenge, especially for those whose learning environment at home may be anything but ideal. Teachers did what they could to assist us in the transition and were admittedly much more lenient than they usually were within the school building. That being said, many people around the world are ultimately losing their lives to the virus, and it is crucial that we take all measures possible to keep ourselves safe until the time is right to reopen the world once again.

Our time here as students has come to a bittersweet end. As a result of the pandemic, we never got the chance to say goodbye and hug our favorite teachers, nor did we get to celebrate our accomplishments with our friends in a way that we would remember forever. However, this should not discourage you from being ready to take on the fast-approaching future. We’re prepared and we’re ready. It is time to seize the moment and get ready for the start of the rest of our lives.

To humor you, I had to find some quotes as that’s a given within every graduation speech. One in particular that stood out to me when doing my research was one by Mark Twain. Now, I’ve never read a book written by Mark Twain. The most interaction with any Mark Twain-related thing I’ve had in my life was passing by the Tom Sawyer Island on the riverboat in Disney World. The quote goes as such: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.” To me, that perfectly captures the spirit of our class. We all have our regrets.

Nevertheless, it is important to keep moving forward. Leave the negatives behind you and allow your ambitions to take over. It is our time to shine. Explore the world. Dream big. Discover your path. We have made it, Grasso Tech class of 2020. Thank you. Now let’s get this show on the road and graduate.

(Hannah Bagley is the Salutatorian of the Class of 2020 at Grasso Tech).