Student Speaker Commencement Address

Bright, funny, dynamic, quiet. I asked a number of underclassmen to describe the class of 2020 in one word and those were some of the responses I received. The one that resonates with me was submitted by a middle schooler who described us as role models.

For the next few minutes, I hope to make all of you feel like you are a part of the class that I know and love, as I share parts of our journey here which I think show the personality of the class of 2020, outside of any reputations we apparently hold. Bringing it all the way back to middle school, we immediately dove into this intimidating, scary world where it was hilarious to lock our friends in lockers. We got lost all of the time because the room numbers at school made, and honestly still make, absolutely no sense.

Freshman and sophomore year we held our heads up high, learning the ways of high school, enjoying some more freedom despite in ninth grade living in the worst and most narrow hallway in all of Williams. Junior year we entered the new realm of standardized testing, U.S. History, and all things college. One of my favorite memories is our attempted Karaoke Night that will forever go down in history of being such an under attended, last-minute event.

At this time, senior year seemed so far away, but little did we know the end was just around the corner. Senior. Year. I want to tell you all some of my favorite stories from this past year, proving that this is the funniest group of people I’ve ever met.

Starting with a favorite — In the Senior lounge we hung up a nice light-up welcome sign. For the last few months it ended up on the ceiling and it somehow was placed right above a line of cubbies so the extension cord hung down and would either trip or hit someone right in the face between each class, so that was just great — that’s a good memory.

In the lounge we also had an oil diffuser that actually worked well for a while, but one day it was knocked over and spilled EVERYWHERE, leaving the lounge smelling like lemons for a week.

There was also a beloved red ball that lived with us in the lounge for a while. After class one day we came back and someone (Ms. Lucy Rossi-Reder) had popped it and spread the plastic remains on the bulletin board in the lounge. That was really devastating for many people. Thank you Lucy for giving me permission to call you out on this one by the way.

On a more serious note, I’d like to take a moment to say some well deserved thank yous. Thank you to my wonderful parents for supporting me every day. Thank you specifically to my mom because she is letting me share this day with her. Today is my Mom’s birthday, so if anyone sees her be sure to wish her a happy birthday. Happy Birthday Mom. Thank you as well to my best friends who happen to be my sisters Sarah and Amy. Thank you Williams administration for working so hard and for making today happen. Thank you Williams faculty for all of the years of learning and impact you’ve made. And of course, thank you to my classmates.

Class of 2020, I genuinely mean it when I say that throughout my time here you have all pushed me to be a better person. You have taught me how to work hard and that is something I will be forever grateful for. Thank you for giving me the honor of standing up here today and for giving me memories and stories that I will tell forever. A sincere congratulations to all of you.

I say this to my classmates, but I hope I can reach everyone listening today. People tell you you are your own worst critic and I’ve realized how true that is. When remembering the past it is so easy to focus on the failures, and what you didn’t get to accomplish. But we need to stop being so hard on ourselves and so hard on our world. Maybe one day if you’re feeling beaten down you can remember the infuriating welcome sign in the lounge, or the mauling of the red ball and hopefully it’ll make you laugh.

Whether or not you realize its importance now,  I’d like to conclude with other words students used to describe our class. Brilliant, colorful, respectful, athletic, ambitious — the list goes on. At the end of the day, we’ll take these words to mean what we’d like, but I hope they show how much of a difference each of us have made on students here. We are all capable of making an impact, whether it be with something as simple as a smile. The world needs us now more than ever and I know that this class, the Class of 2020, will not let it down.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you all a lifetime of happiness and love. As our peers described, may we all continue to laugh, be a light in the dark, and make a difference on those around us. Thank you.

(Katie Burzin was a captain on The Williams School cross-country team and participated as a Student Ambassador.)