Good evening -

How have we grown?

I keep asking myself this question, pondering whether I’ve grown at all. Like in many families, mine carries the tradition to measure the kids and cousins’ height on the pantry door. Mine is all marked up with pencil lines, names, and dates. Even some friends joined in throughout the years. Just a couple weeks ago, I opened up the pantry door full of marks, and measured myself once again. Turns out, I haven't budged a quarter inch since 2018, our freshman year. I brought my childhood step stool today just to make sure I could reach the mic. And yes, I still use it to reach the higher shelves in the pantry too.

On the other hand, all of us still have a-ways to grow, but growth isn’t always physical. Our class, in hindsight, has made tremendous strides over the past four years. We have progressed past our freshman pranks and thanks to our government mandated education, we’ve been provided space to develop into the unique individuals we are and will continue to become. Each of our niches at Lyme-Old Lyme High School, Wind Ensemble for me, maybe environmental or ping pong club for you, has contributed to our quote un-quote high school experience, shaped our vision for the future, and impacted our passions, interests, and purposes.

I hope we can all agree that when we are going through life, it's hard to see how much we change over time. Growth isn't always noticeable. In Tait’s case, I am not so sure. He shot up to a tall 6’3’’.

However, I have seen you adapt and thrive for every curveball thrown, bump in the road, or obstacle, you know, like a global pandemic. We have picked up new skills. Yes, different ones than how to use noodletools or create MLA citations. Among the new skills, learning to play with instrument bags and masks on! It really isn’t as easy as we make it look. These challenges have pushed us to move on and up.

What initiates growth and progress?

Taking advantage of the challenges life brings and capturing new opportunities has proven successful. Our time used in a constructive way has allowed us to grow into ourselves. Through our senior projects, which varied from writing a fantasy novel to building a meat smoker to starting a sustainable clothing shop, our creative freedom flourished in the project’s limited direction.

Keys to adulthood and moving onward are rooted in our already solid foundation.

Whatever your next steps are, and even if you need a step stool along the way, the room for growth is boundless. Keep expanding and improving, taking chances, finding new opportunities. Don’t dwell on past accomplishments and the glory days of high school. Seek out new challenges and keep reaching for the highest shelf, even if you need a step stool to help get you there. Our families, friends, and teachers have been that step stool and supported us through the high school journey -- we all needed it when we got here, but hopefully now we can all reach the top shelf on our own.

Congratulations Class of 2021 on your momentous achievements and in advance, congratulations on your future growth.