Good evening, and welcome Bishop Cote, Mr. Macrino, Mrs. Griffin, family, friends, faculty, and staff, and congratulations to my fellow graduates.

When considering what Saint Bernard means to me, I was overwhelmed with memories, thoughts, and ideas, but no matter how much I thought about it, three things always stood out to me: tradition, school family, and growth.

Ever since I was young and my older sisters were attending Saint Bernard’s I knew it was a place I wanted to be. A large part of that reason was because it felt like tradition. My dad, siblings, uncles, aunts, and cousins all went here, and I knew I would be continuing a multi-generation legacy. I had talked about and visited Saint Bernard’s so many times that it felt like I already knew so much about the school, and I knew that it would be an honor to attend the same high school my family went to.

I had often come into the building to attend my sisters’ games and ceremonies, and every time I walked in, I could see the sense of community the students had. I wanted to be part of that. I wanted to walk through the same halls my dad and his siblings did, have some of the same teachers my sisters had, and continue the tradition my family had started. I wanted to be part of the same community that made them who they are. But when I walked through the door in late August of 2017, it felt different. I wasn’t a visitor, or an outsider looking in any more, I was now a Saint Bernard Saint. It immediately felt different than the community I had once experienced. The word community was too impersonal, it was a family. Not a biological kind, for each of us already has that, but a kind that would grow and change together over the next four years.

Saint Bernard’s gave me another home and another family. How many other kids can say they know the names of everyone in their grade, let alone almost everyone in their school. Some may see this as a curse, but I call it a blessing. It is what makes Saint Bernard’s, Saint Bernard’s. There was never a day, not even on my first day, when I walked through the halls and felt lost or I didn’t know anyone. That feeling of welcomeness is something I will always take with me. As a class, and as a family, we have grown together and we’ve grown because of each other. We’ve grown because of the compassion we received from our friends, the advice we’ve received from our teachers, and the motivation we’ve received from our coaches. We've had our fair share of disagreements, but like a family we always came back stronger. We’ve laughed like friends and we’ve argued like siblings, but most importantly, we’ve grown like a family. We’ve grown more than any of us could have imagined.

When looking around we are almost unrecognizable from the freshmen who started here four short years ago. We’ve changed together. I can’t thank all of you enough for being a part of my life and my growth because I’ve truly learned something from each one of you. And I couldn't have been more honored to have been even a small part of your journeys.

So when I think about what Saint Bernard’s means to me I can’t help but think about all of you. I’ve had some of the best experiences here and have learned so much, but Saint Bernard’s wouldn’t mean nearly the same if it weren’t for each of you.

Even if we don’t realize it now, one day we’ll all look back and realize that Saint Bernard’s gave all of us more than we ever could have imagined. It gave us another home, another family. Like a family, not any one of us is the same. If you took a glimpse at each of our resumes, it wouldn’t take much to realize each of us has many different interests, hobbies, and accomplishments. We fit every category. Among the forty-five of us you can find a soccer player, a swimmer, an actor, a singer, a painter, a scholar, a baker, but most of all, a Saint -a family of Saints. Soon, we’ll all go our separate ways, find our passions and chase our dreams, but the path that led us there will always lead back to Saint Bernard’s. So whether you’re the first or tenth person in your family to attend Saint Bernard's, we all have a part in this tradition. Our own tradition, that starts here and now. So leave a small part of you here and take a piece of Saint Bernard’s with you. Use it as a guide, as a compass, and treasure it. I know that I will take this tradition, this family, and this growth with me and use it as a foundation for every journey that comes before me. I hope that each of you do the same because at the end of the day, if it weren’t for this class and this school, we wouldn’t be who we are today and words will never be able to express how grateful I am to be a Saint Bernard’s Saint. Thank you.