Class of 2024 Valedictorian Speech | Sadie Wachsmann

“Good afternoon, it is such an honor to be here today with my fellow classmates, the faculty and staff, and all the friends and family members that have come to support us in our next steps in life. I am beyond grateful for every person here, as many of you have had lasting impacts on my life that have brought me to where I am today and will continue to guide me in my life. I would like to personally thank my parents for always supporting me and pushing me to be the best version of myself, my siblings for always being there for me, and our coaches and teachers who were always willing to take time to help us through anything we were having trouble with. While many of us in these past couple of months have been looking forward to going to college and starting a new chapter, I think we have been quick to overlook all of the moments that have been so fleeting in our high school days. Today, I would like to take one last moment where we are gathered as a group to appreciate all we have been blessed to go through together. 

These past four years at Oldenburg Academy have been filled with ups and downs, triumphs and defeats, and love and hate, but as a class we have persevered to accomplish one of the first monumental moments in our lives, graduating high school. Now I am sure a lot of you are thinking, well everybody graduates high school, but dosomething.org states that 25% of high school students fail to graduate on time if at all. We have accomplished a great feat together, and we should be so proud of this achievement. Even beyond our academic accomplishments, we have received so many outstanding distinctions in athletics, music, and art. Each and every member of our class is so unique and that is what has made our class so successful. I could go on for hours about all of the great things the class of 2024 has accomplished, but I will not get into all the details; what matters is the influence we have had on our communities and that we will continue to have as we go out into the world. I have no doubts that our class will make an impact on every industry we enter whether it's healthcare, engineering, business, trades, or any of the endless paths we can take. By attending oa, we are now prepared for these possibilities in our life because we have been instructed not only in our academics, but on how to be upstanding individuals in society. We have been living out the values of virtue, honor, and education these past four years, and we understand that it does not stop here. All of us must continue to use what we have learned, and one of the most important things we should rely on everyday is our Catholic faith which has brought us here and will continue to move us throughout our lives. We will all be able to look back on our high school days with a sense of pride and gratitude for all we have learned in our time here. Aside from all of our lessons learned and advice we have been given, I believe that most of all in the future we will be able to remember the excitement, joy, and nostalgia that our years here have brought us.

One of the main things I will take away from my time here is the many friendships I have been able to cherish, and the ability to take part in so many school activities. When I came in as a freshman I was so nervous about meeting all new people in a brand new school, as I am sure most of us were, but I soon met all of you wonderful people that would change my outlook on what life is all about.  Freshman me probably could not believe that I had great friendships with seniors, one of my best friends was a junior, and I still was close with my friends I came to oa with. And as time went on, I found myself becoming closer with more people in my class and some of the underclassmen I played sports with. With each and every person I have met at oa, I realize more and more what it really means to be a good person, and I have a vision for how I want to be every day of my life. I am so blessed to be surrounded by everyone in our class as it has shaped me to be who I am today because we constantly push each other to be better people. I know many of us here have a competitive side, as many of us played sports together or supported one another in the stands, which was another one of my favorite things about OA. The endless support we had for each other in everything we did will always stand out to me, even though we always competed to win. We showed our support and competitiveness as we participated in clubs, field day activities, and retreats, and I certainly will not forget all of the pickleball tournaments, volleyball games, and other fun times we had together as a class. We probably did not realize it at the moment but we had so many lasts together whether it was last high school sports game, last high school finals, or last time wearing the school uniform. It is so easy to think nothing of these things especially at the time, but it just goes to show that with time we might look back on this period of our lives and wish we cherished it a little bit more. I want our class to live life with no regrets, and I think the best way to do this is to enjoy every moment of your life in the most positive way you can even when things are hard, frustrating, or seem downright impossible. 

As I conclude my time talking, I hope you took a sense of pride, a good memory, or a bit of wisdom from my sentiments today. This day may mark the end of our time as students of Oldenburg Academy, but it does not end the memories we have made and lessons we have learned. As we leave oa, I hope you keep walking forward and do not let the burdens of life keep you down. Never forget to live life to the fullest and continue to jump into the next parts of your life, but always remember to appreciate the moment you're in as well, and you can look back on our times here with joy, gratitude, and love. Thank you to everyone here who has made oa so special, and I am looking forward to seeing the great things all of us can continue to accomplish in our lives to impact the world today and in the future.”