by ValerieW-17, 16 July 2010

This is an excerpt of my valedictorian speech that I thought would be relevant to all graduating seniors, especially IB students. Enjoy!

This may come as a surprise, but I’d like to talk about school spirit. You know, the enthusiasm for extra-curricular activities that our grade seems to conspicuously lack. We’re consistently ranked at the bottom in terms of BOG (Battle of the Grades) points, only a handful of us showed up for the dance, and I wouldn’t count on our presence at athletic events. And yet, in a strange way, I would argue that our grade is full of spirit. Sure, we may not fit the bill using such conventional measures, but school spirit is about so much more than mindless attendance. Ultimately, school spirit is about fostering a sense of belonging, and I think it’s safe to say our grade has mostly succeeded, thanks to IB.

Before you guys chase me off the stage, let me just state that I’m not here to preach about the wonders of IB, because God knows we’ve sat through enough of those speeches. But IB has undeniably influenced our grade profoundly. It is often said that the greatest test of friendship is adversity, a word that aptly describes the past two years. Although this has been a difficult time, our shared hardship has enabled new friendships to form, and existing relationships to strengthen. IB has fostered a bond between us seniors, and engendered a sense of tolerance that is unheard of in most schools. Let’s face it: high school has gained a reputation for being an altar of awkward adolescence. As such, the role of friendship is made all the more important, a lesson I’m sure we’ve all learned.

But another important part of school spirit is the education we’ve received. The importance of schooling lies not in its promise to teach facts, but in its ability to educate in terms of real-life skills. Skills like the ability to compromise, the value of integrity, the sad truth that you can’t always get what you want. This, and the bond created by IB, is why I refuse to accept that our grade lacks school spirit: we have it; we just express it more subtly. This sense of camaraderie, among other things, is something we will always take with us as proud graduates.

In closing, I should probably offer some words of wisdom, but who am I to be giving advice, as a relative amateur to life? Still, I will selfishly impose the following on you: don’t sell your soul, and make sure there’s something or someone in your life that makes it worth living. Congratulations, everyone. We’ve finally made it!
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