35825 GA COMMEN 14-29:COMMENCEMENT
3/23/10
2:29 PM
Page 6
Salutatorian Sa lutatorian 2009 Gilmour Aca Acade demy my
aving co come me to Gilmo Gilmour ur as a precociou preco ciouss th thiird grader, grad er, Vick Vickyy, over the cou course rse of th thee decade deca de sh shee ha hass spent her here, e, is certainly certai nly read eadyy to lea leave. ve. And I mean th that at in al alll of the ways on onee would wou ld ho hope pe to mean th that at on the morning morni ng of her Commenc Co mmencement. ement. Acad Aca demica emically lly Victoria Lopez-Aldazabal Piña ’09 talented talent ed,, commi committed tted to leadersh lead ership, ip, enga ngaged ged in athl athleti eticcs, dra drama ma,, sp speech eech and an d deb debat ate, e, Vicky is ever everythi ything ng ex expect pected ed of someone someo ne who ha hass ear earn ned the pri privi villege of represent repr esentin ing g her classmat classmates es in sp speaki eaking ng with you thiss mo thi morning. rning. Bu Butt what set setss Vi Vicky cky apa apart rt from most simi similar larly ly gif gifted ted hi hig gh sc schoo hooll sc scho hollar arss is her extr ex trao aorrdina inary ry rea readi dines nesss for mor oree – more of . . . everyth everyt hin ing. g. Mo More re indep ndependenc endence, e, but als also, o, I know now,, moree enga mor engagement gement in comm communi unitty; more vo voiice, but nott wit no ithou houtt hear earkening kening to the mor oree numer numerous ous voices vo ices of ot other hers, s, and mor moree chal hallenge, lenge, but al alsso moree self-d mor self-disci iscipli pline ne as she hones her cons onsiiderabl derablee skill ski llss and co conti ntin nues to gr grow ow.. Vi Viccky wi will ll arri arrive ve in Durha Du rham, m, No North rth Caroli Carolin na, as a fr fres eshma hman n at Duk Dukee Univ iversit ersityy thi hiss fal falll havi having ng conf onfidentl identlyy sh shed ed the training train ing whe heels els of seconda secondary ry sc sch hool for the sak akee of the gr great eater er cha chall llenges enges that li liee ahead. And as self-confid self-co nfident ent as Vi Vicky cky may be, I am no nott qui quitte suree tha sur hatt sh shee ha hass a full sense of just how ri ripe pe her fut futur uree is wi with th possi possibi billity. As much as sh shee succeed suc ceeded ed at thi thiss level, Vic icky ky was born to succ ucceed eed at levels tha hatt fa farr sur surpass pass prep school and in wo worl rlds ds far la larger rger than Gil Gilmour’ mour’s. s. J. Bri rian an Hor Horgan gan Dirrect Di ector or of th thee Up Upper per Schoo ooll
VICTORIA LOPEZ-ALDAZABAL PiñA Salutatory Address (excerpt)
To the parents, the siblings, the grandparents, the extended families, acquaintances, to teachers and friends, I offer up our gratitude. It is not by chance, nor by luck, that we are gathered here today in this ice rink-turned-auditorium. This day is a result of every careful step and every fearless leap that the Class of 2009 has taken up to this very moment. We would not be here without those friends and family who taught us how to walk, who helped us up when we fell, and who urged us forward even when we didn’t want to go on. It is these, the events of our time in grade school and in high school, that have shaped our generation today, and defined the direction the world needs us to take us into the future. With every step forward, every cataclysmic change, and every new direction, we will take what the past has given us, what Gilmour has taught us, and what the world has shown us, and use it to build the most beautiful tomorrow that we possibly can.
Victoria Lopez-Aldazabal Piña ’09 and Derrick Adamany ‘13 19