Senior Year Reflection

By Sydney Desjardine '23

Good afternoon everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, which are very few, my name is Sydney Desjardine, treasurer of the graduating class of 2023. A lot of people spend their opportunities speaking at graduation events talking about themselves. And if you know me, I could do that for hours. But I'm not going to do that today. Today, I am going to talk about you. The friends, sisters, and fellow seniors sitting here today.

Over the past four years, we have got to watch each other grow up. From different hair colors, to different friend groups, we have all changed immensely - even if you didn’t notice. Growing up tends to be scary. We’ve all experienced our fears one way or another. But the only way to overcome them is to face them. This is the same with challenges. Even if it isn’t a test, everyday for the rest of your lives you are going to be faced with challenges. Applying for jobs, buying a house, or working through a relationship. The ideals and lessons we have learned over the past four years will follow us for the rest of our lives. Life is a journey, and it will get hard. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy. But every time you’ve been faced with a challenge - a math test, a sport tryout, a job application - you have overcome it and persevered. So sure, things will get hard, but you need to remind yourself that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

You have to take the time to ask yourself. How can I become the best person I can be? For each and every one of you, this will look different. But the choices you make now, will write the story of your life. Your life outside of saddle shoes and 5 minute passing time. Outside of talks in the library with Mr. Manteuffel, or conversations with Mrs. Perrino about how many lates you have because you stopped to get Dunkin before school. Even Lekki’s dogs or Mittens the bunny won’t be able to follow you in your future. But they won’t disappear. From the endless laughs at your lunch table, to the friendships you made in detention, the memories of Regina will always be there. And if you ever think you forgot them, Regina will always be here for you to remember. For you to speak on career day, or maybe even apply for a job. The memories, friendships, ideals, and lessons will follow you for a lifetime. And even when life gets hard, which at times it will, you’ll always have a place to call home. A place with friends. A place with sisters. A place with a family.

Now I do have to mention myself for a second, because I just have to say I cannot begin to explain how much every single person in front of me has completely changed my life. From Sydney being my super amazing almost best friend (don’t worry Zoe, I watched my language), to Alex teaching me what carpe diem meant every single day of freshman year, everyone one of you has had an impact on my life, that I will remember forever. And I just want to say to the people who have been right next to me on the tightrope that is high school - Sydney, Jamieson, Kate, Lizzie, Tatianna, Zoe, Toni, Savannah, and Sophia - thank you for never letting me give up on my goals, no matter how much I wanted to. I love you all so much more than you could ever imagine. I believe in you, and you should too. Now I would like to quote one of the most influential men of our time. As Mr. Worldwide once said, “This is for everybody going through tough times, believe me, been there done that. But everyday above ground is a great day, remember that”. Congratulations sisters in the graduating class of 2023!