Pelham High School 211 graduates 2500 Panther Circle • Pelham, AL 35124 Panthers • 945 students • Holds a graduation rate of 93 percent
Pelham High School Class of 2020, When spring arrives, I always begin to think about the theme of my graduation speech. I look for inspiration in every book, sermon, social media post, and anything else that I read and hear. It becomes a bit of an obsession and is really quite stressful to consider what to say to over two hundred young people embarking on their adult lives. Little did I know two months ago when I began jotting down ideas for the commencement speech that nothing I wrote down would apply after all that we, and especially you, went through these last few weeks. My task to address you now became exponentially more difficult because what do you say to students who missed out on so many experiences and had their senior year cut off so abruptly? I say to you, seniors, to move forward purposefully and not dwell on the short hand you were dealt. Don’t let being a member of the Class of 2020 define you as a victim of circumstance, but rather let this experience shape you into a better person. Life is full of hardships and unfortunately you learned that lesson early. However, not
so long ago we all marveled at the uniqueness of graduating in 2020; to begin real life at the start of a new decade and new opportunities. Those qualities still exist and now you are even better equipped to take on what is ahead because you are strengthened by adversity, more appreciative of the good times, and possess resilience and perseverance taught not only by the pandemic experience, but also by the teachers, coaches, and staff of Pelham High. So, seniors, congratulations to all of you. Each of you has every right to be proud of all that you have learned and accomplished. I wish you all the best wherever life takes you, Class of 2020. We are proud of you, and we miss you, but let me remind you - you have a responsibility to us, a responsibility that goes beyond graduation—YOU ARE A PELHAM PANTHER and because of your hard work, the hard work of your teachers and coaches, and the ultimate meaning behind “The Pelham Way,” you can be extremely proud of yourselves and celebrate your accomplishments! Congratulations!
Dr. Amanda Wilbanks Principal GRADUATION 2020
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