Vinitha Joseph
Graduation Speech
When you reach the eighth grade at St. Francis, your classmates become less like your friends and more like your family. Family. What does family even mean? To me, a family is a group of people that shows each other endless love through anything. This is truly the definition of the students, faculty, and staff at St. Francis DeSales Central Catholic School.
St. Francis has shown me that to let someone know you love them; you can’t just tell them but continuously show them that you love them. I remember walking into my Kindergarten classroom on the first day, carrying my pink backpack and holding my dad’s hand. I was begging him not to leave me. I was a shy little girl with short black hair who was scared no one would want to be friends with her. As my teacher brought me to my small, red plastic chair, a girl sitting next to me with long blonde hair turned and talked to me as if we were already best friends. She told me her name was Maria Deely. Later, on the playground, two girls, who told me they were cousins asked me if I wanted to play with them. Nine years later, Maria, Myah, Elyse and I have played sports together, gone on field trips, and made memories that I will keep with me forever. These are just two little things, but they led to a friendship made of love. I learned on that late summer day in Kindergarten not to take the little things in life for granted because they might one day be the spark that leads to the next big milestone in your life.
Whether I met you nine years ago or at the beginning of the year like Jack Hilliard, every single one of you is extremely special to me. I truly believe that every single person in the graduating class of 2014 contributes something unique to our everyday lives. Whether it is Sam Gorski’s sense of humor or Andrew Christy’s brilliance, we would not have the unique personalities that set us apart from the rest of the students at St. Francis.
One of my favorite qualities about St. Francis is that we always show a friendly face towards newcomers. Our Kindergarten classes consisted of 39 kids. Only 17 of those in that Kindergarten class are with us now. Some students have moved on, but many wonderful families remain. I remember meeting Sara Linn a few weeks before 6th grade when she moved into my neighborhood. She and her family were nice and friendly. By December of that year, I had completely forgotten that she was a new girl. Jordan, Ross, Gianna, Liam, A.J., and I (and others who have attended St. Francis for nine years) have seen many people adapt to the SFCC lifestyle just as Sara did. We have also seen many people leave and come back, whether it was because they moved and returned like Peyton Kukura or they missed our loving community like Jared Fagan.
Another quality that I love about St. Francis is that we are a small community so you get to really know a person. If someone asked me to describe one of my classmates, I could probably talk about them for five to ten minutes. Over this past year, I feel like I have gotten closer to many of my classmates. If I had a question about my IPad, Miles, Evan, Ethan, or Noah would have an answer for me. If I needed someone to comfort me, Samantha, Maya Shetty, and Hannah would always stay by my side. If someone wanted to talk about their problems, Elyse, Ana, Katherine, and Rachel would listen to them when no one else wanted to stay. If someone just wanted to laugh for whatever reason, Andrew Riley, Dominic, John, Regis, and Antonio would not fail to make them laugh. The personalities in our class are very diverse. This causes us to sometimes argue, but at the end of the day we will always love each other.
I believe that our class is a great example of our school motto; we are here to serve, not to be served. You can always see Andrew Phillips and Thomas Ambrusico altar serving at Thursday mass, or
Jackson Campbell and Jordan Metzler carrying heavy objects for teachers. Over the years, we have helped with many service projects and I hope that we will continue to live by this motto for the rest of our lives.
I know that this next step in our lives will be hard for many of us. We will leave some of our old friends and make new ones. I know that many of us are nervous to leave behind our safe and loving Catholic community but I also know that we will be okay. I know that this class has a lot of talent and is willing to work hard. I believe that we have the potential to be a part of the next generation of successful politicians, scientists, engineers, businessman, or doctors. We need to prove that we can do it! We can’t let anyone stop us from succeeding, and most importantly we cannot stop ourselves. I believe that each one of us can make a difference and be the example that others want to follow.
Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who has helped me succeed at St. Francis. I would like to thank the Pastors for helping us grow in our faith. I do not know where I would be spiritually without your wonderful ministry. Next, I would like to thank my teachers. The teachers at St. Francis go above and beyond for the students every day. They teach because they have a passion for it, not because they are getting paid to do it. I will definitely miss the close relationship I have with all of my teachers. Another group that I would like to thank is the parents. These parents are the most loving and caring people I have ever met. Each one has taken me in as their own and I will never forget how much they do to make sure that everything is running smoothly. Lastly, I would like to thank my classmates, friends, and now my second family. You made me who I am today. You pushed me to work harder every day. And most importantly, you never gave up on me. Without this close, wonderful community, I definitely would not have become the person I am today. I cannot tell you how much you mean to me and I greatly appreciate all of the help you have given me.
I still cannot believe that my time at St. Francis is over. Throughout my nine years here, I have viewed this place as my second home. I knew that when I came here I would be safe and loved by many. I know that we often complain about doing work or waking up early to go to school, but when I look back at all of the memories we have made, I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world. St. Francis has been a very unique experience that I will cherish with me forever. I know that if I had gone to any other school, I would not have as many friends who care about my wellbeing and success and I am truly thankful that the Lord has blessed me with all of you. Thank you all so much for the love you have shared with me for nine fantastic years.