Editor’s note: The Wanderer has invited student keynote speakers for local high school graduation ceremonies to share their speeches for publication. Below is the speech given by Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School 2025 Valedictorian Madison Burnham during last Thursday night’s Commencement held on the school’s North Rochester campus.
Good evening everyone, family, friends, teachers, staff, and most importantly, the graduating Class of 2025.
Standing here today is a huge honor, and I want to start by saying thank you – not just for this moment, but for every moment that led up to this. Today isn’t just a celebration of academic achievements, it’s a celebration of growth, perseverance, and everything we’ve become together.
Thinking back to freshman year. We walked into school not knowing what to expect. We were nervous, excited, maybe even overwhelmed. Some of us couldn’t find our classes. Some of us were quiet. Some of us were already dreaming big. And all of us in one way or another were just beginning to figure out who we were.
Now look at us. We’ve made it through the challenges, the long nights, the group projects, the tests we studied so hard for and even the ones we didn’t. We made it through awkward school dances, last-minute assignments, and moments we thought we couldn’t bounce back from. But we did. Every one of us has a story, a journey, and today, we all cross the finish line together.
Let’s take a moment to thank the people who helped us get here. To our teachers, thank you for your patience, your guidance, and your belief in us even when we doubted ourselves. You didn’t just teach us subjects, you taught us how to think, how to question, and how to grow. To our families, thank you for cheering us on, picking us up, and pushing us forward when we needed it most. Your love and support made more of a difference than we can ever say.
And to my classmates: Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether we were close friends, occasional partners on a project, or just passed each other in the halls. We all shared this time together. We laughed, we learned, and we created memories that we’ll carry with us for life.
Now, the future is calling. Some of us are headed to college. Some of us are going into the workforce. Some of us are still figuring it out. And that’s okay. There’s no single path to success. What matters is that we keep moving forward, stay curious, stay kind, and stay true to who we are.
We’ve been told to chase our dreams and I believe we should. But I also believe that success isn’t just about big achievements. It’s about small choices. It’s about how we treat people, how we keep going when things get tough, and how we stay hopeful, even when the road ahead is uncertain.
So let’s leave here today proud. Proud of what we’ve done, proud of who we are, and excited for what’s ahead. Because no matter where life takes us, this class, the Class of 2025 is ready.
We are ready to lead, to learn, to fail and to try again. We are ready to make a difference in big ways and in small ones. And we are ready to take on the future, not just as graduates, but as people who know how to keep going, no matter what.
Congratulations, Class of 2025. We did it.
Thank you.
By Madison Burnham