Editor’s Note: The Wanderer invited valedictorians and coheads of school student speakers, Jacob MacKinnon, Teddy Carroll, Aliyah Jordan and Liam Houck, to share the transcripts of their commencement speeches.

Jacob MacKinnon

Valedictorian, Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School

            I want to start by saying welcome. Welcome to the families and friends that are here today, welcome to the Old Colony community and staff, and most importantly – welcome to the class of 2023! We all stuck together through adversity and challenge, and we have reached the end of our high school careers. The class of 2023 is the first class on the planet to complete all four years of high school during a global pandemic. I am honored to deliver the Valediction.

            For those of you that may not know me, my name is Jacob Mackinnon, I went to high school with you … if you’ve said hi to me in the hallway and I didn’t respond it wasn’t because I didn’t want to, it’s because I didn’t hear you or see you because, well, I’m deaf.

            I was born with Usher Syndrome, which is the leading cause of deaf-blindness and vestibular impairment. It might not be very apparent, but I am profoundly deaf – I have to use specific hearing devices known as Cochlear Implants to access sound and communicate verbally. They allow hearing in a limited range but don’t discern which direction the sound is coming from. I also have progressive vision loss with my peripheral vision being severely reduced, and my night or low-light vision being nullified. Imagine looking at your daily life through two paper-towel tubes, that is how I see. Combine this with an impaired sense of balance, and you have a student who has to utilize so much energy just to physically navigate the school building, let alone partake in classes. On most days, it’s exhausting, but I never let that stop me or define me.

            As I stand here on the podium today, I want to tell everyone that no matter the circumstance, no matter your “ability,” you can succeed. So even if you feel like you’re held back by some factor, you can still reach your goals with effort, determination and support. As you sit here today, take a look around you. Thank your support people with every chance you can. You aren’t finished yet. One of my biggest supporters is my older brother Brandon, and I’d like for him to know how much that means to me.

            My fellow classmates, being here is proof of the perseverance demonstrated by the Class of 2023. Even during the most trying times of Covid, we pushed forward. Our class overcame so much adversity. Many of you faced heavy obstacles along your journey not only to graduate, but in life. Whether it was having to learn remotely or having to keep up with schoolwork while being part of extracurricular activities, or holding down jobs, or helping families, here you sit today.

            As our time together comes to a close, take this time to commemorate the memories and accomplishments we’ve made up to this point. You will pull out our yearbook in future years and reflect on the Covid days, but you will also see all the wonderful happenings. We all know too well that the last four years were filled with many challenges, from the school computers being hacked, to remote and hybrid learning and to missed social events. I’m sure many of my classmates can relate that being at home made it awfully tempting to pursue activities besides schoolwork.

            I would like to take this opportunity to give a shout-out to the class president, Chaz Aguiar. Our class would not have been as successful without his leadership. Not only is he the class president, he is also a member of the Student Advisory Committee, the National Honor Society and is a SkillsUSA officer. Chaz, I look forward to hearing of your successes in the future – and I apologize for not accepting your Robotics invitation, I simply couldn’t make it work at the time.

            I also want to give a shout-out to the Computer Science department. The teachers allowed me to pursue my interests related to Computer Science beyond the school curriculum. I leave the responsibility of maintaining my final project, a tool crib for the Carpentry shop to track tools in and out, in your shop’s hands. Many of you also will leave projects and accomplishments that incoming students will build upon.

            A former teacher once – no, on multiple occasions – would say the following: “Build a bridge, you future rocket engineers of America!” Quick show of hands, how many of you heard that during your time here? I believe all of you will build your own “bridges,” using the skills and experiences you’ve gathered over the years here at Old Colony.

            I understand that this is also a somber moment for us, for after this ceremony today, we will no longer be high school students. I’m sure most of you are familiar with the story of Helen Keller. Left deaf and blind following an illness at 19 months old, she went on to become an author and advocate for the deaf-blind. She was the first deaf-blind individual to attend and graduate college. I find her following words encouraging for me. “Often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” – Helen Keller

            As you move on from your memories, closed doors, of Old Colony, focus on new doors opening from this moment forward, and use them to make a positive change, big or small, in the world. Be inclusive, be kind, be happy, and bring the best of humanity with you. There is so much work yet to be done.

            In closing, I would like to leave you with this. … Your success will not be measured by salary, job titles, or how many views you have on your latest social media post; your success will be measured by how you treat others. I challenge you, as you venture out into the world, to treat others with kindness, to take time to talk with those who are different, to include those who are different and to accept those who are different. There are lots of people in the world who are different … different but not less. Even those who are different can dance at the prom.

            With that being said, congratulations to the Class of 2023! Be proud of making it this far, and I wish you success in navigating your future endeavors!

I do have one parting request – whoever makes the first million, would you please donate to Old Colony a cell tower? Thank you.

Teddy Carroll

Valedictorian, Old Rochester Regional High School

            Parents, staff, and all other guests, behind me is the 2023 graduating class from the best high school in America! This day is both exciting and nerve-wracking for all of us, marking the end of a chapter in our lives, as we, in Mr. Devoll’s words, “Cross the finish line together.”

When I heard I would be giving this speech today, many questions popped into my head. How long should it be, what should it be about and much more. Given the absolutely zero guidelines, I began to wonder what would best reflect the class and our work throughout the past four years. And more importantly, how was I supposed to write a speech that was relatable and interesting to all, and ideally contained a greater message? After all, I’m just another 18-year-old with comparatively few life experiences.

            However, a moment of realization came, thinking back on all of the years of high school, wondering what topic is worthy of a speech. I found that the best topic isn’t even a topic, but yet a recap of memories and experiences from the past four years.

            I often have found myself looking back on these glorious yet strange years with more questions than answers. There have been some strange moments, whether it be a warning against TikTok challenges including “deck the halls and show your … December” (I’ll let everyone infer what that was), or the announcements over the intercom to stop stealing the soap dispensers, we’ve witnessed it all. And that’s not even touching on COVID. I’m sure we all vaguely remember the hybrid zoom meetings, and of course, for those of us who had him, Mr. White and his wild sleep schedule, which was roughly 2:00 am to 10:00 am, even though I’m sure he’ll correct me later.

            Looking back, it’s hard to believe that this all happened in such a short amount of time, and it has made me appreciate how the entire class has grown and changed, thriving through what some would call the challenge of zoom meetings (even though I personally loved hybrid school), surviving a sudden coursework jump into a difficult junior year and the college application process.

            Thus, I have realized it is important to cherish the memories we’ve made and to take advantage of every opportunity in front of us, whether it be socially or academically. After all, we only have one shot at this. With this, I would like to sincerely congratulate everyone in the class and wish all of you the best of luck in your future endeavors, whether it be college, work, learning a trade or anything else.

            Finally, I’d like to thank all who have helped us get to this point, parents, teachers, (including the history teacher who also happens to be my father) and administration. I look forward to seeing all the great things we accomplish as a class in the future.

Aliyah Jordan

Co-Head of School, Tabor Academy

            Good morning, friends and family, faculty and staff, and especially my fellow classmates of the graduating class of 2023! Congratulations! We have finally made it. I hope that you take some time after today to truly reflect on all of the hard work that you have put in to make it to this moment, and I hope that you will be proud of yourself for all that you have accomplished.

            One thousand, three hundred and sixty-seven days ago, we arrived here as new freshmen, ready to embark on a world of new opportunities. Well, 1,003 days if you were a new sophomore, and 632 days if you came to Tabor as a new junior, but nevertheless you got her somehow! Many of you may remember our first field trip as a class to Silvershell Beach. Or the time we made history as the first freshman class to be so dedicated to their academics that we had to have mandatory study hall in the Acky for our first trimester of high school. These are all things that were indicative of the beginning of our Tabor journeys. They were some of the first steps in our staircase.

            At Tabor, there are more staircases than I can count. My least favorite is the staircase in Hoyt that leads to the choral room. It is about three sets of never-ending stairs, and every single week for four years, I have walked up them as I talked with friends, hopped them as I attempted to cut my walking time, and I’ve even run up them (on the extremely rare occasion that I was late because I was still putting on mascara in my room at 8:30.) Sorry, Dr. Zhou! Besides the fact that these stairs constantly reminded me that I was severely out of shape, they became a symbolic metaphor for the challenges of an uphill battle.

            When I think about this staircase, I am reminded of the voyage that we have taken as a class to make it to the top. As the days grew shorter and the homework assignments grew longer, we stepped into our identities. We stepped into leadership roles and became navigators, global partners and proctors to help our younger peers navigate Tabor life. We stepped into lead roles in musicals and dramas on the Hoyt stage and in the black box. We stepped into college decision-making and thinking about what we would do in life after Tabor. We have even stepped into leadership on the field as we’ve become team captains and have even assisted coaches! Well, y’all not me, not me!

            However, amid all these joyful things we’ve also stepped into hard times — trials and tribulations. We stepped into no’s where we were expecting a yes and into brick walls where there should’ve been open fields. Some of us gained injuries during the midst of our dedication to athletics. Some of us were rejected from schools that we believed were our dreams. Many of us may have lost loved ones along this journey who we thought we would be able to love and cherish fever. And all of us can attest to the fact that at times these past four years have been emotionally, physically and mentally draining.

            At the risk of sounding cliché, these obstacles did not hinder our success, but they only made us stronger and prepared us for the world to come. (Because, guys, I heard it’s crazy out there; we have to pay bills and wash dishes and ugh!) But seriously, they’ve taught us resilience, perseverance and grit. All of the skills necessary to navigate the wonders of life.

            So now, it is time for us to explore this new world and its new levels and heights. For years we have stepped into a lane that has already been prepared for us, a track that has already been run. We’ve been told countless times at Tabor that Seawolves show up, well now it’s time for Seawolves to step up! What will you step up to next? How will you become a trendsetter or a role model? How will you inspire your younger siblings and cousins after you? Will you be the first person in your family to ever attend and graduate college? Will you not go to college and spend your time traveling the world to depend on and expand your knowledge of the people and places around you? Whatever you do, you are in charge of your destiny. As Hennely so graciously said in her chapel speech this year, “Pick up the pen and write your story.” Your life is yours to live, so live it.

            So even though I am out of breath every time I walk into my madrigals class, I take pride in knowing that I made it to the top. We are at the top. We’ve weathered storms and glared at rainbows, all while climbing the stairs to the top. Now that we are here, we stand confident, fearless, and prepared, looking on to the next staircase, knowing that we will be able to conquer each test it throws our way.

Thank you and congratulations to the Tabor Academy, Class of 2023!

Liam Houck

Co-Head of School, Tabor Academy

            Some of us are spicy pickles, with attitude and flare that define themselves, like Aliyah. Others are gherkins, smaller, yet bold and a bit fancy, like Tom. There’re even sweet pickles, made with sugar and love, mellow and kind, like Paige. We are all pickles, and pickles are awesome.

            To create pickles, fresh cucumbers must be placed in a jar with a brine and other add-ins, such as spices. Dill, mustard seed, black pepper, red pepper, cloves, ginger and sugar can all be used to add flavor and variety. For at least two weeks, each cucumber sits in a cool, dry, place, sealed away in barrels. Through chemical reactions, the sugars in the cucumbers, glucose and fructose, are converted into acids, creating the distinct bitterness of a good pickle. The longer the cukes sit soaking, the more acidic each become, aging like fine wine. A pickle is good because it suffered. Vinegar and salt have made them distinct — in a pleasing way.

            No matter what, the pickles after storage, in my opinion, always come out better than how they started. In our years at Tabor, it seems each of us have been pickled ourselves. Perhaps in our masks, we were sealed away hermetically in a jar, keeping ourselves preserved from one another. Maybe it was closing ourselves in our rooms, taking class online, fermenting from sitting inside for so long. Though I haven’t gone through this process alone. I have pickled along with all of you, my classmates, on our journey through Tabor. Within the “Tabor bubble” itself, like a giant vat of pickles, we shared common experiences while maturing alongside one another. For me, it was the experiences and people I met through my time at Tabor that created a chemical reaction on myself, forming me from a mundane, all-knowing eighth grader who I was not proud to be, to an accomplished, handsome, respectable man I am today. However, the process and effects of pickling, for food or in terms of personal growth, is not new.

            Since 2030 BC, pickling has been used to preserve fruits and vegetables. For the conquistadors, it was a simple, safe option of food storage crossing the Atlantic, pickling produce in barrels of saltwater. In my family, pickling was a way to save money. Even in the 20th century, pickling is a part of my family’s story. With 14 kids and a dairy farm to run, canning and pickling was a staple chore in the Yandow family, ensuring food security for the year ahead. Not only has pickling been a necessity, but also a celebration of making a little go a long way. With only a limited amount of time at Tabor, it has been necessary to take advantage of every lesson, every gathering, every interaction with each other, to now, celebrate making the most of what we had together.

            Like the spear on the side of a sandwich or slices on a burger, a pickle adds the boldness and funk to a dish, capable of making anything just a little bit better. That is the power of a pickle. Embrace the power of a pickle. Lead your community by being genuine, showing off your experiences through being yourself. Make everything a little bit better. Although not everyone likes pickles, which is okay, the people that do stand by them, and the same goes for the people that associate themselves with you. By being your authentic self and standing by that, the people around you will do the same and stand by you. We are all pickles, and pickles are awesome.