It doesn’t feel real. Today is my last day of high school classes. On May 20th, I’ll be handed my diploma and officially move on to the next chapter. On top of this life-changing moment, I am given the opportunity to give a speech thanking everyone who has helped me along the way while throwing in some words of advice. The only issue is I have a time limit and too many people to thank, meaning I might have to say “thank you to my class.’ However, that would be a great disservice to my classmates because they have been amazing people. Therefore I have decided to thank each person individually in this article.

Sabina, thank you for being a positive person. You always seemed to want to help others, and I respect that about you. I’ll never forget when we had to dance the “Shipoopi” together during music practice because we always didn’t have our partners. However, I’ll still never forgive you for that time you dissed me for Shriya….. Despite this obvious betrayal, I do believe IU’s getting a good one.

Ammar is one of the most creative people I know. I wish you all could have heard some of the raps he has written because the man has talent. I lost to him in the Day School Rap Battle, and I wasn’t mad because he was amazing. Furthermore, he always seemed to be someone who could make the group laugh whenever it was needed. We never did get time to hang out, but this summer we definitely have to spend more time together. Ammar, best of luck to you at Purdue.

Layth is a funny guy,  always able to offer up a good joke to make me laugh. Plus he’s caring towards his friends, always looking out for them. However, my favorite Layth memory is our late-night study sessions for statistics because he was looking to improve himself, and seeing that hard work pay off was a great feeling for the both of us. Layth, I know you don’t know what the future holds for you, but continue being yourself and great things will happen. Thank you for being you.

Connor’s someone who has mastered the art of sarcasm. I don’t know how he did it, but he is fantastic at it. Cheers to our late-night gaming sessions where I somehow lost our team the game every time. Cheers to the tennis memories like the time you wore that pink headband during Tennis Club and then did some Irish jig. Cheers to the times we’ve worked together in English, and I’ve bothered you with my awful accents. Now imagine I’m saying this in my British accent…..Connor, go make the next great Genshin Impact. I know you can do it.

Brandon Foster is the most dedicated individual I’ve met, and I respect that about him. He was dedicated to getting into his dream school, Notre Dame, and he was successful. He’s also dedicated to helping others around him in any way he can. I’m portraying him like this super serious guy, but Brandon also has this comedic side where he is hilarious. My favorite moment with him is when he carried me to a victory in Super Smash Brothers on Field Day despite me never having played the game. I believe that he’s going to do some great thing like cure cancer or find world peace. He’ll work hard to make sure it happens.

How do I sum up Evan Rigney in a paragraph? If it wasn’t for my stepdad working with his mom at UE, I would have never come to EDS. We’ve had our ups and downs. We’ve played so much tennis and made so many memories together. Our doubles match against North Posey is my favorite memory because it seemed like a callback to sixth grade. We’ve spent endless hours at each other’s houses, playing video games, eating food, and watching movies. Who can forget when my five-year-old half-brother scored on him in Rocket League and then laughed for 5 minutes…. Rigney’s a funny guy who will help out his friends any way he can. He’s also an absolute genius, and if Brandon doesn’t cure cancer, Rigney will probably be the guy to do it. 

As I’m writing this, Hamza just lifted 405 pounds, something that I’m envious of since I have the back muscles of a 90-year-old. He’s a guy who isn’t afraid to do whatever he feels like, something that I can not imagine doing. I respect him for that. I will never forget our struggles freshman year while playing JV basketball together. Seeing where he’s at now shows the dedication he put into the sport. It’s something that he will carry with him into college.

Alayna is one of the most generous people I’ve met, always ready to help people whenever needed. If I had a problem, I could text her right now, and she’d try to help. I never knew she had a comedic side like that until she was cast as my wife in The Music Man. She was hilarious, and her comedic timing was impeccable. It was a pleasure working with her. Furthermore, we were stats buddies, and we helped each other throughout the course. She has a love for chemistry, so I’m not shocked that’s her major. 

Reid is my roommate for college. The road’s not over for us yet, so this won’t be as long as the previous ones. He’s a funny guy, and I’m looking forward to hearing him play the guitar all four years of college. It’s going to be an amazing ride, Stauby.

Ava is the G.O.A.T. Funny, caring, and most importantly, a great friend. My favorite moments with her are when we beat Connor and Evan during tennis club, listening to Brockhampton in the car for two hours, and watching her absolutely dominate teams as the goalie for the 2019 Regional Championship team. I remember chanting “AVA!” at the top of my lungs like she was a soccer megastar. It’ll be sad not having her as a classmate next year, but Ava, don’t worry about not seeing me ever again. Nashville is only four hours away from Augusta, so you can guarantee that Reid and I will swing by sometime. 

Yuehan may be quiet at times, but I enjoyed talking to her in New York. It’s nice that I was fortunate enough to get to know her more  before senior year ended. She just has such a positive attitude toward life, and I can always talk to her when I find myself getting down on myself. Plus, her piano piece during Fine Arts night was fantastic, and I’m not a big fan of the piano. I know she’s happy that she can see tons of new cultures in Europe, and I’m happy that she is getting an experience that I could only dream of for all four years. 

To my class, thank you for being you and for accepting me for all my flaws. When I came to EDS in the sixth grade, I had no idea what to expect. However, I am so glad that I made the switch because I’ve gotten to meet so many amazing people….The rest of this letter will be revealed at graduation.