I thought I was done writing papers for St. Agnes, but then I found out I had to write a speech. I freaked out and started looking up good graduation quotes and songs on Google. After reading over numerous lists, I finally found something I could actually use. It was one of my favorite songs: "My Wish," by Rascal Flatts. But one verse stuck out to me the most. It goes:
I hope you never look back, but you never forget, All the ones who love you, in the place you left, I hope you always forgive, and you never regret, And you help somebody every chance you get, You find God's grace, in every mistake, And you always give more than you take.
My wish for you is that you look back on St. Agnes with an open mind and heart, and remember the good times you spent here. Remember those times you spent playing matball in the gym during lunch, dancing with awkward freshmen boys at the orientation dance, or just hanging out with your friends in the parking lot after school. Try not to dwell upon the loads of stress you felt and the enormous amount of tests and homework you had, but focus on the great friends you made and the important lessons you learned. At St. Agnes, we learned some of the most essential and life-changing lessons that shaped us into the people we are, the types of lessons we will carry into the future and that will make us better friends, sisters, and leaders.
One of the most important things we learned is to "help somebody every chance we get." I know we hear this a lot, but St. Agnes truly is a school of comfort and unity. It is a place where we all can depend on one another because we know there is always someone to talk to, bring us cookies, or make us laugh. On good days and bad, I could always count on a few laughs from my friends, whether it was about their boy drama or prom-date dilemmas. St. Agnes girls are also great at helping each other excel in difficult classes. I know Bridget and Natalie were saviors for me and many others this year in Honors Physics because they would always help explain those webassign problems to us.
Although we may not all be best friends and like the same things, we make up a place that we can call a home, a place we feel comfortable in and know we can always come back to. We constantly hear that nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes. This is definitely true, but what we never really hear is how to grow from these mistakes. So take the words of Rascal Flatts to heart and find God's grace in every mistake. Don't get stuck in the pain and regret of the mistake, but find the good in it to help heal yourself and those you have hurt. At Junior and Senior Retreat, we came together and admitted all our faults and difficult times. I have such great respect and admiration for my classmates who got up in front of everyone and shared stories. I know we may not have gone through the type of pain and sadness many classmates experienced, but your stories gave us all a new sense of strength and respect for our fellow classmates. Many were inspired to connect with old friends, heal fractured friendships, or reach out to new friends. These retreats gave us the open minds and understanding to look past each other's differences and come together as a united class.
St. Agnes also taught us to "always give more than we take." We learned the important values of generosity, selflessness, and kindness through all of our service work during our four years at St. Agnes. Whether it was during Service Day each year or our Junior-Senior Service Project, we all grew as individuals who put other's needs above our own. Even if someone felt they weren't really making a difference because they were too busy washing dishes or serving food at Camp Pine Tree, know that all of the work was not a waste of time, but was an amazing growing experience. I urge my classmates to never take for granted all of their many blessings, whether they be a college education, a loving family, or great friends. We all have been fortunate enough to be given so much in our lives so appreciate these gifts and continue to give back to the community in the future.
We did it, girls! We made it through these four, difficult years together and have come out stronger, smarter, and more amazing. I wish all of you the best of luck next year and remember you are the ones who made St. Agnes so memorable!
