Graduation Speech 2019 - Ashley Chen, Valedictorian

Good evening. I am honored to be standing here before you today to address the graduating class. On behalf of the class of 2019, I would like to thank teachers, staff, administration, and most importantly, parents and families for coming to support us as you have for the past years.
 
It is bittersweet that our time at MHS is coming to an end, and as we counted down the days to this momentous occasion, we started to wonder where the time had gone. This year was full of noteworthy events. From helping raise $40,000 for Paradise High School after the wildfires to MUSD being ranked in the top 20 school districts in the Bay Area, we have plenty to be proud of.
 
But other moments this year stood out to me. Perhaps, one of the biggest events for me was seeing the Plain White T’s sing “Hey There Delilah” live. Going to SFMOMA and Levi Stadium for the first time were also unforgettable experiences. But overall, it was the friendships I made, notably journalism squad and Bubble Buddies of AP Bio, that made high school special for me.
 
And I am sure that everyone here can agree that the people you meet in high school are what defines your entire experience. The late-night struggle to complete AP Chem labs before the 11:59 deadline, after school review sessions for WHAP, journalism late days, and stressful testing weeks were bearable because we had each other. No matter how difficult or traumatizing, we stuck together and suffered together.
 
And now, we are ready to embark on our new journeys. The future is uncertain, and I am sure that many of you are scared for what’s to come. I know I am. No one wants to start again at the bottom as freshmen. And as we learn how to “adult,” we’re going to make a lot of mistakes. But that’s normal. The path ahead is not perfect, but we still have to push through, obstacles and all.
 
But for now, enjoy this moment. And so as I end this speech, I would like to leave you with some words from a favorite song of mine: “It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life.” High school may not have been what we thought it would be like (thanks High School Musical) but it was something much better. I know I had the time of my life, and I hope you ​all did too.
 
Congratulations class of 2019! We did it!
 
At this time, please welcome to the stage, Assistant Principal, Ms. Amanda Gross.