Good afternoon to the Hudson High School Class of 2021. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Hudson Community School District, I would like to welcome everyone who has taken time to join us today! It is fantastic to see you all in person for our Commencement ceremony. I am delighted to see, once again, the smiling faces of these students. From where I am standing, the energy of this class and the expressions on their faces are a testament of hope and great optimism! It gives me satisfaction and a sense of relief to have all of you here with us to witness this most important of milestones. This afternoon we are honored to celebrate with these soon to be alumni as they reflect on their time here with us! We all can look forward with eagerness and anticipation to the world that awaits them!
Most of the time our academic calendar follows a familiar and comfortable pattern that ebbs and flows with the changing seasons; a rigid and often times unforgiving schedule, with deadlines for projects that sometimes seem unreasonable. But, as we have all learned over the course of the last fourteen months; that predictability and comfort, that familiar pattern and rhythm of our academic calendar was seriously disrupted. That disruption forced us to do things differently. We all had to move out of our comfort zone and change the way we lived, worked, interacted with our friends, and how we ‘did’ school.
Now in many ways you share a common bond and brotherhood with the class that went before you. Make no mistake; your two collective experiences were in fact very different. On one hand, your predecessor(s) crossed the finish line to a largely empty stadium. But you; and all of us are here in person to witness this joyful day. Yet, in both cases you were forced to endure an experience that none of us wanted or expected. Today is a milestone. But it is more than a milestone marking the end of your era as a Hudson Pirate. It is a turning point marking the beginning of a return to normal for us all. And he fact of the matter is, whether you realize it or not: you played a very big part in helping us to achieve that.
This year was challenging! There were so many details to attend to. Contingency plans had to be made. Backups to contingencies had to be considered. Yet all along the way, it was our goal to make this year as normal as possible for each of you, knowing of course that it really wasn’t. Over the course of the year events were cancelled and seasons suspended. Concerts were held virtually and some of you even got sick. Yet we marched forward in this most unusual of school years. You all stuck to the game plan.
This school year I have frequently used the tagline ‘Pirate Rising’ to describe the many events and achievements that we hope helped us to return to what we come to know and expect as normal. During our opening day convocation with the faculty and staff, I borrowed from the Broadway musical ‘Hamilton’ and asked everyone to ‘Rise Up’ because our ‘World Was Turned Upside Down’. I needed our employees to ‘Rise Up’ and put their best foot forward because the year we were beginning would prove, no doubt to be unusual.
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| The Hudson High School Class of 2021 hearing last minute instructions from Principal Dieken just prior to lining up for the processional. |
But all of our employees, from the superintendent to the part time custodian, realized we could not do it alone. We needed help. And believe it or not, that help came from you. You see, we can set all the policies and rules we want, but you have to choose to follow them. And I’ll let you in on a little secret: on any given day, if you chose to walk out the front door there wasn’t a whole lot we would be able to do about it. I know you didn’t like some of the rules we had in place this year, masks, social distancing, etc. But you chose to follow them. Partly because you wanted to make sure you could play on Friday night. Or wanted to make certain our schools remained open. Or did so because you wanted to protect a vulnerable classmate. But, regardless of that internal reasoning, most importantly you set an example for one another and all the underclassmen. I submit to those of you gathered here today that this class has given all of us a great gift. That gift is leadership. So to the Class of 2021, I say thank you.
At the same time though, you too have been given a gift. You have learned at a young age what it is like to experience profound disappointment. You know the joy of the mundane. Of normalcy. You have learned the value of education and how strong the bonds of family, friends, and classmates truly are. Never in my career have I experienced a class so determined to make certain they had their full school experience.
I am certain one day you will look back with great satisfaction on what you have accomplished during this formidable school year. There is no doubt you have had a storied career here at Hudson. Yet today, our time together draws to a close. So as is customary at the end of a long journey, we reflect on all that we have experienced together, but not just these last fourteen months but our collective experience.
Each year during this, my final words of advice to the graduating class I often like to take you all back to your more formative years and reflect on some of the lessons you learned early on. This year, I want to take you back to 2nd grade, the year you celebrated the birthday of the famous author, Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss, because; well that too became a ‘thing’ this year. Seuss’s final book ‘Oh the Places You’ll Go was published in 1990, and is a graduation orators dream! Written to address the obstacles one will face in life, it also offers a great deal of encouragement. Indeed think of the places you are sure to go when you leave these hallways in mere moments from now! But what of the places you’ve already been?
Yes. What of the places you’ve been? Now, I don’t necessarily mean an abbreviated trip to New York City during last years’ spring break or the first trip to a softball game last summer in 90 degree heat while wearing a face mask on a school bus. I mean the places you have been emotionally. Spiritually. And with this group of classmates sitting next to you right now that, in some respects are as close to you as your siblings. Those in this room that make up your family. Our school family. Yes. You have been given a great gift. Think of the journey we have been on together. The Places You’ve Been!
This class most certainly has Risen Up and been on quite a journey. We have All-State musicians and All-State speech participants who have delighted us virtually, and more recently in person. Our athletes have captured team and individual state championships in a variety of sports ranging from one bookend of the year to the other. And of our most proud accomplishments, we can boast 9 valedictorians, 2 salutatorians and 5 honor graduates. If that doesn’t impress you, how about a collective grade point average of 3.56 in this, the Class of 2021 with scholarships and awards for post-secondary education approaching $900,000!
Indeed the places you’ve been. You have certainly epitomized this idea of Pirate Rising that couldn’t have been scripted any better when our doors opened on August 24. Thank you for your contributions to our school district. Thank you for your leadership this school year. And parents, thank you for your support and the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of young people.
Congratulations to the Class of 2021.
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