aaaaWelcome, Fr. Dubay, board members, and trustees, to our graduation ceremony of 2006. Salutations, Mr. Galten, Mr. Kersting, and faculty. Welcome, parents, friends, and relatives of our graduating students.

aaaaAs a French student, I know that the word "salut" is used interchangeably as hello or goodbye. Now that I have welcomed everyone, I would like to share with you a farewell to my graduating class. Most of us have been waiting since the day we started school for graduation to come. Yet now that it finally has, perhaps we are experiencing many more mixed feelings than we anticipated. I’ll never forget the day I visited Trinity. I had lived in some foreign places, but Trinity ranked high on my list of very unique experiences. My first shock was Mass, which was unlike any I had ever been to, and the fact that the whole of Trinity fit into the tiny chapel. Anna Perry took it upon herself to be my personal tour guide. She even called me over the summer to say “hello” and talk about goats. I remember having lunch in a trailer and being told it was also the math classroom. When it was time for P.E., the class bolted from the room and down the stairs – we had limited changing time. I entered a room filled with furniture and boxes, and was offered a choice of pieces to change behind. Many people had already taken positions behind their particular box – except for Hilary and Rachel Barker, who were still fighting over one. It was an exciting day. The smallness of the school (and the knowledge that my siblings were close by – a knowledge at times slightly irksome) made it less intimidating. The main attraction, however, was the overall friendliness of everyone I met.

aaaaMy class has been through a lot together. We’ve left our mark on many a classroom, desk, and chair, used and abused many a poor coach and teacher, and all in all gotten into plenty of trouble together. The rare attempts of showing gratitude and affection for our teachers were often futile – for example, leaving teddy grahams in their shoes – as the teacher unfortunately failed to see the sincerity and warmth behind the peace offering. Our class has played many a game of Wise Guys and kickball and has conducted several science experiments together. We’ve also been in a number of arguments, including one in which a large textbook (something tells me the Catholic Catechism) was thrown squarely at Paul Maxson’s head. Yet he survived. We've experienced the ups and downs of numerous Forums as well. The animated presentations and uplifting critiques of Matt Thornton, the rightful recipient of the 12th Grade Forum Award, will be noticeably absent next year. The compilation of short stories entitled “Slick Boy,” by Collin White, will also remain a fond and vivid memory.

aaaaIf anyone ever wanted to know about any species of mammal ever in existence, Justin was the person to talk to. Josh is our mechanical handyman and Chris Sitter our Japanese expert. If we were ever stuck in procrastination, Kate was our go-to girl, for anything from matchmaking and get-togethers to retreats. One can’t have a more animated conversation than with Jeff, mainly because of his unforgettable facial expressions. If anyone was ever in need of a pen or the garbage taken out, Paul Street was there as quickly as on the basketball court. We will sorely miss Katie’s sunny disposition. Paige’s amusement at our teachers’ personality quirks always made class more enjoyable. Lindsay is one of the most competitive soccer players we’ve had the pleasure of watching, and as far as I know, holds the girls’ record for the most yellow cards. Who will be there to liven our future classroom experiences if not Hilary, I don’t know. And going forward I am sure we could all use a clone or two of Vinay to help us with some college classes, namely physics and calculus.

aaaaOur class has suffered through, but mostly enjoyed, countless hours of each other’s company. We’ve played big roles in each other’s lives. Just how big that role has been, we may not realize until after we’ve moved on. I often wonder if we had been acquainted under different circumstances, for example in an enormous high school, whether we would even become friends. Yet, we were brought here together by an essential common bond. Because of that bond, our differences did not become barriers. Rather, we could better appreciate the individuality of one another’s personalities. Not knowing one another would have been a great loss to all of us.

aaaaAll through our elementary, middle school, and high school years, our class has had the reputation of being the loudest. On the whole, we make up a confident class, having little problem voicing its opinion. It is a class very capable of spreading the Christian message and ideals Trinity has helped foster within us; and I believe all of us can be weighty influences wherever we end up and upon whomever we happen to meet.

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