Hello. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Ava Bal, and I am your class of 2023 valedictorian. I would like to open with some welldeserved thank yous. Thank you to the incredibly supportive staff of Springfield High School, especially the hardworking teachers who have managed to put up with us as students for the past four years. I’m sure there were moments it was not easy. A note of gratitude also goes out to our superintendent Mr. Matt Geha, our Principal Mr. Brown, and all the other wonderful people who have made today possible, especially our families and friends who are always in our corner, cheering us on.
Wow! I can’t believe that I made it to this moment. That we, the class of 2023, made it to this moment. So much has led up to today. Each of us has evolved through many different versions of ourselves to get here. For example, standing here today, I am no longer the bleach blonde second grader who rode the bus to school every day alongside her sisters. I am no longer the awkward middle schooler who somehow managed to make friends in a new school. I am no longer the sophomore glued to her computer screen during online school. I am no longer the junior who danced alongside her best friends on the SHS dance team during basketball half times. And, very soon, I will no longer be a student at Springfield high school.
These versions of myself, though very different, have all considered one amazing woman their role model. This accomplished woman has received over 500 awards including 12 grammys, 17 people’s choice awards, and Billboard’s woman of the decade. She continues to challenge herself, constantly striving to improve, confirming that no goal is out of reach. Her diverse and inspiring music career brings together millions of fans all across the world. She uses her platform as a way to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and combat sexism. All together, this accomplished woman, Taylor Swift, is my personal hero.
If you were to search my Spotify playlists, you would find Swift’s music in abundance. Though some may disagree, I find her lyrics full of meaning, emotion, and truth. An aspect that draws me to her music is its ability to accurately portray the teenage experience of disappointment and excitement. Of loneliness and friendship. Of heartbreak and love. Of frustration and pure bliss. In some ways I consider Taylor Swift’s music to be the soundtrack of my life. This may sound exaggerated, but I believe she has a song to describe every moment or memory we will experience in a lifetime. In fact there is one to describe this very moment. With that I would like to read a few lines from one of my favorite songs, “You’re On Your Own, Kid.”
‘Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned Everything you lose is a step you take So make the friendship bracelets Take the moment and taste it You've got no reason to be afraid You’re on your own, kid Yeah, you can face this This part of the song is all about coming to terms with endings. Sometimes eras of life will come to an end before you feel you are ready. Endings have a way of sneaking up on you, and I am sure that my peers can attest to the fact that this one has come particularly fast. Though dreaded, endings are a part of life. Eventually the lunch bell will ring and you will have to return to class. Eventually, you will turn eighteen and be struck with a newfound sense of independence. And eventually you will graduate high school. Now, we can’t delay or prevent the arrival of these finales. All we can do is live each and every moment to the fullest until they come around.
The great thing about endings is that they offer a chance to choose our next beginning. With the ending you are facing right now, you have the opportunity to decide to continue your academic career at a university, or to enlist into the military, or to enter the workforce. Whatever your new journey may be, I encourage you to seize this incredible moment, take the amazing opportunities you receive, learn from your inevitable mistakes, and live this fresh start to the very fullest.
And no matter how many beginnings or ending you endure, never forget you have a home at Springfield High School, you are forever a Blue Devil. And as I bring this speech to a close, I will leave the graduating class of 2023 with a message from Taylor Swift herself, “Scary news is: You’re on your own now. Cool news is: You’re on your own now.” Thank you.
