I am so incredibly honored to be here with all of you today. 1,375 days ago, we drove onto Stone Ridge’s campus through the sea of seniors holding posters and screaming as they welcomed us in. Most Mondays, we showed up to school, waiting for the weekend, and come senior year, checking our countdowns to June 5. But now that the day has come, we will no longer arrive in the “Slounge” every morning, and we will leave behind the peers and teachers who have permanently shaped our lives in so many ways. In leaving this place and these people, I am called to reflect on our past four years. 

In the words that Mr. Ish so often says, “I really do love this class.” We are no longer sitting in Dr. Wear’s freshman year Intro to Lit class, avoiding the junior niche, or running from the seniors during stealth… sorry Bella, but instead we sit here in our white dresses and prepare to leave the place that has shaped us. We have experienced countless moments and memories in those 1,375 days, moments that we couldn’t wait for, like prom, Ring Day, and Très Bien, and moments that we could not wait to be over, like application season, finals week, and APs. On day 509, we went to our first winter ball, and on day 1,244, we went to our last. On day 256, we saw the seniors run through the halls, and on day 1,354, we ran through those same halls for one last time. As these days have passed us by, I have learned the value of living in the present—the here and now—until the present eventually fades into nothing more than a memory. 

When thinking back on formative moments over the past four years, it was not the grand moments or game-winning goals that stuck out to me, even though I promise those were pretty great too, Sarah, it was the small things that show the values we have learned. When looking back on the videos of our grade sitting in a parking lot in the middle of nowhere West Virginia singing “Revival” by Zach Bryan on our senior retreat, day 1,117, I see a group of people so full of the love, the agape if you will, that we are always talking about. When looking back on the pictures of Grace and Eloise leading us in prayer during every sports game, I see a group of people savoring every last moment and every last opportunity to show up for one another. In the games of empire, the locker room dance parties, Caroline Sikes’s freestyling, the Gold team sleepover, and every shared smile, conversation, laugh, or hug, I see the one heart—Cor Unum—of Stone Ridge. This is the one value that all else seems to revolve around—the fact that we, the Class of 2025, and all of Stone Ridge, are of one heart. Through living in and appreciating the here and now, this one heart has become more and more apparent. I call on all of us to live in the present and to cherish this moment because before we know it, this will be yet another story and yet another picture that we reminisce on. 

Of course, this community would not exist without the faculty and staff who have helped shape us. Even though some days we plotted ways to get our teachers off track and begged for Dr. Ludwig and Ms. Gurzo’s stories and Mr. Ish’s life advice, no amount of words can express the immense gratitude we hold for all the teachers we have had over the past 1,375 days. Not only have you all shared your extensive passion and knowledge for your respective subjects, you have also taught us invaluable life lessons of love, parenting, friendship, and so much more. While there were definitely moments where I questioned the value of yet another weekly math test or daily quiz, this intense and at times overwhelming education brought our class even closer together. We all survived the weeks before a holiday break, the post-exam APUSH essay, and college application season, all while remaining insanely talented athletes, performers, employees, and people. While I never thought I would say this, part of me will miss these collective experiences and last-minute group study sessions that have made us all the more resilient and thankful for the people around us. None of us would be where we are today without the support of our teachers, our friends, and our families, and they are to thank for the moments and memories that we have accumulated over the past four years. 

"This is the one value that all else seems to revolve around—the fact that we, the Class of 2025, and all of Stone Ridge, are of one heart. Through living in and appreciating the here and now, this one heart has become more and more apparent."

To my family, thank you for constantly supporting me and putting up with all of my stress. Mom, thank you for reading all of my essays, no matter how late I sent them to you, and for always being my biggest cheerleader in everything I do. Dad, thank you for always making sure there was a warm dinner for me after practice and reminding me how loved I am. To my friends, thank you for everything. I truly would not be standing here without all of you, and I am eternally grateful to have you in my life and beside me, for all the yogitopi runs, all of the practices, all of the tears, and all of the fun. I am pretty sure most of my classmates share similar sentiments, so allow me to extend them to all of you on their behalf. But finally, to my fellow graduates—The Class of 2025—thank you. There is truly nothing like this group of people, and you will never fail to impress me in your athletic, academic, and professional endeavors. You will all hold a spot in my heart, and you have all shaped my life and the lives of each other in so many different ways. Together, through living in the here and now, we have crafted one heart that will remain no matter how far apart we are—physically, spiritually, or emotionally. Each and every one of you has made coming to school each Monday a little more enjoyable, and each of you have made me wish those 1,375 days went by a little bit slower. ❤