Winchester High School Class of 2013: Class President's Speech

[Editor's note: Winchester High School Class of 2013 President MacKenzie Koss, who also played on the girls' soccer team (she is the goalie in green on the left, in the photo at right), delivered the following speech at the commencement ceremony Sunday afternoon in the high school gymnasium.]

Preparation.

It’s a heavy word that can be daunting. As adolescents, we are used to hearing it – prepare for your test, prepare for your game.

Preparation involves work. There are no short cuts – work hard and one will most likely achieve whatever they aspire to – gaining success, glory, or simply pride.

These past four years we have been preparing for something greater than ourselves – our future.

Believe it or not, these halls, these classrooms, these offices, these lockers – they have been the center of our lives, and they have also been the home of our greatest achievements – ourselves.

As a sculptor moves clay, we have been molding ourselves into these human beings we did not know four years ago. With some sadness and joy, we find ourselves different than we had expected.

All in all, each and every day, we are learning to accept ourselves – even our flaws, taking them in stride.

We have been making ourselves ready – for college, for careers, for adulthood. High school was our time to prepare for the real world – and I know that our class was successful in doing so.

Academically, our grade took MCAS scores through the roof and is now sending off students to the best collegiate schools in the nation. Athletically, we won championship after championship, bringing our Sachem spirit and determination to each and every game. But our class was not only successful academically and athletically, we also had style. Our Sachem Wear united and energized our school while raising record profits. With these earnings we brought back the tradition of the Junior Prom and enjoyed it with style and class as we have our Senior Prom. But we are particularly proud of our Class Gift, a new Flagpole that will stand for many years, flying our colors proudly.

Together our class has prepared, for tests, for games, for our futures. We gather in the halls for early morning study sessions and cheer each other on at sports games. We have become a true family, and I know each and every one of you will have many fond memories of this school and our school family. I encourage you all to keep WHS in your hearts as you go on to conquer bigger and better things.

Yet preparation can only take us so far. We entered first grade in September 2001 taking baby steps. Quickly we found that our baby steps would have to become confident, adult-like strides as we witnessed the horror of the world just a few days into our school year. 9/11 quickly robbed us of our innocence. It hit close to home as we found that neighbors were victims of this terrible terrorist attack.

Throughout our school years we’ve been shaken by horrific events, some that were too close for comfort. One of our classmates suffered heart attack doing what he loved most. It should have taken his life, but he fought on. Milan is a symbol of perseverance and hope, and will never be far from our thoughts.

But violence is still fresh in our minds. From the Newtown Shootings to the newest Boston Massacre, this year has proven to shake our nation as a whole.

This town and this school have attempted to hold us steady in such rough times. That resolve and commitment has been exhibited clearly in our alumni, Richard Donahue and Glen Doherty. These two WHS grads are proof that we were taught values that will carry us through the rest of our lives; even it means making the ultimate sacrifice.

And yet we’re still here. We are still striving for excellence and reaching for our goals. We must believe that amidst this mess that we will overcome and persevere.

Thanks to our education, we could be the generation that will bring peace back to this amazing world that waits for us. We will aim to use our intelligence we’ve found here for good, to better the world. We will strive to fight the war on terror and defeat global warming. We hope to be role models for the generations after us, our children, to value the world they live in and spread peace.

But let us remember the wise words John Dewey, the great philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer, who said: “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”

We must remember to keep learning, keep striving. We must open ourselves to every chance, opportunity, and idea - for we must realize that we can learn from them all.

Of course we all have so many to thank – our teachers, school staff and of course our family and parents who have guided us down the right paths. We know we didn’t always seem to be listening but we heard you – every word. You frequently tell us to “Make good choices!”, now it’s up to us to choose the paths that are right for us. We are truly prepared to make the right choice, thanks to you.

We walk out of this school into a new world, waiting to be conquered by no one else but us. What a journey it’s been, and I am in awe that its conclusion is finally upon us. Our four years here at good old Winchester High will not easily be forgotten. We trailblazers have dared to be different, famous for our courageous strides in a new direction. It is our job to bring this courageous attitude out into the world. Let us remain humble, hungry for success, and eager to make friendships, and as we continue on to conquer the world, let us not forget where we’ve come from.

Now, Class of 2013, it’s our time.

It is my greatest pleasure to say: congratulations!