2023 Valedictorian Address

Thank you all for coming to the graduation of the class of 2023.

Those of you that do know me most likely know me as the nerd that teaches the chess club or math club. However, today I have been given the impossible task of representing the class of 2023 on one of the most important days of our lives. They made a grave mistake choosing me.

We as a class have overcome all the challenges Ridgeview has thrown at us, from arguing our ideas of the good life to hiking 14 miles in the middle of nowhere. A great man once said, “The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggle,” and we as a class have certainly struggled. Every day was a fight to not only overcome our own personal limits, but to push the rules as far as possible without getting into too much trouble. Our success in these endeavors demonstrates our potential to all become great individuals defined by our ability to overcome the classics.

Our collective struggle also enabled us to form a beautiful bond with each other, and I believe this bond is most well described in the insightful words of Moby Dick. In chapter 94 of Moby Dick, called The Squeeze of the Hand, Ishmael says, “My dear fellow beings, why should we longer cherish any social acerbities, or know the slightest ill-humor or envy”! Being on the Pequod or at Ridgeview enables one to disregard trifles and restrain our own vices for the betterment of everyone, for, whether it’s a white whale or a moral philosophy test, there are much bigger fish to fry.

Lastly, and most importantly, the class of 2023 is a class of winners. I remember when my peers numbered over 30, and now, of that initial population, you see 17 of only the brightest, fittest, and best students. Of all the kids that pass through Ridgeview, the students in front of us today have, naturally, distinguished themselves. We are some of the best athletes, artists, scholars, and scientists that Colorado has to offer, and after today, we are going to go off into the world and prove that every single one of us deserves to be on this stage.

Thank you.