Class of 2017 saledictorian, salutatorian speeches

Valedictorian Maggie Ryan

I was advised to give a speech about “looking towards the future,” but as I sat and pondered that topic, I realized that I probably just know an ounce more than a five year old. So with that in mind, I went to the elementary school and asked five to six year olds about life as a grownup and their advice for us. They had a lot to say, so I narrowed it down. Here are the “Top 19 Life Tips Straight from the Mouths of Five and Six Year Olds.”

The hardest things about being a grownup is having to go to work every day.

And the possibility of going to jail.

However the best part of being an adult is getting to eat all the candy.

But with eating all the candy comes consequences, so to stay healthy, don’t eat all the hot tamales in one day, it’s not healthy.

And every Thursday get on the windmill, (he meant elliptical, but you get the point).

When it comes to boyfriends and girlfriends just know kissing is gross.

And if you’re really stressed out for whatever reason, if you take a nap for one million times you’ll feel better.

Or hold your moms hand, and if she’s not there, try to think of her.

Make sure to wear a tie because you’ll look fancy in it.

And leggings aren’t pants.

Saving money can be stressful but if you just go and ask the bank for money, they’ll give you it. The bank will keep giving you money no matter what.

And if that doesn’t work, just use your credit card because when you use your credit card you actually aren’t paying real money.

Don’t even think about life at 100 because you’ll probably be dead.

If you’re wondering how to do your laundry, just put the clothes in your dishwasher and if you don’t have one, go and buy one.

But if you’re nervous about running out of clean socks, leave the clean socks in your dresser, find socks in your dirty hamper then go. You wear the dirty socks to save the clean ones.

When it comes to your job, Don’t. Get. Fired.

To make new friends just ask, “do you want to be my friend?” if they say yes then you just be friends.

And out of all the things we’ve learned, don’t forget your r-controlled vowels. (ar, er, ir, or,ur)

And lastly, you’re going to get lost without your parents.

Okay, well maybe I do know more than a five year old, but my advice would not be nearly as cute so I’ll just end this with my favorite Instagram quote: “Wake up early. Drink Coffee. Work Hard. Be ambitious. Keep your priorities straight, your mind right, and your head up. Do well, live well and dress really well. Do what you love, love what you do. It is time to start living.”

Valedictorians Shaynie Bauer and Chloe Crosby

 Shaynie: Let’s start out today by welcoming all friends, family, loved ones, community members, teachers, coaches, administration and members of the school board.

Chloe: We’d like to thank you all for coming to support the class of 2017. You’re all here because at one point you have helped one of us become who we are today.

Shaynie: Our very first year in school, 13 years ago, we were taught the ABC’s. But we were only taught that they were 26 simple letters that come together to make the entire English language.

Chloe: But today we’re going to give you more than just 26 simple letters to think about, but instead, 26 tips for the future.

Shaynie: A – Altitude. Thermopolis, WY has an altitude of 4,331 ft. One most of us have been at our entire lives or at least for a decent chunk, but now one many of us are leaving behind. No matter where you relocate, no matter what your next altitude, never forget what it feels like at 4,331 feet.

Chloe: B – Bonds. Over the past four years our class has made many positive bonds. Everyone in the audience is here today because you have a bond with one of us and have been a contribution, big or small, to our successes. Continue to make positive bonds in your life and you will continue to succeed.

Shaynie: C – Courage. Have courage to let go of the familiar and embrace the new.

Chloe: D – Dreams. Let’s make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.

Shaynie: E – Eat. Eat your weight in food. Eat that cheesecake. Eat three pieces of pizza. Because you can always run off a few extra pounds but can’t always be as happy as I am when Dairyland first opens and I get my favorite scoop of ice cream. Am I right?

Chloe: F – Future. Almost every successful person begins with two beliefs; the future can be better than the present and I have the power to make it so.

Shaynie: G – Give thanks. Always give thanks to those who have been by your side through thick and thin. Thanks mom, Gram Bonnie and papa.

Chloe: H – Harmony. Gandhi said, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” So seek harmony in life and with that will come happiness.

Shaynie: I – Improve. Never stop improving, always strive to be the best version of yourself, never settle for mediocrity.

Chloe: J – Journey. Because with every new journey you’re about to embark on, there is going to be something you’ll have to say goodbye to for a little while, this time is exciting and beautiful, but take heart and leave nothing for granted.

Shaynie: K – Key. There’s always a key to every door, some might just take a little more to find.

Chloe: L – Live. A quote: First I was dying to finish high school and start college. And then I was dying to finish college and start working. And then I was dying to marry and have children. And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school so I could return to work. And then I was dying to retire. And now, I am dying and suddenly I realized I forgot to live. In the midst of all your next endeavors, don’t forget to live.

Shaynie: M – Make. Don’t just tell them, make them see. Don’t just say you will, make it happen. Prove them wrong.

Chloe: N – Now. Do it now. Sometimes later becomes never.

Shaynie: O – Oh! The Places you’ll Go. Congratulations! Today is your day! You’re off to great places. You’re off and away. You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go. You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet. You’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street. And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there. In the wide open air. Out there things can happen and frequently do, to people as brainy and footsy as you. And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along, you’ll start happening too. OH THE PLACES YOU’LL GO.

Chloe: P – Patience. Have patience with your future. You won’t wake up tomorrow as a doctor, teacher, lawyer or head of your company in the workforce. It’ll take some time, but patience will get you through the process.

Shaynie: Q – Quit. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Never quit.

Chloe: R – Red Robin. (Yum!) Just making sure you were still paying attention.

Shaynie: S – Sense. It will all make sense. It will make sense why they told you to extract every ounce of joy you could during your senior year. It will make sense why they told you to hug your mom a little tighter during those last few months It will make sense why you were supposed to keep in touch with those you never did. It will make sense why you received constant questions about where you were going to college or what you’re doing with your future. They were trying to prepare you for becoming a stranger to everything you used to know and become comfortable with everything you are about to be. It will all make sense.

Chloe: T – Too late. Make sure it’s not too late. Practice the motto of ‘carpe diem’ every single day you have left at home. Make the best out of every day you have before you begin your new life.

Shaynie: U – Understand. Understand that the world can be a harsh place and that you don’t always get what you want, or even deserve in life. Understand everything isn’t meant to be understood and don’t try to either, just know in the end it’ll all turn out okay.

Chloe: V – Valuable. Each member of the Class of 2017 is valuable and has been of value to the journey of the last 13 years. Whatever team you join next, you will have value in. Don’t for get that.

Shaynie: W – Who you are. There is so much going forward and there is so much to look toward, but slow down and keep everything you have right in front of you in focus. Because before you know it, all of who you are will become who you were, and who you will become will begin to make all the difference.

Chloe: X – We’re going to skip X.

Y – You. You alone can do it, but you can’t do it alone. Over the past four years, we have learned that when people come together anything and everything becomes possible; the reason we are up here together. You alone can do it, but you can’t do it alone.

Shaynie: Z – Zero. The countdown is over. The Class of 2017 has zero days left at Hot Springs County High School. We are leaving with zero regrets, zero things left unsaid, and zero weight holding us back, but a million memories and a ton of knowledge. Today our old life ends and a new one begins, a life we’ll conquer with zero fear.

Salutatorian Caleb DeCroo

Welcome fellow graduates, family, friends, faculty and distinguished guests! Here we are!

I have been struggling over what to say in this speech. Do I make it funny? Crack a few jokes. Do I talk about the future? Do I come off heavy and frankly, boring? I even thought about singing for you guys but decided to spare your ears.

In light of what is going on in the world today, and more importantly, in our own little world, right here in good ole Thermop, I decided to just be REAL!

Back in grade school, and through middle school, we all fought hard to be the top student! We read those books to gain those points! We studied those spelling words…we anguished over those math quizzes…we longed to see our names at the top of the list!

As high school dawned, and my disease of muscular dystrophy began to take its toll on my body, the surgeries began…the long weeks of lying in bed, healing, I began to realize my place “at the top” was falling a bit. So imagine my surprise when a few months ago I was told that I, Caleb DeCroo, was selected to be the Salutatorian of my class! My parents and I were overwhelmed! We were overjoyed! Mostly, we were humbled and thankful!

You all know my mom and her love of taking pictures of every little thing we all do! Well, its in looking through all those pictures that I have come to realize that this class of ours…this group of friends, both close and not so close…have been through A LOT together!

I can’t thank you all enough for coming to my house every time I was in bed, after yet another surgery, and laying on the bed with me, doing homework, watching movies, playing video games, or just keeping me informed of what was going on “out there”! I love you all so much for always helping to take care of me! My parents love you all so much as well!

In our small-town cocoon, we have mostly been kept safe from the real world and what it holds. We have been allowed to make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and move on. We have learned that we are not our mistakes. We are not what others think of us, or what others say about us. We are who we believe we are! We are who we have grown and worked hard to become!

As we venture out into the big world, what I want most for each and every one of us, is to know that we can make our own destiny! We must learn as much from our mistakes and failures as we do from the good things that we have done. We must learn to be strong and self-assured. We must go out and conquer the world and make our own spot and live there happily and successfully!

I want you ALL to know that I thank you. I love you. I wish you all well and much success in whatever you choose to do. I want you to know that I am always here for each of you, just as you have always been for me!

Now, let me talk to our faculty. Our “second parents” …our cheerleaders, disciplinarians, our EMT;s on and off the playgrounds! You all have made such a huge mark on our lives! You have struggled right there with us all these years, and you never gave up on us! You gave us the boundaries, the tools and then let us go to learn the way we each could! You kept us in line and drug us back when we went too far out of bounds, you held us accountable. We will never forget you and all that you did for us! Me, especially! Thank you all for allowing me to “be in class” via video and never allow me to miss out on that “class time”. Whether or not we showed any thankfulness at the time…let me tell you know…WE THANK YOU!

My parents have taught me the importance of having God in my life and that is how I have made it this far. I wouldn’t be where or who I am today without His loving hand guiding me throughout my life. All of the Glory goes to God because it is Him who gave me the abilities that I have now.

To my family…my brother, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, my Granny…I love you and thank you all more than words can express.

My parents, Mom, Dad, there are no words than can express the love and thanks I have for each of you. You have never let me down nor have you ever left my side. There have been times when I didn’t deserve your unconditional love, but for some odd reason, it didn’t matter to you guys! You both are always there for me with arms wide open, and I can’t thank you enough for that. You both have molded me into the man I am today and I cannot wait to go into the world and show everyone just what we DeCroo’s are really made of! I hope I have made you proud throughout my life to this point and please know that I aim to continue making you guys proud for as long as I live.

In closing, to all of you who have been instrumental in the last 17-18 years of our lives…You’ve taught us more than any formal education ever could. We go out into the world with confidence and readiness because of all of your combined efforts.

We leave these hallowed halls also knowing that “money doesn’t grow on trees”, and we will not catch a cold or the flu if we will just wear a coat or long pants.

Once again, thank you all for coming to the Class of 2017’s graduation! I hope you have an awesome rest of your day and remember to enjoy the time you have with ne anther, because it really does go by too fast.