Reflective Essay: My Last Crusader Day

At the beginning of the year, Professor Fama told the Pre-Calculus class that our senior year would go by more quickly than any other year of our lives. I think now every member of the class of 2017 can attest to just how true this statement was. I know it sounds cliché, but it really does seem like just yesterday we were organizing homecoming, planning our senior trip, fund raising for our senior trip, finally going on our senior trip, decorating for prom, and enjoying our last Crusader Day, or, as we like to call it, Crudader Day. While it is the fun memories like those I just mentioned that tend to stick out in our minds, I think it is important that we also acknowledge the stuff that maybe wasn't so fun; the days we were swamped with homework, cramming for tests, finishing projects at the last minute, the time spent in classes that maybe weren't our favorite, the stress and hard work that went into planning some of our excursions, and all the other frustrations that tested us throughout the year. Whether we realized it in the moment or not, these struggles we faced were teaching us lessons just as valuable as what we were learning in academic classes; lessons about leadership, perseverance, the value of hard work, and, perhaps most importantly, teamwork. I say that teamwork is perhaps the most …show more content…
I am going to be honest with you all, which is particularly fitting for a Tyburn valedictory speech, not only because the school's motto is “the truth will set you free”, but also because our graduation ceremony always takes place in a church. When Mrs. DelFavero first told James and I that we were valedictorian and salutatorian and as such we would be speaking at graduation, I had no clue what I would say to you all tonight. Not to mention, I'm a little out of practice when it comes to giving speeches, as it's been two years since I took Public Speaking, which reminds me, I hope I'm not embarrassing you too badly, Mrs.