2010 Valedictoria Speech

It is with great honor the Hughes Alumni Foundation is publishing the Valedictorian Speech that Katherine Piket gave at commencement on Thursday, May 20th, 2010 at the CINTAS Center at Xavier University. The Hughes Alumni Foundation is immensely proud of all our 2010 graduates and we look forward to hearing all of their great successes to come.

As submitted by Katherine Piket:

Good evening to friends, family, faculty and Board of Education member, Mrs. Bolton, who have supported us every step of the way at Hughes Center. We never could have been able to get this far without you.


There is a quote by Alphonse Karr that says, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." I think this quote explains all of our years at Hughes Center. When we first came to Hughes Center, it was a huge environment where we had to make new friends and meet new teachers. We have been through a lot together, new teachers year after year, two buildings because of the renovation of Hughes, then our programs being mixed together by teams, and two principals who have had two different ways of running our school. We have been through so much together. These are changes over which we had no control.

Now we are transitioning from high school to the adult world. Some of us are going to college where we will be challenged academically in order to further our education and to reach our goals. Others may be going to the armed forces, where they may travel to different parts of the world while serving our country. While still others are going to work where they will experience personal successes. However, with this transition comes changes. All of us are going to have to adjust to our new surroundings, our new schedule, new people, and our new lives. We have control over most of these changes; however, some changes in life, we won't have any control over. Unfortunately, some of these changes may occur as a result of health, the economy, or other various challenges. Even though these changes may be challenging at times, we must try to embrace them. We must think of these changes as unexpected adventures. We must take them one day at a time and never give up hope. Because if we give up hope, we are giving up on ourselves. I can truly say that none of our graduates here today has ever given up on themselves because we are here today. Our future might be scary at times, but just remember you are not alone; your friends or your family will always be there for you if you need support.

A wise man once said, "All things are subject to change, and we change with them." This quote means that it's okay that we change or that there is transition in life because it's a part of life. Hughes has made us adapt to these changes, and by experiencing them, Hughes has prepared us for life not only in education but in the adult world. I feel like we have been through so many changes that we have grown accustomed to them. That's why I believe as a class we will be able to thrive, because we have adapted to change before. This new adventure is going to be bigger, better, and we are the ones that have control over our decisions. We should embrace the challenge and be happy. It's okay to be a bit fearful but we must look to the future with joy and anticipation. We should enjoy our new found independence and freedom. Our time is now and we must let it shine. Congratulations to the Class of 2010; we finally did it!