Good afternoon Ms. Savery and School Committee members, Dr. Campbell and Central Office staff, Plymouth North Administration, faculty, staff, parents, guardians, and invited guests, welcome to these commencement exercises honoring the graduating Class of 2022.

Class of 2022, what were you thinking on August 30th, 2018, when you first walked through the doors of Plymouth North? For me, I was a small, terrified, intimidated freshman that just wanted to survive his first few days in this big scary building that we call high school. To think that now, 1,374 days later, we are graduating, leaving this school in our tracks, is simply unbelievable. High school, for all of us, has been quite a ride. Certainly it has been far from normal. Together, we’ve been through a worldwide pandemic, 50 different remote and in-person models of learning, and countless challenges that have altered the very way that we view and experience life. Ever since March 13th, 2020, when all of us cheered at the “coronacation” that we had just seemingly been gifted, nothing about school—or really life in general—has been entirely the same.

But through all of the challenges, we’ve managed to persevere, and we’ve still had an abundance of experiences throughout high school that we will never forget. I personally want to thank a number of teachers that made these four years especially enjoyable for me—from Ms. McCarthy, for giving me a warm welcome to this building, to Mr. Bruno, for making freshman year a blast (especially in trench warfare), to Mr. Hales, for so many memories made in K-Block Yoda PIG every Friday morning, to Mr. Moore and Mrs. Terry for challenging me and pushing my limits, to Mr. Loughlin for those wonderful failure Fridays, to Mr. Buckley for allowing me to enjoy one of the most painful sports in existence, and so many more. Those are just a few of the teachers that had an impact on me personally, and if I could, I would thank each and every one of the teachers here at North who work endlessly for our education—because their work does not go unnoticed. Whether it be with these teachers, in these classes, or in sports games, meets, plays, concerts, or really anything throughout these past few years, we’ve created countless memories throughout high school that will live on eternally in our minds. Plymouth North High School, like it or not, will forever have a distinct place in our lives.

In addition to experiences, high school has also taught us certain lessons that will live on with us—that will forever influence how we think and act in our everyday lives. Today, I want to share one particular lesson that high school has taught me.

Along this four-year journey, one thing that has become increasingly clear to me is that a dedicated work ethic is genuinely one of the most valuable tools that you can have in life.

Ever since middle school, I’ve mostly been known as two things: the “small kid” and the “smart kid.” The “small kid”—well, that had some merit. Coming into high school, I was really small, like tiny. Standing at just 4’11”, I can remember numerous times in which I would walk past someone in the hallway and they would do a double-take, obviously thinking, wow, is that kid really in high school? On sports teams, in the hallways, and in classes, I stood out conspicuously among my peers. I was so small, in fact, that I genuinely remember someone coming up to me and telling me that my backpack was about the size of the rest of my body. So, the “small kid”, yeah, that label was fair.

But the idea that I am the “smart kid,” well, that’s a bit less accurate. Because I’ve always gotten good grades, and because high schoolers are quick to categorize people, many that I’ve talked to in the past have jumped right to the conclusion that I’m somehow really smart. However, the simple fact is this: the title “valedictorian” doesn’t necessarily translate directly to “smartest,” it merely means “best grades.” Grades, as most of you know, do not necessarily measure intelligence; there are a lot of other factors that contribute to earning decent grades than pure smarts. In order to earn good grades, I had to play the game of high school—staying up until ridiculously late hours to complete assignments and study for tests, writing twice as much as the teacher asked for in order to ensure that I got a 100%, and stressing far more than I probably should have even on the smallest of tasks. While all of that earned me good grades, none of that meant that I was necessarily super “intelligent.” Trust me, I am no prodigy. In school, there have been plenty of times in math class where I’ve looked up at the board, entirely baffled by what the teacher was writing, and then right next to me, poof, a kid would have the answer just like that. It has always amazed me that anyone could just have such an automatic sense of what is right, because I sure don’t. Even outside of school, I have lapses in common sense on a near-daily basis. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I lack any sort of smarts—all I’m trying to get across is that I’ve never had that natural ability to just get it.

But anyway, the bottom line is that in my situation, the title “valedictorian” was earned primarily through a driven work ethic, not natural intelligence. Through an abundance of late nights, stressful days, and an unrelenting will to complete each and every assignment to the best of my ability, I managed to find some sort of success. Whether it was in studying for tests, writing essays, conducting labs, analyzing stories, or what have you, I dedicated 100% of myself to each and every academic task I completed, and that’s something that I personally take pride in.

So, what does this have to do with you? Obviously I’m not just here to talk about myself. No, the point is that all of you here today have what it takes to succeed in your future endeavors. No matter if you want to be a nurse, or an engineer, or an electrician, or a doctor, or a lawyer, or a manager, or an executive, or a soldier, or an athlete; regardless of what you want to do, the key to success comes down to two words: hard work. The beauty in those two words is that it is applicable to any and all fields. Unlike skill, talent, experience, or any other elements of a career, a work ethic is always accessible, while still being deeply valuable. So, please, use this tool. In life, there will always be some who say that they lack talent, that others are advantaged, and that the circumstances around them doomed them to fail. Be the one that strives for success, not someone who wants it presented on a silver platter. Be the leaders of the world that are willing to work when others do not want to. Be the graduates who welcome discomfort. Be an instrument for change. Be the person who is open to sacrificing what they are for what they will become.

My parents always told me, “we don’t care if you do great or fail, just that you are giving it 100% of what you have,” and that has really stuck with me. Perhaps I will not always succeed in life, but if I can look at myself in the mirror at the end of each day and say, “I gave it my all,” then there is no shame to be had. So, in whatever is next for you in life, don’t be afraid to fail, and don’t automatically expect success—but by all means, give it everything you got.

One of my favorite lines of all time is, “hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard,” as quoted by basketball coach Tim Notke. Ultimately, no matter how little inherent ability you have, you can still succeed at anything if you are willing to put in the work for it. I’ll say that again. You can succeed at anything if you are willing to work harder than everybody else at it. So, graduates, today I say: whether you believe you have the talent or not, each and every one of you has the capacity for incredible achievement. If you believe you lack natural talent, a dedicated work ethic can make up any sort of ground. If you are gifted as is, hard work will only propel you to further, unimaginable heights.

To those who take in this advice today, to those who are willing to put in the work and fully dedicate themselves to achieving their goals, just know that you have the world at your fingertips. Be the absolute best that you can be in whatever you choose to do, and there is no telling what you can accomplish. Take it from me. If a scared, intimidated freshman with the body of a fifth grader managed to find any sort of success in high school, then a strong work ethic can truly make anything possible.

Class of 2022, we made it. Through the tears, the laughs, the good times, and the bad. Through a pandemic, through remote Mondays, and through one way hallways. Through gym tests, real tests, and seemingly impossible projects. Through a high school that changed before our very eyes, we made it. That being said, this is just the beginning. The value of hard work in this world is not unknown. So, I ask you today: what are you waiting for? Go tackle everything that life throws at you, and make sure to give it everything you got while you’re at it. Class of 2022, we got this. Thank you everyone.