Williston-Elko High School 2011 Valedictory Speech by Chris Harvey [The Pride of Sacrifice]
Channel: chrisharveywilliston
Date: 2011-06-04

To the Williston-Elko Board of Trustees, Superintendent Clamp, Mr. Newsome, Williston-Elko faculty and staff, families, friends, and guests, and to the graduating class of 2011 an occasion such as this invokes a sense of fear and excitement. It is a conglomerate of emotion that runs through our veins. Hope for the future tells us to stand here tall and proud; we transcend the fear that caused our initial hesitation and reach our resolve. That is what led to this moment— the time that has been earned to thank all those who aided in our twelve year journey and to present the ultimate conclusion that marks a new beginning.


 It would be impossible to name all those who had a helping hand in our success. So many generous and hardworking individuals fostered our growth into what we are now— educated and talented adults ready to take on the challenges of the world. I would first like to thank the parents and guardians here today. I believe that the will to never give up and the drive to succeed in everything we do starts in the home. It is learned through our experiences and through others around us. I watched as my own parents struggled and sacrificed everything for my siblings and me throughout my life. Feeling helpless and undeserving of it all, I was amazed at how someone could love you so much that through blood, sweat, and tears they would give up anything to provide you with opportunities and things they never had themselves. 


     My mother comforted me through all my struggles and always supported me in everything I did. When I say blood, sweat, and tears, my father did it all— whether it was through repairing dangerous heavy machinery or working alongside the scarlet flames of a brick kiln. As long as I can remember, my parents stressed to me that they never want to see me having to work like they have. They taught me the importance of education with such effectiveness that I carried that lesson with me throughout all twelve years, and I will carry it with me beyond that. 


    The class of 2011's parents are out there in the crowd now. I know they are proud us. We appreciate that, but what they should truly be proud of is themselves. They have no doubt earned that right, and we will always be grateful for what that they have done for us.


     Our parents may have planted that seed— that desire to achieve with education as the path and the medium, but the teachers, faculty, and staff are the ones that gave their time and expertise to make it possible. For that, we thank them. I know for them it was not always easy. The amount of work and extra hours they have to put in on a daily basis is severely underestimated.


     They turn ignorance into wisdom— craft dependent children into strong and intelligent individuals. It is not just a daily struggle for them; it is an art that requires precision and devotion. To see the change in us— to see this class march out clad in blue and white must fill them with pride. What you see before you is their legacy.


     I must give a special thanks to my sister. Last year around this time my dream and ambition had no meaningful direction. She then encouraged me to join a youth group she was attending at Winfield-Heights church. I soon made wonderful friends and learned much through the leadership of the youth pastors. It was not long and my family began attending regular church service there and we all eventually became members. Before I began attending that church, I knew the importance of dreams. I knew that to not dream is to give into hopelessness, and to not dream big enough is to accept reality as it is— broken without means for repair. That church and the people that are a part of it reminded me of what truly is important. I understand now that with faith, the means for repair in this broken world is available to those who seek it.


    Psalm 32 verse 8 states, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." So, I stand here broken, selfish— a human being, but with God's guidance and the continued support of those around me, I promise greatness. Congratulations class of 2011. We may have come this far, but our journey does not end here. No matter how far our dreams may take us, we must not forget this community or the people in it. Our time to give back to those who sacrificed for us will come. I wish you all the best. Thank you...


-Christopher B. Harvey