Maddie Vincent/The Aspen Times
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Sasha Brucker: Wow this is a big stage.
Anne Schrock: I concur.
SB: Nice to see everyone, except for you over there with the tinted windows, I cannot see you. It has been a while since we have all seen each other and I want to thank everyone for coming and making this day so special.
We are standing up here today because as street poet Bobby Shmurda once said, “About a week ago,” well about two, but that’s not how the song goes. P Money told us to put our big girl pants on and write a speech for the class of 20. Why not 2020 you may ask? Because in 20/20 everything is clear and right now in the midst of a global pandemic almost nothing is clear. So we will be the class of 20.
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AS: So, don’t you worry, don’t fret, please keep your hands and feet inside your vehicles at times, sit back, relax, and try to enjoy the next five minutes.
In preparing for this speech, we did some research. According to Wiki How, our speech should be inspiring and reminiscent of our time in high school. However, because Sasha was gone for half of it, we decided to go a different route. Besides, how do you expect two teenagers to have all the answers when there aren’t quizlets based on life and even if there were, Mr. Hayes would say that we would need to figure it out for ourselves.
SB: We would first like to acknowledge all of our classmates, even the ones who couldn’t be here with us today, but I think we can all agree, they are very much here in spirit and a part of this class.
AS: This class, man. We have overcome a lot in our lives, and I know that no matter what the world throws our way in the future, we will get through it. As classmates, we have challenged each other to no end to succeed, causing all of us to collectively reach new heights. I mean seriously, we are so lucky to be surrounded by these hard working individuals that will become our future doctors, engineers, politicians, CEO’s, filmmakers and pastry chefs.
SB: We would also like to thank the people who have brought us to this point and this amazing community that we will always have to support us.
We will always have Huntsman, all 5-feet-9-inches of him, and his questionable New Zealand accent to give us advice when life gets tough.
AS: Smalley and his basic white girl vanilla lattes to remind us of the importance of having fun.
SB: Mr. Allen, the biggest GOAT. And of course Ms. Webb, the Original Gangster of Basalt, seriously you have been here forever.
AS: Mrs. Nesbitt and her childhood stories to remind us that we are all in fact human.
SB: Mr. Bradley who, although incapable of correctly pronouncing the number one and the word human, encouraged us to always do our best.
AS: Mr. Mueller, who never fails to surprise us, and who mastered the art of ghosting, failing to respond to my email sent exactly three years ago today. After he proofread this speech, I miraculously received a reply.
SB: And of course, Margaret Anne Schrock, who… who is Anne’s mom.
AS: We may not have the most enlightening words of wisdom, but we have words. Over the past four years we have learned many things, one of the most important being, stay true to yourself.
SB: In every stage of life it is so easy to get caught up in social pressures, especially in high school. It is so easy to put up a facade and pretend to be someone you’re not in order to fit in. Even when you know you are not being yourself your reality becomes the person you are not. I experienced the fear of not fitting in when I returned home to finish the school year after being away for seven months. After being back at Basalt, I realized this fear was completely irrelevant because all that really matters is that I am comfortable with myself and who I am. Not who anyone else wants or expects me to be. I have never taken the orthodox route in my life, and my dreams of playing college hockey have altered my high school experience more than I would have ever expected. However I wouldn’t ask for it any other way. I am who I am because of my unique journey and I am grateful to have been myself all along.
AS: I always knew that I didn’t quite have the typical high school mentality. I wasn’t the most involved in the social aspect of it all, but I didn’t let that stop me from enjoying the time that I was given in this place. I set goals, which some said were far-reaching, I stayed close to the people that were important, and I followed my own path. Being overly involved in the high school scene was not what mattered most to me. I found most of my joy in the classes that I was taking and in expanding my knowledge. I enjoyed studying subjects across disciplines and plan to continue this in the future by studying physics and comparative literature. I stayed true to myself and my aspirations, which led me to become the person I am today, and I consider that a success.
As we leave this school and community, I hope that we will all remember that the most important thing in life is our own happiness and following our own dreams.
I encourage you all to go out in the world and make a difference, but to not ever compromise yourself and your goals for anyone else.
SB: So, class of 20, class of 4+16, don’t worry if that went over your head, Daniel, class of my SAT reading score, if you’re not going to listen to your parents advice please just listen to ours.
AS: We believe that the class of 20 has made a real impact on this school and this community, and should be remembered for all that we have done, not just what we have lost. We should be remembered for all of our success, accomplishments, and famous TikToks. As you leave this school and follow your dreams, whatever they may be, we encourage you to strive to be yourself and to be remembered not for what happens to you, but for what you do in this life.
Together: We did it!