The Arrow Summer 2019

Each year members of the graduating class are selected as Honor Graduates. These students serve as speakers for the graduation ceremony. Following is the text of their speeches. A Word to the Class of 2019 – Betele Ambaye

For years I wondered what it would feel like to grad uate from high school and to move on to the next chapter in my life. Now that the time has come, I’m overwhelmed by so many emotions; but above all I’m thankful. I’m thankful for the opportunity to be giving this speech; I’m thankful to grow and learn to become the individual I am today; and

most importantly I’m thankful to be here today in the company of such amazingly talented and inspiring individuals that I’ve learned to call family; and I’m so proud to represent the graduat ing Oak Hill Class of 2019. So what now? Well, that’s something that we will have to unravel ourselves, something that lies within our own hands. What does the future hold for us? We’ve accomplished a lot, not just academically but in many aspects. Life at Oak Hill could be difficult, balancing all our classes and making sure we hand in our papers on time (even though it maybe have been weeks later for some of us), having to go to mandatory events, being told to tuck in your shirts and--the most difficult one of all--not being able to keep our phones. We faced challenges that seemed to be tough in the moment, but as we move on in life, we realize that what we used to think was difficult was really a minor obstacle. Yes, it might have been hard to live at Oak Hill, but we learned that we could adapt and grow from these experiences. Our high school experience has brought this little group together in a way that only we can un derstand. We’ve made many memories and have definitely had some good laughs over the years with great people. Like the time when Shiyru played in the last game with Gold Team and got 7,000 social media followers; or when Kevin and I were picked for prom king and queen. I’ve formed bonds with people over the good and bad times in countless afternoons at the school store. The day I moved here, my mum gave me this Pajama dress that said “good things take time,” but I didn’t really understand the significance of this quote then. But over the years, my experiences have taught me nothing comes easily and if it does come easy, it won’t last long. What I’ve realized is that graduation is not an end goal itself; instead it is a part of our larger lives. As we move on to this thing called “adulthood,” we are about to be set free and to be thrown headfirst into the ‘real world’. The security at Oak Hill and the support of our teachers will shortly fall away. We will all go our separate ways and leave this place to discover who we are beyond high school. I am glad to share in the intensity of emotions filling this gymnasium on our last day of high school. I would like to thank my friends and my family who are the root and foundation of my life. And most importantly, I would like to close by thanking the almighty God for giving us the strength and courage to press on academically, personally, and spiritually as we continue to unwrap our futures. SO CHEERS TO THE GRADUATING CLASS OF 2019!!!