Katie Hawk

Ewing Public Schools valedictorian

Faculty members, fellow students, family and friends, welcome. To my fellow class members: I am proud to say that we have crossed the finish line. For the last four years, we have been waiting and anticipating this day; praying for it to come faster. However, now that it's here, I'm sorry it is, because it means leaving behind a school that has given me so many opportunities, friends who have pushed me and teachers who have mentored me. These halls and the people inside of them have shaped my life and my peers' lives permanently.

Back in January, I didn't want to write this speech, because I knew writing it meant that high school was coming to an end. Then in March and April, I didn't know if I'd get to write and present this speech. Needless to say, our senior year was an extraordinary one. But, I don't want to focus on the way this year ended, instead, I'd like to focus on the past 13 years we have spent here at Ewing Public Schools.

As much as it saddens my heart, I am proud to call us the last graduating class of Ewing Public Schools. One of the strongest aspects of our school is the tight-knit community it is surrounded by. I have witnessed first hand the generosity and support of the townspeople. Being raised in an area like Ewing has taught me to be thankful for the small things and to appreciate what I have.

Although I spent the majority of my time here in class, there were many things I learned outside of the classroom. During one-acts, I learned that early morning practices bring out the best, and worst, in people. Even though practice started at 6:30 a.m., it would likely be 6:45 before everyone was awake enough to make a difference. Through FBLA I witnessed the joy a Halloween party could bring to a child and I learned the difference that small actions can make. When decorating for homecoming, I learned that communication is key when working with a group the size of our class, even though we weren't always the best at that.

This past year we have experienced a lot of lasts. Last football games, last assignments and last classes together. This past year I have learned to enjoy those final moments we had together, as a class.

Through speech, I learned to be strong, not only individually but also as a team. I will never forget the home I found with my speech team. It takes a special kind of person to wake up as early as 5:30 in the morning and be ready to perform their heart out at 8 a.m. These past four years, I have been surrounded by those special people and have made my best high school memories with them.

A strong pillar in my life is my family. As I’m sure many of you know, I have four older sisters. For these past 18 years, I have been known as the last of the Hawk girls. Soon people won’t know me because of the impression my siblings made but because of the impression that I make. That thought is both intimidating and exciting. I will never be able to fully describe the bond that me and my sisters have. They are my role models and the people I turn to when I need any form of advice. My mom and dad are also two people that I will never be able to thank enough. They have spent countless early mornings with me and they have always been there to support me in all my endeavors. I know that I have said that I can’t wait to get out of the house and be independent, but now I wish I had more than a few weeks to spend time with my parents.

I would like to give a special thanks to the teachers of Ewing, for managing our class. When all 17 of us are in a room together, we can be a lot to handle. From Wyatt teaching the class to petty arguments between classmates, there’s been plenty of activity for one teacher. There have been countless times when Wyatt and Connor had to be separated and even more times we were told to quiet down. However, in the end, I think that as a group, we turned out pretty all right.

And lastly, I’d like to thank my classmates for making my high school experience unforgettable. You guys have never failed to make me laugh. Even though this fall we’ll be going our separate ways, there will always be a bond between us that can never be replaced. I’m excited to see where each of us will end up in the next 10 years, I know that there is success in the future.

There’s a quote I found online, that I think sums up our class pretty well, and Mrs. Harley, there was no author, so I’m citing it the best I can. Anyway, I’d like to finish with this, “We didn’t realize we were making memories, we were just having fun.”