Hannah Martin, '23

Hi everyone! For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Hannah Martin and I’m extremely honored to be standing here, and being the first to congratulate all of the members of North Andover High School’s Class of 2023. We have not had the easiest four years, but I’m proud of each and every one of you for all of your accomplishments and I look forward to seeing all that you do in the future.

I would like to take a few moments to thank some people that made my high school experience memorable. First and foremost, thank you to my fellow class officers, Leo Nachamie, Cole Giles, and Jacob Nevins, who all worked tirelessly to make our class successful. To our class representatives: Julia Lane, Lizzy Nikolopoulos, Colby Muse, and Fallon Hurley, thank you for your dedication and creativity that only amplified our ability to make incredible things happen. I would also like to give a special shout out to Siena DiSalvo and Finn Murphy, who pitched in tremendously at our events this year; without them we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all that we did. Thank you to our class advisors, Mrs. Perry and Mr. Pizzo, for all of the hours they put into us and our ambitions, and for supporting the steps the four of us took to make the most of this year. Thank you to our principal, Mr. Jackson, and our assistant principals, Mr. Young and Mrs. Grantham, for all of their support these past four years. Thank you to all of the administration, janitorial staff, teachers, cafeteria workers, guidance counselors, athletic directors and coaches that have impacted all of our lives and have provided us with wisdom and memories that we will cherish forever. North Andover has provided a home for many of us, which is what makes this goodbye especially hard. I would finally like to thank each and every one of my friends and family members that have been there for me for all four years and beyond. For you, I am eternally grateful and could not feel more lucky to have you all by my side. To my parents and my siblings, Emma and Trey, you have helped shape me into the person I am today and I love you all so much for it. I could go on and on about all of the important people in my life, but there are too many to show gratitude to. I encourage each and every one of you, before you move on into the next chapter of your story, to let people know that you appreciate them and love them for being in your lives.

When I look back on everything that has happened this year, all I can do is smile. I vividly remember at the beginning of our school year, I was in shock that it was my last first day of high school, and that soon I would be standing up on stage, talking to all of you. I didn’t want to rush a single moment of it, so I made it my mission to make the most of this last year in North Andover. Not only was it a personal goal, but it was something I envisioned for the whole class. When talking to my friends Leo, Finn, and Siena, we all agreed to make this year epic; we were running the show now, and we weren’t going to let anyone stop us. This all started with the homecoming dance, which hadn’t been held at the high school in many years. We worked tirelessly to promote the event, as well as the spirit week leading up to it, and as a result we sold 936 tickets, which is over 2⁄3 of the school’s population. It was amazing, and I was so proud of all that we had accomplished – but we weren’t stopping there. We put on a Junior and Senior Winter Formal, held several successful fundraisers, and just finished up a fantastic senior week. School spirit was strong all year, and NAHS fans showed up in masses to support our sports teams, band events, concerts and performances all year long. We truly made this year memorable, and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Someday when I look back on my high school experience, I won’t remember the lost years from Covid, I’ll remember senior year and the memories that came from it.

The unfortunate part of this is that I wish I had lived my entire high school life feeling like this. Granted, our first two years of high school were anything but normal, but everyday leading up to today, I have been so aware of the fact that everything was happening for the last time. However, I got so caught up in this that I took advantage of the time I had at North Andover High School.

Now, for years my family and I watched this show called The Goldbergs. I don’t know if any of you know what I’m talking about, but it was about a family growing up in the 80s. My siblings and I love it because it is hilarious, but my parents love it because they get to live vicariously through the characters and listen to all of the good music again. Nonetheless, each episode offers little life lessons that we talk about often in our house. In one episode they referenced the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. There’s a famous quote, which you may be familiar with, that reminds me of my senior year: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around for a while, you could miss it.” I’ve been thinking about this quote a lot lately, and it’s finally stuck with me. For years I’ve been so focused on the fear of growing up. At the start of each school year, I would think about how I was one year closer to college, and that time was going by too quickly. But the truth is that I was the one wasting my time by thinking of those things. The future is inevitable, and I was so fixated on the idea of it that before I knew it, I was a senior. I was applying to college. I was leading a sports team, instead of looking up to my captains. I was the captain. Once I realized all of this and started taking advantage of each opportunity, I had one of the best years of my life at North Andover. I encourage all of you to take advantage of the time you have here this summer, as well as whatever you decide to do next in life. Whether that is 4-year college, community college, a gap year, the workforce, or military service, savor every moment of it. High school is only the beginning, and I hope that one thing everyone can take away from my speech is that the future will always come, but don’t let that stop you from living in the moment. Be where your feet are, and life will become so much more enjoyable.

This goodbye is extremely hard for me because if you haven’t figured it out already, I don’t like change. I love the comfort that is familiarity, but the truth is that each passing day has brought me closer to one of the biggest changes of my life: college. I know there are several teachers here tonight that can attest to this, considering every time I’ve seen them in school I’ve whined about leaving them and my classmates and heading into new territory. This year has brought many changes to my life, and most of the time I really don’t like it. However, one of my teachers, Mrs. Gravel, has been there for me and given me a lot of advice, which I would like to share with you tonight. Just like the future, change is inevitable, and the only thing we can control is how we react to what is thrown at us. It is impossible to grow if we stay within the boundaries of our comfort zone, so when big changes like college happen, they are often the times we learn the most about ourselves. It may sound cheesy, but we grow through what we go through, and although it may be uncomfortable and scary at times, it is what causes the best things to happen. So even though all of us are facing many changes in the coming months, don’t let anything stop you from doing what you are passionate about. I know that each of you are capable of achieving great things, but it won’t always be easy. Don’t let anything hold you back, because I promise you can overcome any challenge that comes your way. I want to leave you with one last quote that has changed my perspective on many things: Nothing worth having in life is ever easy. I encourage all of you to do what makes you happy, and don’t let change or any obstacle prevent you from doing the things that will fulfill your life. Congratulations to you all, there are not enough words to express how proud I am and excited for all that you will achieve. With much love, thank you Class of 2023.

Jenny Bartlett, '23

Good evening to all teachers, parents, friends, and everyone else gathered in the crowd today to witness this momentous occasion. Most importantly, good evening to my fellow graduates of the class of 2023. My name is Jenny Bartlett and I am honored to be speaking to you all as Salutatorian this year. I’ll make sure to keep this nice and short because I know that no one wants to listen to a long speech, and honestly, I am terrified up here right now.

I would like to start off by thanking some of the people who made it possible for me to be speaking here today. Thank you to my teachers for helping me accomplish my goals and teaching me that anything is possible. Thank you to my friends for always being there for me and for making me laugh when I needed it most. And a huge thank you to my family. To my parents for pushing me to reach my fullest potential and for always believing in me, and to my sister Audrey for being my biggest role model and best friend for the past 18 years.

My last thank you goes to my classmates. I have loved these past 4 years at NAHS with you and I’m so proud of each and every one of us for making it to graduation. It seriously is such an incredible accomplishment. It’s hard to believe that high school is over though. Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were freshmen sitting in the auditorium on the first day of school? The student ambassador leaders were talking about how fast high school goes and to cherish every moment. Of course, as a silly freshman, I didn’t believe them. Now, having reached the end, I wish time would’ve gone more slowly.

This end is making me realize how much I dislike the idea of the last time. The concept of something being the last time means it’s ending, and I have always struggled with that. My friends witnessed my difficulty dealing with last times on the last day of school. I was constantly saying things like “this is my last time touching this locker,” even though I had never used that locker before. The goodbye is always difficult for me no matter what it is. It was hard having my last track practice because I knew that I would never get to be part of the North Andover track team again. Most of all, I will miss lying on the turf and tanning during practice. My dedication to track is clearly very evident. But in all seriousness, accepting that something is over is heartbreaking for me. Once it ends, I always wish I could go back and do it one more time.

We have had so many big and small last times together. We already had our last time pulling into the parking lot, our last time walking up main street, our last school bell, and our last day of classes. The 5th grade clap out a long time ago and the 8th grade boat cruise. The last football game under the lights, the last spirit week, and the last time sitting in the cafeteria laughing with our friends. All the athletes have had their last game, match, or meet. Chorus and band students have had their last performance. The last play happened, last club meeting, and last robotics tournament. We took most of those things for granted. I would often wish for the clock to move faster, counting down the minutes until each day was over, but now all I want to do is go back and sit in those classrooms. I’m sad that this is the last time some of us will be together. This is our last time sitting in the gym. By far my hardest last time is right now.

We have made it to one of the most important days of our lifetime, but now that means that it is time to say goodbye. It’s officially our last time being high schoolers. In a few minutes, we will graduate and go on to the next chapter of our lives. This last time is now upon us.

I have come to learn the complexity of this seemingly simple word: last. A last time was always something I dreaded, but I’ve realized the good in it as well. The struggle to say goodbye to high school shows how meaningful and important it was. We had so many experiences as a class. From our first official dress-up homecoming dance to beating the staff in the basketball game this year to the senior sunrise. The last time serves as a thank you for all the memories. In the wise words of Winnie the Pooh, “how lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” We need to appreciate that the amazing moments are what is making the goodbye so difficult.

Though something is ending, it will always be a part of us. The memories and experiences have shaped who we are as people and helped us get to this moment today. We may have had our last English class of high school, but we have learned lessons and formed bonds that we will never forget. A last basketball practice doesn’t erase the immense joy of winning a game or the fun shared at a pasta party. These last times can be difficult, but they are not powerful enough to make all of the other moments disappear.

Before I close, I would like to leave you with one final thought. This small word “last” serves as an ending and a beginning. A last time allows us to have our first time of something else. Graduation is the perfect example of this. If I never had my last day of school at Kittredge, I never would’ve made some of my closest friends from middle school. If I never had my last day of middle school, I never would’ve learned so much from my classes in high school. I wouldn’t have grown as a person if I didn’t have these last times. We are all about to experience this on a larger scale. As illustrated by the word commencement, this ceremony marks both an end and a beginning. Today may be the last day of high school, but the first day of the rest of our lives.

Whether you are going on to college, working, taking a gap year, going into the military, or any other course in life, you would not be able to do that without this last time right now. This goodbye enables us to start a new journey and develop on our next path. Without these last times, we wouldn’t be able to have our first times of something else. So here’s to celebrating many more firsts. Congratulations Class of 2023! Thank you.