You see, parents and friends, we have a custom at Sturgis that every senior writes a graduation speech, and a committee of faculty chooses the two speeches that are most evocative of our Sturgis beliefs and values to be given at graduation; you will hear from this year’s student speakers Casey Berman and JV Olivera shortly. Additionally, our school counselors and I have had the pleasure of reading all the speeches and I would like to continue our custom of sharing select passages from those speeches with you today.   I’d also like to acknowledge the assistance of my colleague and co-leader, Karen Gauthier, as I compiled the following quotes:

When I call your name, please stand while I read your words aloud:

From Alina Fields

I received the screenshot from my mom at 3:08 pm on January 17th, 2020, that read “I am delighted to inform you that your student, Alina, can be enrolled in our ninth-grade class as part of Sturgis’ class of 2024.” After celebrating with a nap, I woke up hours later to several calls, texts, and messages from my family and friends congratulating me on my winning lottery pick into Sturgis. At the time I never understood why I received so many congratulatory messages. What was so special about it?

[Let's find out what was so special]

From Cameron (Cam) Houle 

When we tell people we go to Sturgis, we have to explain that our school is located in an old furniture shop in the middle of Hyannis. And then everyone always asks why there? We typically give the same two answers: “My parents made me” or “We have an hour to go out for lunch.” Regardless, we all got here the same way, through chance and craziness. None of us really knew what we were getting into when we heard that we won the lottery. Little did we know how amazing it would really be.

From Brynn Dilley

Needless to say, logging onto Zoom for the first day of my freshman year was not what I expected. The day before, I cried to my mom, scared that Sturgis’ academics would be too difficult and that I wouldn’t make any friends. The first piece of advice she gave me was “Well, if your brother can do it, you can too.” Sorry Jake. The second thing she told me was “If you don’t like it, you can transfer.” As I am standing up here right now, it’s safe to say that I liked Sturgis.

From Davin Fountain

When I first came here, I was shy and rather introverted. I rarely spoke unless spoken to and did not want to participate in anything out of fear of embarrassment…..Slowly but surely……I started speaking out more, participating, and even asking questions. This place made me feel better about myself and who I was and it allowed me the space to grow into who I am now. Sturgis turned me into a better version of myself.

From Michelle Kramer

This class started small, our members coming from all over the cape. Back then, I hardly knew a single person here. You might think that being behind a screen would shield us from reality, preventing us from making friendships. But the fun thing about Sturgis is that being online didn’t discourage us from meeting new people. We might not have been together, but we all found our place anyway. 

From Bella Spooner 

When choosing Sturgis, I had so many people “warn” me about what I was going to be missing out on.  But our high school experience was unlike any other. We may not have a gym, cafeteria, or football games, but honestly, I’d give up all those traditional high school luxuries for a Trader Joe's AND Whole Foods down the street any day. Looking back, however, it's not the hour lunch or ability to walk to Chez Antoine or Dunkin that I will take away from Sturgis. It is the unique core values of academics and the arts that wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible humans I am lucky to call my teachers and administrators. 

From Brooke Bouchard

When I first started at Sturgis I was terrified that someday I would have to write a 4,000-word essay and do several other independent research projects.  Little did I know those would be some of the most rewarding aspects of my time at Sturgis. Being able to explore topics such as Barbie’s impact on Second-Wave Feminism in my History IA, or Urban Outfitter’s ecological footprint in my Business IA, and Frank Ocean’s exploration of culture in Channel Orange in my EE made these rigorous papers feel like a breeze. Since being at Sturgis I have found myself becoming a natural inquirer without even realizing it.

From Lauren McNamara 

The reason I received such a good education at Sturgis was partly because of the intensity of the IB program but mostly because of the support I received from my teachers. Thank you to Mrs. Furner for teaching me the importance of taking things one step at a time, to Mr. Abel for teaching me that perfect is the enemy of good enough, to Ms. McInerney for not judging or ridiculing me for having a two-month late EE, to Dr. Pete for helping me learn to appreciate the world we live in, and to all of the other teachers at Sturgis who I know have made an impact on me as a student and as a person.

From Caitlin Griffin

Imagine the shock I felt when I realized all the time and effort put into studying, reading, and writing …..actually worked!!! I unironically found myself connecting to the books I was reading. I started to see my Environmental Systems and Society topics in the world around me. I was able to spot business management strategies, out in the wild. I was applying SWOT analysis to my college plans (shout out to Mr. Parish!). I can confidently say that this is due to the teachers I have had over these past four years. It cannot be understated how important it is to have a teacher who truly believes in you and loves what they do.

From Jake Edwards

So I guess graduation day is possible.   Well, obviously yes. We are here today and we made it happen. While this day was theoretically set in stone as we entered Sturgis, it wouldn’t have happened without our teachers, administration, faculty, families, and friends. We worked hard, we worked together, and we worked around the obstacles that came our way.

And finally, from Nora Quill  

So much of senior year is about what happens after high school, I haven’t gotten a chance to really think about what I’m inevitably going to miss years down the line. I’ve spent the past year thinking about college and my future career, it’s only as I’m writing this speech that I’ve reckoned with saying goodbye. These past four years have felt like they’ve lasted my entire life but were still too short for me to savor every moment. I take comfort in knowing that so many of my friends feel the same way, switching between “I’m so done with exams, get me out of here” and “I can’t believe high school is almost over” within the same sentence. Maybe that’s because we’re teenagers, but more likely it’s because we’re all about to take a huge leap. None of us would be who we are today without this place, without each other, our teachers, or what we’ve learned. 

--

So, to the initial claim: today is a momentous day, I now add the rationale: because today is a culmination of the past four years where we have all chosen to live, think, and gather with great intentionality, care, and reflection. Students, faculty, and family have made our collective Sturgis experience momentous, and today is a day to celebrate that accomplishment.

Just as all our seniors are graduating, so, too, are some of our faculty about to embrace their own new opportunities. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the following people for their commitment to our mission and our students:  

Jennifer Agel, TJ Georgi, Liz Robsham, Barb Furner, please stand.

Sturgis East class of 2024, congratulations, and thank you for choosing to see the best in each other and for making the most of yourselves. I hope that you always carry Sturgis in your hearts.

I am sure you are all sitting here thinking this is the end of your time at Sturgis and.. well..back in 2011 so did I when I sat under this tent at my own Sturgis graduation. Surprise…. there is no end, Sturgis will always be with you! 

Knowing that Sturgis will always be with you, let’s take a trip down memory lane and reflect on how we ended up here. For me, the class of 2024 has a special place in my heart. I met most of you in 10th grade and had the pleasure of getting to know you all through Spanish classes, sports, clubs, activities and international trips. We went through some of the hardest times in education together and made it through.

Picture this, it’s August of 2020, we are returning to school and we all awkwardly meet each other as little squares on google meet, what a way to start 9th grade, as if entering high school isn’t scary enough. 

Then, we attended school on a reduced schedule, ate in our lunch bunches, survived classes in the annex, in 10th grade returned to five days a week with masks and finally - the great day of February 28th, 2022 came and we could see everyone’s smile again at school. 

While it was not a typical start to your high school career, each of you has had their own experience here at Sturgis and has faced their own set of unique challenges and obstacles that brought you here to this tent over the last four years. Whether they were big or small, each one had its own impact on you, shaping your character, building your resilience, and fueling your determination. 

Some of you may have overcome personal hardships, while others may have navigated academic hurdles - maybe it was your EE, IA, IO, EA, TOK essay, CAS reflections … I am sure I missed at least two more IB abbreviations, as you all know, we need our own Sturgis dictionary here.

But regardless of the specifics, each has contributed to your growth and prepared you for the journey ahead. While you are all going on your own separate paths and starting this new chapter of your lives, I hope you will take what you have learned at Sturgis and the connections you have made and remember that Sturgis is always with you. 

But, when you look back on your high school experience and think about what mattered the most along with who and what helped shape you into who you have become, I want you to think about what stands out first. 

I am sure some of you will forget the vocabulary quizzes you were worried about, the TOK essay you crammed in the library at lunch, attending EE MULT, the stress of choosing your classes in 10th grade, the delta math you may or may not have completed but what you will remember are the moments and people who supported you through this 4 year journey. 

You will remember the lollipops that Ms. McInerney gave you, the snake Mr. Mendez pulled from your room in Costa Rica, the excitement of getting on the bus to Logan right before the trips you signed up for, decorating the hallways for Spirit week and chasing Mrs. Lombardozzi around for the updated spirit week scores, Ms. Agel’s story telling skills, fantasy football discussions with Mr. Swetz, lunches spent in the art room with Mrs. Abel, Ms. Raftery cheering you on at every basketball game, shopping with your Parish bucks -which… by the way - I hear some of you still have some bucks to spend -- Tom did you bring the candy?

We can’t forget about watching your teachers try their best to not embarrass themselves at the STAGE just dance tournament, sheep jumping with Dr. Albis, the beloved smiles from Mrs. Todoroff and Mrs. Colby when you came in right at 8:21 and how could I forget - the famous sprint down the hallway at 12:29 trying to avoid Mrs. Gauthier and make it to your next class just in time. It is these moments, and these people that make Sturgis so special.

With that being said, I have no special wisdom to impart on you all, sadly I am not Mr. Abel - however I can assure you all from my own Sturgis experience that no matter what path you take you can count on Sturgis to always be a place that will welcome you back. I know that the connections you have made, the lessons you have learned and the skills you have developed during your time here will follow you. Like I said, Sturgis is always with you!

Well, to the class of 2024, congratulations, you did it! I am so proud of each and every one of you and cannot wait to see what you all accomplish in this next chapter of your lives. I will miss seeing you all next year and your smiling faces, but I will always cherish our memories and time together. I will leave you with the words I have given you every Friday for the last 3 years this one last time, have fun and remember to make safe, smart decisions! ¡Los amo! Congratulations! 

As we gather here for this commencement, the question looms, what’s next for the class of 2024?  During these last four years, I have often pondered what will happen to this talented group of young people.  I have run through thought experiments placing you in various futures and considered the question, is this group of seniors ready for what the future will bring?  One of these thought experiments that I kept coming back to was as follows. . .  

After a day of celebrating your graduation, culminating with a wild night of playing gin rummy with your grandparents, you wake up tomorrow in very unfamiliar territory.  While you may have expected transformation to accompany a milestone like your high school graduation, you were not prepared for this.  Waking up tomorrow, you find yourself at a vastly different Sturgis.  No longer are you at Sturgis Charter Public School, but instead you wake up in Sturgis, South Dakota, as attendees of the 2024 Sturgis Bike Week.  For those unfamiliar with bike week, it is the world’s largest Motorcycle Rally, boasting upwards of a half a million attendees each year.  As you begin to explore the event, I see you examining the crowd like young anthropologists.  With your penchant for fashion, you hustle over to the leather vendors to try to at least look the part.  You leave the merch tent dressed in leather vests and chaps and compliment each other on your new looks, the overall effect being more Village People than Hell’s Angels.  As you wander through the vast campus of the rally, you discover that this year’s slogan is “Sturgis 2024: The Ride, The Roar, The Rally.”  Being the reflective group of learners that you are, you consider, “What exactly does it mean to ride, roar, and rally?”  It is this question that I would like to examine here. 

The Ride

The Ride represents the journey.  Four years of your lives spent as students at Sturgis.  Your ninth grade year was a period of tremendous hardship and uncertainty for many if not all of us.   It cannot be undermined that you experienced significant trauma at a very critical time of transition in your young lives.  But then here we are.  You developed remarkable survival skills to endure online learning, like playing Minecraft and watching all 20 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, while attending the endless google meet.  You came out the other end as 10th graders, in many ways having to figure out Sturgis all over again.  Then as juniors and seniors you encountered a whole new set of challenges with the IB curriculum.  But you made it through.  As your teachers we focus on the skills and knowledge that we feel are most vital for each of our courses.  While a body of evidence suggests that online learning was not as robust as time in the classroom, perhaps you learned some even greater lessons.  Often, life is not easy.  There are circumstances and challenges that are outside of our control.  One lesson that I hope that each of you will take with you from your four years is the knowledge of how to keep riding through hardship.  If we are to measure your learning based on your ability to overcome challenges, to proceed with grit and resilience through chaos, you have all graduated with honors. 

The Roar

If anything comes naturally to you as a graduating class it is this.  I have never had a group of seniors who have challenged my intellect and even more so my patience than you.   I can just hear you after this speech saying to one another, “What was all that yapping about motorcycles rallies and stuff?”  You are a loud, brash, and unabashed group.   While at times this has made these last four years tedious, your roar represents one of your greatest strengths. Your eagerness to challenge authority is vital as you inherit a society and a planet rife with issues.  I take it as a sign of progress, a sign of a youth who are engaged and committed to promoting change when I am called out for misusing pronouns or mistaking my perspective for fact.  I am inspired by your willingness to speak up at town meetings on behalf of clean energy, to promote equity and inclusion through our students of color coalition, and challenge gender norms through your writing and art.  I see a group of youth far more engaged than my own generation.  I could not imagine my graduating class offering to fundraise to get their bald graduation speaker a hair transplant for his big event, but you did exactly that.  Perhaps it will take a world of pot stirrers to bring about a better tomorrow.  If that is the case, I wager we are sending off a group of 100 young people who can make an art of it.           

The Rally

To rally can mean many things, but here I would like to explore it as it means to come together for a common goal.  One of the greatest pleasures that comes with seeing a group of young people through their four years of high school is to watch their relationships develop.  If we can learn anything from the challenges of the pandemic, it is that we are much stronger when we are together.  Look around at the people surrounding you.  Your classmates, your teachers and administrators, and most importantly your families and friends in attendance.  Some of these people will come and go from your lives.  In fact, this might be the last time you see some of us.  But all of us have played an integral part in the last four years of your lives.  As you celebrate this milestone, take time to congratulate yourselves for all of your accomplishments, but also, take time to reflect on the community that has been with you throughout this journey.  As you move on from Sturgis, continue to rally those around you.  Build community and support one another.   

Sturgis East Class of 2024, it has been a wonderful four years with you all in my life.  It is difficult to see you go, but I take refuge in the fact that we are sending off a group of young adults with strong hearts and minds.  Young people with the raw tools to build a better tomorrow.  In short, choose to live a life of meaning and purpose and be good to one another.  Whether you are able to make it to South Dakota for bike week or not.  Ride, Roar, Rally.  

Now, upon reflection, I can recognize that my perspective and attitude were skewed by impatience– a privilege I realized too late, as I now find myself wishing I could slow time. With the newfound advantage of hindsight, I’d like to challenge the notion that “life is short” with a different kind of proverb: time is relative. As we sit here in this moment, we have our whole lives ahead of us. If we fast forward to four years from now, when many of us will be celebrating our college graduations or other vocational achievements, our time at Sturgis will have made up 18% of our total lives– a proportion that will only diminish as our lives expand. With every passing hour, minute, and second, this percentage decreases ever-so-fractionally– almost imperceptible to us. 

I won’t pretend that I’ll remember every moment of our time here– I’ve already pushed most of my IB exams out of my mind. Those memories are hidden somewhere deep down inside me, tucked away in a place cold, dark, and locked, where they may never see the light of day. However, there are also moments I know will stay with me forever. They consist not of specific memories, but of feelings. I don’t recall every one of the hundreds of lunches I spent with my friends, but I remember the feeling of laughter so intense my cheeks stretched and my stomach ached. I can’t remember how to parse the pluperfect tense of the Latin verb esse, but the moment when a certain student unconsciously referred to our Latin teacher as “mom” still makes me smile to this day.

Intangible experiences such as these made crafting this essay a daunting task– how can one successfully encapsulate four years of laughter, tears, learning, and friendship in a mere 1,500 words? The answer is, at least for me, you can’t– and even with 10,000 words, I doubt I could do it justice. Every word I write feels both insufficient and perfunctory, despite this being perhaps the most important piece of writing I have ever produced– more significant than the countless essays I frantically penned at 11:58 at night, more poignant than the stories I used to write for myself when I had not yet reached double digits, and more profound than any of the IAs that consumed so much of my time and attention junior year. This one assignment holds such significance because its purpose is to punctuate the final sentence of this chapter in our lives– and I’m not sure if I’m ready to do that.

During the process of writing this essay, it was encouraged by the English department that we spend time remarking upon the exceptionality of Sturgis– perhaps mention its “IB for all” policies, or poke lighthearted fun at the age of our buildings. But the truth is, Sturgis might not be that exceptional– or at least what makes it the most unique cannot be found in its required curriculums, infrastructure, or the asbestos lurking in the basement. What makes this place something worth reminiscing over and remembering is its people. 

On days when snow was piled over a foot high, I didn’t see any other school principals standing in the student parking lot with a shovel, battling black ice and slush to try and clear a path to our cars (though, unfortunately, his efforts were in vain, as I watched no less than five people wipe out at one point or another during the day). The most memorable moments from my history classes weren't the educational requirements outlined by the IB– they were the winding tangents we traveled down together as a class, discussing colonial fashions, bog bodies, and the European habit of ingesting ground-up Egyptian mummies for perceived medicinal benefits. I can’t look back at the old hallways of Sturgis and judge them for their aberrations as I did when touring the school at 13 because now their flaws are hidden by the racing feet of students who have become my closest friends. 

Reflecting on these memories now, some of the moments that came most quickly to mind were characterized by the morbid, painful, and grotesque– which seems an apt representation of the general mindset held by teenagers when trapped in the suffocating grip of high school. However, the knowledge that we were all in it together– in late nights spent studying, in eyes fluttering closed during assemblies, and in the foolish hope that one man and his snow shovel could withstand and even defeat frigid Cape Cod winters– was what inspired me to persist and continue pushing forward.

As slow as the minutes might have seemed to pass at times, I must admit that graduation crept up on me in the most unexpected way– and now that it’s here, I find myself wishing that time would slow down. So many of my fondest and most cherished memories were made here– with people whom I am honored and proud to call my friends, and teachers who have provided unflagging support and mentorship for 22% of my life. Sturgis has taught me an incredible wealth of knowledge– from Shakespeare to neurobiology – but perhaps the most invaluable lesson I have learned here is perseverance. No matter how discouraging, difficult, tedious, or excruciating our years here were, we never gave up. Everyone sitting here today is a symbol of success– our caps and gowns represent the resilience and dedication we demonstrated on a daily basis. It wasn't the building that propelled us to this moment– it was each other. Regardless of where we end up or how we get there, I know that we will do so entirely as ourselves– with determination, commitment, and passion.

Congratulations to everyone in our class, and thank you!

I don’t want to simply go freshman year to senior year all in a row because honestly, Sturgis isn’t conventional and this shouldn’t be either. I’m so glad to have been able to be educated here and spend my time with all the unique people . Sturgis is different because we offer education to everyone interested in coming here, not just one district. We have people from all over the Cape including Falmouth, Yarmouth, and even Plymouth. I don’t know how you guys drive that far. I'll stick to my one-minute drive.  Being able to live right next to the school I had an opportunity many others didn’t, and that was to go home for lunch. Mom, I totally didn’t bring my friends over sometimes I know how you don’t like that so I never did it. 

As me and my classmates can attest , we were not very known for sports. That never stopped us from packing the HYCC to show support to our basketball team to lose by 20. That never seemed to matter to us because we knew that just showing up and being around one another would be the most important thing. However, even with concrete tracks, an elementary school baseball field, and a community college basketball court we still have people that went above and beyond to pursue athletic greatness. Shane Stanghellini, Paige Wielgus, and Ben Conlon along with many others are only a few students who made it through that adversity and I believe they deserve that recognition of doing what they love. 

I wish I could speak about each individual classmate up here because I believe that we each have our own meaningful stories to tell and share. I do track, and with that comes being unexpectedly put in the 4x4. The experience of running a 4x4 is so similar to my high school experience because of what it feels like. One thing that I still remember fondly to this day is running the race for the first time and listening to the video my mom recorded for me to hear Ms. Tansey say, “does JV know this is a 400?” I learned that day that you don’t sprint the entire lap. 

Your first couple seconds are similar to freshman year, exciting and full of energy. Once you reach your first straight away you begin to realize that there's a lot more left to go but you keep going. 

On your second curve reasoning and thoughts start racing as you start getting fatigued and your body starts hurting, just like junior year! Finally, the last straight away. This is senior year. You're throwing everything you have left in you, using every ounce of strength to make it, until you finally reach that finish line because you never gave up. All of us up here never gave up. We will continue to never give up. IB Exams were stressful, but we did them. The CAS project and our Extended Essays were stressful, but we did them. We might’ve complained but we never gave up. 

Spirit week is something that makes you appreciate just how strong our school spirit is. Seniors always win but the class of 2024 knows we should’ve won last year. Don’t talk about tug of war though. Rushing into the field in blue from head to toe and yelling out class of 2024 had to be one of the most fond moments of my life. I never thought such a small school could have such a strong voice but then again I should’ve known since Ms. Mulligan taught me. 

Ms. Mulligan is someone who I believe is heavily representative of this. Always asking when I was working at Burrito Bistro so I could make her burrito, giving me advice about college, and teaching me Spanish. Every experience I had with her was always fun and she always knew how to respond to a question I had. That's what I believe is so special about Sturgis. The teachers never felt like they were intimidating or scary. They were always friendly and I always felt like they were more grown classmates than teachers. They were our friends and we were able to go to them with anything we needed. Whether that was asking what your grade was, asking them to watch a movie, or even playing against Mr Swetz in chess. Ask Travis how that went. The teachers always went above and beyond for us and I appreciate that. 

Sophomore and junior year were obviously different from freshman year. Aside from the masks, finally being put away sophomore year and the colleges being scouted junior year we were able to move on from online classes. Something my mom would always tell me is “vai correr atras”. For most of you, you have no idea what I just said, for some maybe you did. It means “go run after it.” Go run after whatever it is that you want from life, from relationships, from jobs, friends whatever it is. Go run after it. Those words will always stick with me as I now go onto my own life and pursue my dreams and I want them to resonate with not only the class of 2024 but everyone here as well. As I come to terms with the reality of this situation I also realize that my time here at Sturgis will never leave me even if I leave it. 

Finally we reach senior year.  IB exams, college deadlines, and well… we don't need to worry about those negatives anymore. We cleared those obstacles. We had a prom to enjoy, and a senior assassin to stress over. Every day we came in we got closer and closer to today. A day which we all see online from other people as a kid but never believe we’ll reach. “It's so far away I have so many more years to go” we said as kids. Well, we're here. We stand here as proud members of the 2024 graduating class each with our own lives and goals. Feel proud to be here, we all earned this. Every essay you’ve written, every IA you’ve completed, and every spanish or french oral you’ve done. Sorry Latin. To my teachers who’ve taught me and teachers who have taught my classmates, thank you. Thank you for showing up everyday and giving us motivation to learn and expand our knowledge. To my family, thank you so much for supporting me as I reach my first of many finish lines. To my mom, thank you for always believing in me, scolding me when I was in the wrong, and teaching me to always be a good person. And Finally, thank you class of 2024 for all the life lessons and experiences you have taught me, all the friendships you have brought me, and all the homework answers you have given me. Travis, I like your shoes too. 

From Mrs. Abel, Art teacher:

Aside from her dedication and natural talent in the visual arts, this student has proven to be quite the writer in eloquently combining her research of three particular artists that use the human form and body language to convey different emotions and intentions to the viewer, such as religion, pleasure, and callousness. Her insightful research melded rich art terminology, historical and cultural context along with her own insightful perspectives of the artworks and how this could teach her new approaches. In the student’s own words, "I hope that by analyzing the various methods that went into creating each piece, I can improve on my own figurative approach and better communicate with the viewer." She is a true artist, heart and hand!

From Mr. Abel, Theory of Knowledge teacher:

She is a brilliant student whose writing exemplifies someone both gifted and invested in her craft.  She is able to convey complex ideas both simply and with a grasp of stylistic prose that is well beyond her years.

From Mr. Ribeiro, Extended Essay advisor:

When the student came to me to be her EE advisor and told me she was considering writing her paper on video game history, I was very curious to see where she was going to go with it. After some discussion she chose to write on Resident Evil and the Survival Horror genre. I was very excited to read what she would come up with since Resident Evil 4 was one of my favorite games from my teenage years. Much like her work in history class she did not need much encouragement from me. She wrote an excellent analysis on the state of the genre in the 2000's and how the Resident Evil series impacted the genre as a whole. From debating whether a Reddit post could be used as a source, to her final reflection on writing her extended essay, she was always focused and driven in her task. Her EE was a joy to read, and I can't wait to see what else she will write about in the future.

And lastly, from Mr. Swetz, English teacher:

She is one of the most talented writers I've encountered in a long time. Her mind is constantly making connections, and her ability to synthesize information, to generate an original argument, and to analyze text to prove her point is unmatched. Despite her penchant for computer science, she always approached her writing with a critical eye and natural talent for analysis. Her levity, dedication to her craft, and her writing abilities make her more than deserving of this award.

Therefore, it is my privilege to present the Gretchen Buntschuh Literary Scholarship to Sydney Faranetta.

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