The young and the beautiful, ready to seize the new day

There is something divine in the flight of a swallow, something graceful about the way they soar above the trees, and something majestic in the way they chirp in the beckoning mornings. We, the graduating seniors of West Valley, the young and the beautiful, the determined and the idealistic, the brilliant and the dauntless, often resemble these swallows gliding elegantly on the winds of time, utterly sure of ourselves, and ready to seize the brand new day.

We feel like we have finally ascended the mountain and now gaze upon the promised land of that world that exists beyond the walls of high school. Nothing seems out of our grasp as we have achieved the pinnacles of academic excellence, captured state trophies and seemingly touched the very stars themselves. We, the sons and daughters of progress, pursuit and perfection, shall step out into this brave new world and mold it to our desires.

Yet even as we move forward, we must never forget to look back and look within, for the moment we forget where we came from, we will forget where we are going. We are swallows emerging from the nest and flying into an undiscovered country, and we are divine. Yet this divinity that is inherent in every one of our sojourning souls does not stem from our honors, achievements and awards. No, in the grand scheme of life, the gold in our trophies will tarnish and our emblazoned titles will fade into shadows. These accomplishments of mind and muscle do not define our eternal existence; it is our character and community that make us divine.

Seventy years from now we will not remember nor care what kind of grades we received on chemistry tests or what games we won or lost. They will all blend into a sweet melody of memories. Character is undying; it will never dull and never vanish in the sands of time. It defines us as who we are and what we will be for all eternity. Let us never forget this, for our character is an omen of our destiny; the more integrity and honor we maintain, the grander and nobler our destiny will be.

If we only can take one thing from high school, let it be the relationships that we have forged throughout these four years, for friends and family are what make life worth living. Who is there speaking words of wisdom when we find ourselves in times of trouble? Who is there with a light when the night is cloudy? Who is there with an answer for the broken hearted? Never forsake one another, for in a world so full of hardship and trouble the only thing we have is each other.

These have been the very best of times, and years from now we will still be able to look back and say: “How we love thee West Valley.”