Kaylee Commences

Ok I'm finally getting Kaylee's valedictorian speech posted.  I tried for WEEKS to upload it directly to the blog, and after much effort, finally went the youtube route, so yes, Kaylee your speech is now "out there" on you tube for all to see.  It's the price I had to pay to get it to upload to this blog.  But it IS an awesome speech.  Enjoy.  It was a bit windy, but still an awesome speech.  WAY TO GO KAYLEE-MVHS CLASS of 2012 VALEDICTORIAN!!!

Of note: if you don't turn the volume up too high it is easier to hear.  (When the volume is loud the wind is VERY audible, and it is hard to hear the speech-During the actual speech this didn't seem to be a problem, but the camera recording picked up the wind remarkably well :)  Also, since this speech is being posted mostly for the benefit of Grandma and Grandpa Barlow who anticipated sitting in the "special valedictorian-guest graduation seats" for several years prior to Kaylee's graduation, but are currently serving a mission at Heber Valley Camp and had to miss being present in person, I am posting the script of the speech below so they (or anyone else) can follow along while watching.
 

Class of 2012.  It’s hard to believe we’re really graduating.  It seems like just yesterday we were starting kindergarten together, and now here we are as seniors, ready to graduate and go out into the world.  We can probably all remember elementary school, having morning muster, buying Big Sticks and Cheddar Fries on the playground playing on the monkey bars, and participating in Bowlerville Idol.  And who can forget the awkward middle school years we all went through, stealing Ms. Burnettes altoids, being forced to run in P.E., and getting smarties banned from school.  And of course high school where everything is just better.  Football games, homecoming, prom, dances, and parties, and just a little bit of schoolwork.  Through the years we have experienced so much as a class, so I’d like to take a moment to reminisce about some of the things we’ve done, by giving you all a quiz.  If you answer yes to one or more of these questions you know you are from the Moapa Valley High School class of 2012.   If you were the last class to ever have an 8^th grade graduation dance you might be from the Moapa Valley High School class of 2012.  If you were the only class to travel to L.A. freshmen year, and get kicked out of the museum, you know you are from the Moapa Valley High School class of 2012.    If you can’t remember a single one of Coop’s jokes, you are from the Moapa Valley High School class of 2012.  And if Mr. Jensen was your English teacher for 3 or more years you may be from the Moapa Valley High School class of 2012.  Most of you should be able to answer yes to most if not all of those questions, and hopefully taking this quiz reminds you of some of the good times we have shared as a class. 

We are all so blessed to have grown up in Moapa Valley, and I hope as we go out into the world that we will all remember where we come from and who we are.  As Mark Twain said, and as I’m sure half of your Pirate hoodies and t-shirts quote, “Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be Pirates.”  We HAVE been permitted to be Pirates. And we have been GOOD.   In the words of Grant Bowler, we have had the experience of attending the best high school, in the best community, in the best state in the best country in the world.  During our time here we have taken state championships in sports, dance, cheer, and forensics, received superior ratings in music competitions, produced outstanding dramatic productions, and excelled in the academic realm.  Most recently our high school had the distinction of being one of only three comprehensive high schools in Clark County to receive a 5 star rating.  Yes, we HAVE been PIRATES for the last four years and we have been GOOD ones.  Our challenge now is to carry this goodness, this pirate tradition, with us throughout our lives and spread “pirate goodness” throughout the world.  So whether you choose to become a doctor, a teacher, an accountant, a mother, a welder, a policeman,  an engineer, a mechanic- be a GOOD one.  Many from this high school have gone on to accomplish amazingly “good” things, and my challenge to you this evening is to carry on this tradition and do the same. 

I would just like to end by thanking all of you.  Thank you especially to my parents; I know I would not be up here right now if it weren’t for them.  And thank you to all my classmates that made this year so meaningful.  I will truly treasure the friendships I have made throughout the last four years.  Thank you all and congratulations Moapa Valley High School Class of 2012!