Dear Class of 2025,

I’m sure that when most of us first imagined this moment back in 2012, we hadn’t necessarily also pictured the 6 am alarm that accompanied the first position in Millard graduation times, so, while I’m certainly not the liveliest person in the room, I’ll do my best to at least make sure no one falls back asleep. 

As most of you know, once you’re enrolled in Millard Public Schools, each student is given a personalized email account. Back before any of us even knew how to log into a computer, we had an empty Google Drive just waiting to be filled with the digital scrapbook of our academic journey.

In kindergarten, we worked endlessly to memorize the usernames and passwords that would follow us throughout our educational path, which I’m sure a fair share of you have used for all your other accounts as well. 

Then, throughout the rest of elementary school, we spent hours in the computer lab learning to type, practicing our Fast Math, and playing cool math games when we thought the teacher wasn’t looking.

Bit by bit, we filled that drive with our first attempts at Google Slides presentations and information for science fair projects we forgot to tell our moms about until the night before it was due.

As we entered middle school, our essays got a little longer, our projects a little more ambitious, and our phone storage a little fuller with pictures that I’m sure most of us wish could be wiped from the cloud altogether. 

Our growth was halted, however, as our 7th-grade discussions about “The Outsiders” transformed into Zoom calls where we tried our hardest to come up with a plausible reason as to why our camera wasn’t working that day. 

But like the unwavering and dedicated students we are, we did not let these setbacks hold us back as we transitioned into high school. Finally, our accounts flourished with the addition of folders for the things that truly interested us. Whether it was the sheet music for the next band, orchestra, or choir concert, the script for the upcoming drama production, or waivers to join one of our esteemed athletic departments (shoutout to our state champion football and cheer teams), Millard South has allowed each and every one of us to explore the passions that have made the class of 2025 one of the most unique and unforgettable groups of people I have had the pleasure of getting to know the last 4 years.

Now, our time with this unlikely time capsule has come to an end. Soon, our accounts will be deleted, but the 13 years’ worth of assignments and hard work will live on through the ways they have shaped us to become the outstanding group of young adults that stands before you all today.

While we will no longer don the millardps.org title, it is important to remember that each and every one of us has a new beginning ahead. Whether through college, the military, a trade school, or a place in the workforce, we all face a blank “drive” ready to be filled with new experiences, challenges, and achievements.

So, as we prepare to log off from Millard and step into the bright future that awaits, I ask that you carry with you the friendships that have supported us throughout this journey, the lessons that have molded our ability to take on every challenge that has been presented, and most importantly, the courage to pursue every opportunity that comes your way. 

I couldn’t be more proud of what this class has accomplished and will continue to achieve in the future. 

Congratulations everyone!