88th Commencement Exercises
The 88th Commencement Exercises of St. Edmund Preparatory High School were held on June 3, 2022 in Carnesecca Arena at St. John's University.
Download the Commencement Program Here
Salutatory Address - Ashley Delgado '22
Good Evening Mrs. McGinnis, Ms. McEvoy, Mr. Wagner, Mr. Romano, faculty, parents, families, and my fellow graduates of the class of 2022.
The lights flickered and the radiator made a clanging sound amidst the silence in the room. A cozy apartment with two bedrooms housed the seven members of the Delgado family; with two beds pushed side by side we all took our spots. Wrapped in our blankets we sang the introduction song to the telenovela as it began to play. My eyes wandered to the beautiful skies and lovely smiles of the characters. I was amused to hear the words spoken so eloquently and thought, “if only I could speak such words”. As I watched how each character developed throughout the show, I would wonder what it felt like to possess such talent of transforming into whoever you pleased. My parents would look back at me and say “You are our last hope”. This jokingly said phrase was what marked the start of my journey. It was what motivated me to continue fighting for what I wanted even when the world seemed to be against it. This would be considered a typical day in my household but I find that at that young age I had a desire to make my parents proud…I had faith that I would be alright but I lacked the knowledge of the events that had to play out for me to get to where I am, to get to where we are all at.
Blessings upon all of you on this lovely night, before proceeding with my speech id like to thank you all for being here supporting the graduating class of 2022.It's an honor to deliver this speech and I credit this accomplishment to my Lord and savior because without him I am nothing, to my parents who have guided me, my siblings that protect me at all costs, they are indeed the reason I have made it this far, to my niece and nephew that make life so much brighter, to my true friends that encourage me to do right, to my SEP teachers….it is because of each and everyone of you that I was able to jump at the opportunities that life gives me and just a special shoutout to Mrs. McGinnis, Ms. Mc Evoy, Mr. Wagner, Mr. Romano and Mr. Lisboa because their love extends beyond the classroom at all times. When the news was given to me that I was salutatorian it felt like a sudden pause because in my hands I held a milestone I held the product of my academic sacrifices but in my heart I yearned for my father to share this moment with me it was his dream to see me graduate and become someone in this life so during those few seconds I tried to imagine what his reaction would have been…this is for him and all the parents that came to this country to give their child the opportunities that they did not have themselves.Today I not only represent my parents but I represent the Latino community and all those who strive for a proper education… And for anyone who has lost a loved one just know that they are proud of how far you have come.
I waited until May 30th because that was a month from his passing to really think about what to say in my speech…I put it off for a while but I choose to share this because even though everyone's hardships are different we all share the same sentiments. At the age of 83, my father would wait for me after late theater practices just so I wouldn't have to take the train all the way home, he took me to every single boxing class, to every dance rehearsal and he even made fun of my driving but i've gotten better ….these activities allowed my personality to blossom but if it weren't for his presence there I wouldn't have been able to partake in these activities…. Two weeks after his death my mother gave me his wallet. I opened it just to find several small pictures of me…he indeed loved me just as much as I love him so I thank you dad because the woman that I'm becoming has appreciated all the love you gave her.
I ask you all too look back at these four years… a lot has changed, we are no longer the children that walked into SEP thinking that High school was just like the movies had painted it to be…..no because this is real life…The moment you chose to be here was the moment you decided to take full responsibility of your future, your education, behavior, and who you are. I congratulate you all embarking on this journey to find your true identity, to embrace your passions and most importantly evolve. Success these four years has NOT been linear, the truth is that it never will be but you all showed up everyday no matter the circumstance and it is because of that that you are all sitting here getting ready to close a chapter that simply introduced us to the real world.
As we do this we recall our favorite memories, the first time we met our best friends and how that friendship evolved…. those friends that no matter the distance you will always be connected, the hangouts that we all wish would never end, the teachers we bonded with whether it was visiting their offices or yelling across the halls to greet them, pushing people to get through the b staircase, complaining about cafeteria food but still buying (im guilty of this too), those moments where you finally understand the lesson or you submit your homework right before the clock turns to 11:59 ….Perhaps it's the little things we pay no mind to that will make the biggest difference but hold onto the faith that more blessings will come your way… As we leave this chapter behind let us hold onto the courage we somehow mustered that first day of school and bring it with you on that first day of College.
Who you are right now is a combination of the people you have let influence you, the arduous and yet beautiful circumstances that life pushes you into with no warning, the courage and love you embody and the hope you have. We all know that getting through high school isn’t always easy but it’s worth it because as you let go of high school you welcome a better version of yourself…my wish to you all is that you may find joy in what you do and that you may love yourself enough to follow your mind but never at the expense of your heart. I applaud you all for who you are and who you will become that God may continue to lead you down a prosperous path
I’ll leave you with my favorite bible verse Joshua 1:7 "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go"
Congratulations Class of 2022! God bless you all
Valedictory Address - Laila Espaldon '22
Good Evening Mrs. McGinnis, Ms. McEvoy, Mr. Wagner, Mr. Romano, faculty, parents, families, and my fellow graduates of the class of 2022. Dear graduates, congratulations! We did it. We finally finished high school. I know these past four years were not the easiest, and our high school experience wasn’t typical due to the pandemic which rendered our sophomore and junior year almost all in a virtual setting. But I want to take this moment to commend each and every one of you for getting through it, because it was tough. But I know you guys, I’ve seen you demonstrate great strength and determination in and out of the school, and look how far we’ve come. To the faculty and staff of St. Edmund Prep, thank you for your untiring labor, imparting to us the knowledge and guidance needed for the next chapter of our lives, instilling in us the Christian values of faith in God, and for giving us credit for those assignments that we should’ve submitted a week ago because we would not be here without you. A special thanks to all the family and friends that have played such important roles in our lives over these past four years, who will continue to watch us grow, and who will love us no matter what because you have made this day possible, too. Of course, thank you to my parents, for their unconditional love: you have given me the world and more. I am standing here today thanks to your continuous encouragement and support.
Graduates, I implore you now to look to the future and the blessed life ahead of us. Although, I find this to be a little ironic because I was always more of an “I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it” kind of person. I didn’t like thinking too far ahead because the future was intimidating. But then I took a step back and looked at us. I observed how much we have grown, and all the things that we have accomplished, and I realized that yeah, our plans for the future aren’t set in stone but we shouldn’t let that stop us from continuing to work towards our goals, from trying our absolute hardest to achieve our dreams. I mean, look at us now. We are starting a new chapter in our lives. We are going to college. We are on track to pursue all kinds of careers, take advantage of new opportunities, and most importantly, enjoy all the things life beyond high school has to offer. The main takeaway is that you have the power to guarantee your own future, and I know you will do great things with that.
Admittingly, it’s a bittersweet thing, leaving high school. I’m excited about college but I’m also going to miss how things were at Edmunds. Reality didn’t hit me until that last day of classes, and the next thing I knew, all I could think about is how different things would be from now on. When it was finally time for me to walk away from the school on that last day, I couldn’t bring myself to leave. No, I turned around and I looked up at the building that I’d known for four years and I reflected on everything that it has given me. Four years ago, I was welcomed into the Saint Edmund Prep family and because of this, I have made lifelong friends and memories that I will treasure forever. I will miss the people I’ve shared classes with, who made the day more bearable with all your jokes, and the teachers that took the time to ask me about how my day was going, because it meant more than you’ll ever know. I’ll miss my theater club family, who are some of the most sweetest and talented people. And I’ll miss my best friends, who I am so proud of and forever grateful to have in my life.
Graduates, I know that you’ve all experienced so many great things together too, with retreats and sports games and so much more. I think most of us will miss it, the four years of high school—even some of the challenges that it brought. Trust me, becoming valedictorian wasn’t all that easy. There was a lot to be sacrificed, like pulling all-nighters just to get my history paper in on time, a prime example of finally getting to that bridge and dragging myself across it. But there was also a lot to gain. Everything that we have built together here is making it so much harder to let go. This is why I didn’t want the last day of classes to end because it was the last full day with you guys, my second family.
As I stand before you today, I want to share one of the most important lessons that I’ve come to value during my time at the prep, and it is that faith and family are forever. We may be on different paths and leading very different lives years from now, but the memories that we’ve made, the friendships we’ve created, these are the things that we must hold on to in the future. They remind us of who we once were, they shape who we are, and who we will become.
Class of 2022, my favorite bold learners and uncommon leaders, may this day be a good and lasting memory for all of us as it marks the beginning of a bright future, and may God bless us all on our journey. Thank you.