Ocoee High School valedictorian's speech: Katy Nguyen

By Katy Nguyen

Ocoee High School’s graduating Class of 2020! I am your Valedictorian, Katy Nguyen. I want to start off by saying that I’m very thankful to many people. To the guidance team — notably my counselor, Ms. Coffee, as well as Mrs. Hendricks and Dr. Lynum-Spencer. I also could not have achieved this without the help and support group I had established in my freshman year of high school. You guys know who you are. I’m also extremely grateful to my teachers and especially to all my friends and peers who have been immensely supportive and encouraging. 

Whether or not you know who I am, I hope that high school was not too harsh on you. You should be proud of yourself for making it this far and for pushing through. Now that our journey has come to this unexpected end, this is your chance to pursue bigger and even better things. As cheesy as that sounds, it is true, because there is still so much left in store for us. It is scary, and it is nerve-wracking, but there are now endless possibilities of what you can do next.

As ambiguous and as vague as the words “happiness” and “success” are, I truly do hope that you find that sense of contentment one day. I hope that you find a source of happiness in whatever you choose to pursue in the future. I hope that you can reach a point in your life where you can look back and say you have lived a successful life, no matter what that may mean to anyone else. 

As for right now, congratulations to us, this year’s seniors, for graduating and for everything we have accomplished thus far. We have made a lot of long-lasting memories and have experienced so much growth over the years, so this is something to be proud of — this is a moment to celebrate! Congratulations to the Class of 2020 once again!