Kaelan Daly Class of 2021 Valedictorian Speech

[0:00]Goodbye, seniors. Goodbye, class. High school, you can kiss my -- oh. Wait. Sorry everyone, that was my rough draft. Here we go. First of all, I would like to thank everyone who made this day possible and supported our graduates up to this point. Thank you to all the families, teachers, administrators, staff, and the three cans of Red Bull I needed to finish this speech last night. Most importantly, I want to congratulate the Class of 2021. We are here today to celebrate all of our hard work over the past 13 years and reflect on our experience. One that was unique from every single other class that has ever graduated from North Penn. And while we all shared some of the big events throughout the years, the opportunities here gave us the chance to forge our own unique paths on our class's common journey towards graduating here today. As we gained more knowledge and skills, something that likely impacted the route of our paths was the answer to the question we were all asked starting at a young age. What do you want to be when you grow up? In elementary school, this question was the best. I knew kids that wanted to be an astronaut, a movie star, or the President. Personally, I wanted to be the taste tester for Ben & Jerry's ice cream. So we all had equally big dreams. But as we grew up, this question became stressful and came with the pressure of having to know your interests and life plan. As a kid just trying to make it through high school biology. It engrains us with this idea that what we do and accomplish defines who we are. For a long time, my own identity and self-worth was vested in what I did and achieved. Activities, assignments, or events that couldn't be listed on a resume or college app felt worthless to me. Because their social and emotional benefits did not give me a tangible reward that fit my view of success. But reflecting on my experience at North Penn, the most important and joyful parts weren't the grades or sports trophies that I chased so eagerly. My favorite memories are the seemingly unnecessary experiences I got to have with my classmates and teammates. When I think about North Penn, I think about dancing at Winter Ball at 180 degrees, of course. I think about driving to Hershey and cheering on the Boys' Soccer Team when they won their state championship. I think about Olympic Days, Scholastic Book Fairs, Pep Rallies, Froyo in the cafeteria, Powderpuff Games, and dance parties at water polo tournaments. Most of all, I think about the incredible people I got the chance to meet and grow with. Looking back with this new perspective, I challenge us to reconsider the question, what do you want to be when you grow up? And instead ask, who do you want to be when you grow up? Because with this small change, the question takes on a different meaning. It frames our future plans and identities around our self-image, instead of allowing it to be defined by our accomplishments or career. It reminds us that who you are is not set in stone by genetics, past actions, or luck. Who you are and what you value are decisions that you get to make and what you have the most control over in the world. So after you consider what qualities are important for you to be happy with your identity, ask yourself if your actions reflect these values. If you want to be reliable, are you showing up for your friends in their times of need? If you want to be generous and kind, are you volunteering your time to help others? If you want to be happy, are you taking care of your mind and body? These are the actions that really show who you are and how you will be remembered. At our class reunion in 20 years, I do not want to be remembered as our class valedictorian. What is more valuable than this achievement is the hard work and teamwork I learned along the way. Those qualities are now a part of who I am and who I want to be, which gives me more joy, purpose, and success than the title of valedictorian ever could. Because once you are confident in your identity, you are already successful, and you are prepared to take on your other life goals. Now, we are at a crossroads in our lives where we will soon start to be making decisions about our future. Many of us are going on to further education, enlisting in the military, or going to trade school. In any of these environments, it's easy to get lost in what we do, how much money we make, or what we accomplish and achieve. But if we focus on these material things, we lose our identity. We become a what, defined and shaped by statistics, career positions, and societal labels, instead of a who, guided by our own decisions and beliefs. So I ask the graduates today, who do you want to be when you grow up? Because now is the time for us to make it a reality. Congratulations to the class of 2021. Good luck, and I can't wait to see who you all become.