Ari Schwartzman

Springfield Township High School

One evening, I went out to dinner with my family. As a younger brother, I was doing my best to get a rise out of my sister. At some point, she gave me that familiar look that every younger sibling recognizes, so I said, “Oh no! Here comes the real Halle!” She responded, “I’m always the real Halle.”

That comment stayed with me for a while. Why don’t I feel like the real Ari? Why do I feel like I can’t be my full self? What even is a “full self?” My friends know I love my odd analogies, so ... imagine we start out as big lumps of clay. We’re amorphous and bumpy, and easily impressionable. When we’re young, that’s enough. We explore and shape ourselves however we want. Then, at some point, we need more.

We realize we have to act differently around different people: one way around friends, another around family, teachers, or coaches. We shape and mold ourselves into what we need to be for each situation. We show different figures for every situation.

So... what now? High school is over. What do we do with these figures? We could demolish our shelves and start from nothing. We could keep our figures untouched and unchanged. Most likely, though, we’ll use our current figures as templates to build upon, using our past to create our current selves.

Cody Natali

Springfield Township High School

Graduation is a landmark. It marks an accomplishment and the awkward transition from immature highschoolers to immature functioning members of society. Looking back on senior year, what made it my most meaningful year was a handful of values I decided to live by: ambition, passion, affection, and acceptance.

Ambition — challenge yourself. Adversity pushes us to grow, so don’t settle for “okay.” Seek what stretches you, whether that’s a rigorous course, a new skill, or a difficult conversation. Be the kite, and soar high.

Passion — pursue what lights you up. Be addicted to your passions, not your distractions and give your energy to what grows you, not what numbs you.

Affection — show up for people. As social creatures, connection is not optional; we need one another. In a polarized world, choose to be someone who makes others feel seen and loved. Tell people you care and be the reminder when others are forgotten.

Acceptance — learn from what was and move forward. You may think acceptance is resignation. I disagree. Acceptance means recognizing mistakes, learning from them, and using that knowledge to act better tomorrow. It also means celebrating the times we were brave and vulnerable, because those moments helped create who we are at this moment.

Kedar Moore

Springfield Township High School

As some of you guys know, I run track, and will continue to run D1 in college. I may be biased but I see our high school years as one big 400 meter race. ... this isn’t an individual race, it’s a relay.

This high school diploma we are going to receive isn’t just a one-man job. Don’t get me wrong, we did the best we could on our part. But without those 2nd, 3rd, and 4th leg team members we wouldn’t be here today.

The 2nd leg runner is the person who continues what the 1st did, works with the progress that was set up for them. That is our staff.

The 3rd leg is the person who works with what both people did before and is still expected to produce the same, or better results. To me, it’s the teachers.

Finally, our 4th and final runner. The whole race depends on them. We know they are going to deliver not because they have to but because they want what’s best in regards to the race. This is our family. Parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, guardians, grandparents, cousins, everyone who helped us get to this very moment.