Ashburn HS Senior Wants Classmates To Take Pride In Achievements
ASHBURN, VA — Deepti Narayanan, a graduating senior from Briar Woods High School in Ashburn, wants her classmates to celebrate what they have achieved over the past four years and not let the coronavirus crisis or anticipation of what lays ahead distract them from their accomplishments.
The last three months of school forced students at Briar Woods High School and at schools across Virginia to change their routines and adjust to a different learning environment, Deepti says in her winning graduation speech recognized by Sen. Tim Kaine. The Class of 2020 has been "emotionally, academically and physically tested" from the disruptions and anxiety caused by the coronavirus, she explains.
"It is a testament to our character. And, as a class, we have displayed a sense of character that is stronger than any other," she says in her graduation speech. "Congratulations to this graduating class of 2020. It will soon be time for us to continue onwards and change once more. But for now, it is important to honor what we have strived for and what we have achieved."
Deepti, who will be attending the University Of Virginia in the fall, submitted her speech to Kaine as part of his “Everybody’s the Graduation Speaker” contest. The Virginia senator posted Deepti's speech on Monday. Kaine will be posting one high school senior's speech each day for the last remaining days of June.
With many in-person high school graduations postponed or canceled due to the coronavirus, Kaine encouraged Virginia's graduating high school seniors to submit a video of an original speech they would like to give at graduation.
Kaine said he felt a sense of loss for the graduates and wanted to give all high school seniors in Virginia the chance to be a graduation speaker.
"One of the many groups of Virginians I've been thinking about during this challenging time is the graduates of the class of 2020, many of whom won't have the graduation experience they've been planning for a long time," Kaine said in a statement.
In her speech, Deepti recalls the changes members of the Class of 2020 have experienced, from the day they took their first school bus ride to elementary school to the times when they started driving or getting rides to school.
Over the past 12 years, as members of the Class of 2020 have grown into young adults, one thing hasn't changed. "We know our parents, siblings and teachers, coaches and mentors and advisers and every single individual who lifts us with or without their physical presence" have been there offering their support in good times and bad, she says.
This article originally appeared on the Ashburn Patch
