They say that high school comes and goes in the blink of an eye, but I think that it is partially true since my eyes always seemed to be open as I studied late at night. I always knew that six years would be enough and that I would be ready and prepared to leave by the end of senior year. While this remains true, I never thought how much I would miss everything that is Saint Joe.

These last few weeks leading up to graduation have been a time of reflection. As I discussed with my friends and classmates, we all seemed to agree that we will miss those afterschool talks on the benches, underneath the shade of the trees in the courtyard. We’ll miss screaming and cheering at football and basketball games, and showing our Bloodhound pride at pep rallies. We’ll miss waiting to hear the sound of the bell, marking the end of the period, as we all rushed to the hallways and courtyard to catch up with friends before the next bell rang. As we talked in between classes, we would often lose track of time, until we heard the all too familiar sound of Mr. Sandoval’s whistle, followed by his voice, telling us to get to class. And of course, we’ll miss getting a late slip from Ms. De Luna.

Saint Joe has long represented a place of learning and growth. Many of us come from families with a rich tradition and legacy here at this school; some of us, however, are the beginning of what is sure to be a long legacy of Bloodhounds. Living here in the neighborhood of Rio Viejo, I remember growing up and hearing the loud cheering and the voice of the announcers coming from the football games on Friday evenings. I remember seeing my brother wake up every morning, putting on his khaki pants and button-up shirt, and walking across the street to school. I always longed to walk in his footsteps, and I eventually did in 2011, literally, as I also began walking to school every day for six years, waving hello to Mr. Raul Treviño every morning as he directed traffic.

Saint Joseph Academy has taught us many lessons. It is amazing to look back and remember how we were when we first entered this school. So many events have taken place in our lives, both inside and outside of school that have allowed us to mature. Every retreat, every class discussion, and every assignment tested our grit. Among one of the greatest lessons that I have learned is that taking risks and exploring the world outside of our physical, mental, and emotional comfort zones allows us to grow spiritually and find new ways to serve God and our community.  As we approach life ahead, let us keep close in our heart this important concept, as we dare to dream boldly and take action to improve our lives and community.

Each year the Call to Ministry class chooses a theme for the school year. This theme becomes the underlying concept and idea behind every school liturgy, retreat, and overall school life. This year, the Call to Ministry class chose the theme “Seasons of Love.” This theme addresses the important question of how one measures a year. Saint Joe, however, has challenged me to take that question a step further and ask myself how I should measure my lifetime. The CTM class challenged the school community to measure their year, and lifetime for that matter, in the way that a servant leader should. By taking on the role of a Marist leader, we must measure our lifetime not in daylights or sunsets, as the song goes, but rather in how we serve others with love. By challenging ourselves to measure each year of our lives this way, we give ourselves a purpose in this world. Ms. Martin introduced this quote from Mother Teresa to me a while back, and it says, “The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.” This rings true, and is a lesson we should take for the rest of our lives.

So many people have played important roles in our lives, helping us to achieve this moment as we graduate from high school and prepare to take on college life. On behalf of the Class of 2017, I thank all of our teachers, past and present. Thank you for your dedication and commitment and for always pushing us to present our best work and give our best effort. Thank you to our counselors, who guided us through the daunting college application process and helped us secure a place to go next school year. Thank you to the administration and staff, for working behind the scenes and ensuring that we have a welcoming and engaging learning environment. I would personally like to thank my family. Thank you to my grandmother and aunt for always being a source of support and sage advice. Thank you to my brother for being an example of strength and determination, and for always being at my side to celebrate my successes and to comfort me in my disappointments. I would also like to thank my dad; although he is not physically present tonight, he is and will always be my moral compass and a source of inspiration and strength. Finally I would like to thank my mother. It is through your unwavering and unconditional love and strength that I am standing here tonight.

One of the things I enjoyed the most during my senior year is that Mr. Lerma’s class, aside from learning about derivatives and other math concepts, almost always included talks about life, politics, and finance. One of the lessons that I learned from him was that with the right attitude, determination, and a mind open to new ideas yet rooted in God, a new world opens itself to us.

Class of 2017, take everything that we have learned here at Saint Joe and from our parents and use it in the future. The world is ours to take. No matter in what corner of the country or world that we may be in, let us always remember where we come from. As Michael Josephson said, “Take pride in how far you’ve come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don’t forget to enjoy the journey.”