Latest / Inside the OSD / S1 E21 - Class of 2023 Graduation Ft. Student Speakers

Transcript

S1 E21 - Class of 2023 Graduation Ft. Student Speakers · Inside the OSD

• 0:06
  SPEAKER1: Class of 2023, this is your moment.
• 0:09
  And as you cross the stage, you have the opportunity, the obligation, and the power to make your lives beyond high school special.
• 0:17
  And when things get challenging, remember that you've got people that will watch over you and will be there for you as that sun rises again tomorrow.
• 0:25
  Thank you.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER2: The culminating experience of a student's academic career in the Oregon school District is our commencement ceremony.
• 0:35
  This year, we have three students who will be addressing their class during the ceremony, and we are lucky enough to sit down and talk with them about their
• 0:43
  senior year, what's next, and of course, the important messages they'll share with their class.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER3: Welcome to this episode of Inside the OSD podcast, where it's all about the kids.
• 0:58
  Here is your host.
• 0:59
  Lifelong educator, and our superintendent, Dr.
• 1:02
  Leslie Bergstrom.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER2: Welcome to Inside the OSD.
• 1:08
  I'm here with our student commencement speakers, and I know this is a really busy time of year for you, so I appreciate all of you having a few minutes to
• 1:17
  talk with us today.
• 1:18
  So let's start by having each of you introduce yourself.
• 1:21
  Go like this.
• 1:22
  All right.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER4: I'm Emma Pedersen.
• 1:24
  I'll be attending UW Milwaukee for Digital Arts and Culture.
• 1:28
  I'm Peyton Yancey.
• 1:29
  I'll be going to UW Stevens Point for Environmental Science and a minor in vocal music.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER5: I'm Evan Miles and I'll be attending Minnesota State Moorhead.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER2: I'm undecided.
• 1:40
  And that's an okay thing at 18 years old.
• 1:43
  So this is the last week of school and it's different from all your previous last weeks of school because you're seniors.
• 1:51
  So what is that like for you?
• 1:53
  I'll start here.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER4: The laughs have definitely been the last and that's starting to hit a little bit more.
• 2:00
  I mean, we all know that this day is coming up, but it's definitely starting to actually feel like it.
• 2:06
  I mean, I had my friend hug me today just for no reason, and I almost lost it because I was like, "don't do that.
• 2:12
  Don't -- don't look at me." Um, but no, I definitely feel like it's just it's really hitting now, but it still doesn't feel real.
• 2:20
  Yeah, it's a very, like, surreal feeling to think that the last day of our time at OSD is in two days.
• 2:26
  I've been in this district since kindergarten and I've gone through every school.
• 2:31
  And it is -- it's just crazy to think that this is it.
• 2:34
  And then the next type of education we will be receiving will not be with the same people that we've gone to school with for the last half a decade.
• 2:41
  It'll be a whole new group of people.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER2: How about you?
• 2:45
  SPEAKER5: It feels like really pressure-free and it's like I'm able to finally, like, really take a deep breath and soak it all in that I've gone through all these
• 2:52
  years of my education and I'm finally able to just be like, I did it.
• 2:56
  Like it was a long time coming.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER2: That's great.
• 3:00
  As you reflect on this past year and your time in the school district, what stands out for you?
• 3:06
  And whoever wants to take this one first, go ahead.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER5: I think all the -- there was a lot of opportunities for me.
• 3:13
  But when I was younger and like in my middle school years, I never really realized what I was capable of if I really put my mind to it and like all the
• 3:20
  different stuff there is to offer at Oregon and I've really taken advantage of that.
• 3:24
  Like my senior year playing all the sports and doing everything I can just to enjoy my years.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER2: Nice. So you've seen that as you've grown older, your perspective on all of it has changed?
• 3:34
  Yeah, yeah.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER4: I mean, I've only been with the school district since freshman year, but I've definitely -- I've been able to -- I've been given a lot of opportunities.
• 3:43
  I've grown in my art.
• 3:45
  I mean, one one of my art pieces got first place in two different -- completely two different competitions, which-- That's amazing.
• 3:52
  Yeah. Which felt really great.
• 3:54
  Um, I definitely there's just a lot, there's a lot to do.
• 3:58
  And I'm hoping that wherever I go, we'll have a lot to do also.
• 4:03
  And just the people to be around is really nice.
• 4:05
  Yeah. And I feel like I've really matured and found myself and found the people who I want to be around and the type of person I want to be and found the morals
• 4:15
  and values that I want to continue to carry into this next part of my life.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER6: Wow.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER2: So what if -- what is something you've learned during your time in the OSD that you're going to take with you?
• 4:27
  You started with that idea, Peyton.
• 4:29
  You just said that you've learned quite a few things, but that's with all of your experiences, right?
• 4:35
  What specifically about the OSD will you carry with you?
• 4:40
  SPEAKER4: OSD is -- is a very helpful community.
• 4:44
  I never feel that help is not -- is inaccessible.
• 4:50
  I've always feel like teachers are there, other students are there.
• 4:52
  There's plenty of resources.
• 4:55
  And so that -- not as as I go into a new school where I don't know any teachers and I guess that's kind of how you do with every new year of school.
• 5:04
  But now that I don't -- I don't have that comfortable feeling of being in a district I've been in with my whole life, that that idea of that they're there
• 5:12
  to help you and not to hurt.
• 5:15
  And I'll definitely keep that with me.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER2: So the idea of reaching out because people are there to help?
• 5:20
  Love that.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER4: I'll definitely -- OSD has definitely taught me that there's no problem that you can't overcome, whether it be like an issue in class or falling behind or just
• 5:31
  like pretty much anything, There's always a way to overcome it and there's people willing to help you.
• 5:38
  You just kind of have to be vulnerable, which was definitely hard for me.
• 5:41
  But it's just it's definitely helped me that it's okay to reach out and you're going to overcome it.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER5: I feel like OSD has overall taught me like the power of persistence and just like to keep trying your best every day.
• 5:56
  And I think it has a lot of good -- like I don't know the word for it, but like opportunities, like there's always an opportunity there to learn or do something
• 6:06
  that you enjoy.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER2: Well, what all three of you just shared really reminds me strongly of your graduation speeches.
• 6:13
  So I know Mr.
• 6:14
  Pliner has a process in which he invites you to be two members of the senior class to apply to be a graduation speaker.
• 6:21
  Why was it important to you to be a part of that?
• 6:24
  SPEAKER4: Well, for me, it started with our first senior meeting in the PAC.
• 6:31
  They were talking about it and then we're like, "Oh yeah, we have people who speak, and then you can be a part of the process and like the competition, I
• 6:40
  guess, to join." And then I had friends saying, "Oh, I'm going to do one, I'm going to do one." And it's like, "Oh, ha ha.
• 6:45
  How funny would it be if I spoke?" Because I definitely only being at Oregon since my freshman year.
• 6:54
  Not everybody knows who I am, not everybody knows my background, so I thought it would have been funny if I showed up on stage half the school not knowing who
• 7:03
  I was and just started talking.
• 7:05
  And so for me, it was kind of a challenge.
• 7:08
  And then once our next senior meeting came around and they reminded us again and those same friends who said that they wanted to do it weren't going to do it
• 7:18
  anymore. I was like, "that means I have to do it.
• 7:20
  That means that I need to be the one that takes the initiative to just go and do it." And so I did it and I was like, "okay, I submitted it.
• 7:28
  Let's see what happens." And then when I was told that I was chosen, it actually felt more real and more like something I needed to do rather than just
• 7:38
  something to be funny for.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER6: Wow.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER2: All right.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER4: And I kind of have an opposite story.
• 7:44
  I emailed Mr.
• 7:45
  Pliner within the first week of school wanting to know about this graduation speech.
• 7:50
  I did my eighth grade graduation speech and I thought it would be a nice kind of bookend to also do my high school graduation speech.
• 7:58
  And so I asked him about it and he said that like, I'm welcome to start working on it, but it's not due for a really long time.
• 8:06
  And it was similar to Emma.
• 8:08
  It was very important for me to do it because of that closure.
• 8:11
  I'm not a huge fan of change and this is probably one of the biggest I will ever experience in my life.
• 8:16
  And so having that ability to stand on stage and to leave, to leave my mark on OSD and to have that that ending is
• 8:26
  really helpful for me moving on, at least.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER6: Nice.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER5: A teacher brought up to me the idea of doing it, and she told me that like my story, like she just -- I literally sat down and she just basically told me,
• 8:38
  "tell me your life story." And I told her my life story and at the end she was like in tears.
• 8:44
  And I told her like -- and she told me that I should do this because there's a lot of kids that don't have everything going perfect for them and adversity
• 8:51
  strikes and it's a dark place and it takes a lot to get out of there.
• 8:56
  And I just want to spread the message that there's always hope.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER2: That's beautiful.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER6: Yeah.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER2: So you don't have to spill the beans on your entire speech.
• 9:06
  Okay. Because I know you've got some -- I've read them, and they're beautiful, and I'm excited to hear you speak.
• 9:12
  But do you want to tell the listeners just maybe a few really high level points you're going to make?
• 9:17
  I mean, Evan, you kind of did just now, didn't you?
• 9:20
  Yeah.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER5: Like mainly I just want to get the point across of like dealing with adversity and just continue to grind away at what you enjoy and there will be good things
• 9:31
  to happen.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER6: Oh, that's nice.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER4: Mine is more about finding a sense of community and understanding that even though all of our experiences and journeys seem
• 9:44
  so different, they're really not when you just break it down into simple parts.
• 9:49
  We're all struggling in the same ways, and we're all looking for a sense of connection and it really is there.
• 9:55
  You just have to realize it's there and like, look for it.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER6: Wow.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER4: And in my speech, I talk a lot about change and change being okay and natural and the importance of adapting to it and how
• 10:10
  a lot of ways we adapt to change every day without even realizing it.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER2: I can't wait to hear the three of you speak.
• 10:17
  This is going to be so good.
• 10:20
  So what advice do you have for next year's seniors when you think about younger students?
• 10:25
  What would you tell them now?
• 10:27
  SPEAKER4: Well, for seniors, fight the senioritis.
• 10:31
  It's -- yeah, it's better to do it.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER2: It's real and fight it. Yes.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER6: Do your work.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER4: But for seniors and for younger students to keep going, I mean, as we've talked here a little bit about adversities, things happen and they suck and it
• 10:47
  hurts. But you've got to keep standing up.
• 10:49
  You have to keep pushing forward because they do get better.
• 10:52
  And it may take a long time.
• 10:54
  But the second that you tell yourself that it's not going to get any better, it won't.
• 10:57
  So you have to have that mindset that it will be okay and keep pushing forward.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER6: Nice.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER4: I would definitely -- this would apply to anyone, not just next year's seniors, but to anyone in the OSD district.
• 11:12
  If you have an opportunity to do something to try out for that sport, to take that art class, try an instrument to just do it.
• 11:20
  If you have that little like niche in your head that says "maybe I'll be good at it, maybe that I'll be I want to do it," just go ahead and do
• 11:30
  it. Because even if you don't like it, it's still something you can put on your college resume and say that you did.
• 11:36
  If you did it one year football, you still did it.
• 11:40
  You're not doing it again, but you still did it because you'll never know what you're really your passions are and what you want to do.
• 11:47
  If you don't try and figure it out, you won't know by just thinking about it.
• 11:53
  You'll know by actually doing it.
• 11:55
  Wow.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER5: My biggest thing would be like whether it's academically or like athletically or just even like socially.
• 12:01
  Just never give up on like, who you're trying to become because it's possible to do it.
• 12:05
  Like, no matter where you come from, no matter what's going on in your life, just keep trying your best and eventually things, you'll be happy.
• 12:13
  You'll figure out who you are.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER2: There's a lot of wisdom at this table, you guys.
• 12:17
  I'm pretty impressed by that.
• 12:18
  Now, you've told us what you plan to do as far as your majors, right?
• 12:22
  Or what school you're going to go to.
• 12:24
  What are you most excited about for your next chapter?
• 12:29
  SPEAKER4: It's a fresh start, and I talked earlier about finding myself, and I think it's funny that I said that because I'm -- I'm I can basically be
• 12:39
  whoever I want because I don't know very many people here and I can make the first impression however I want it to.
• 12:47
  And that is a very empowering thing to think that you have total control of your life about the opinions people have over you based on how you want to
• 12:54
  present yourself.
• 12:56
  And that kind of gets lost when you go to school with the exact same people for years and years and years.
• 13:01
  And you can keep growing.
• 13:03
  But the way you want to be seen may already be tainted by something you've done in the past or how you looked in the past.
• 13:10
  And so have to have that freedom is is very liberating.
• 13:15
  Yeah, I definitely cannot relate to that because I grew up with so many different people.
• 13:21
  Oh, my God. Let me tell you, two middle schools, there's a lot of growth in that.
• 13:25
  But I for once, I have the opposite problem where my roommate will be someone who I did go to school with here.
• 13:33
  And so instead of having to face that challenge of finding new people and reconnecting, I actually get to bring that connection with me for once because
• 13:43
  I've never been able to do it.
• 13:44
  I've never been able to bring someone along with me for what's coming next.
• 13:49
  It's always been finding someone new, so I'm actually really looking forward to being able to bring someone with me.
• 13:56
  Even though it is a new place, it's a new school.
• 13:58
  I still get to have some sense of connection still without having to completely restart again.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER2: Wow. How about you?
• 14:06
  SPEAKER5: I'm excited to go be playing football at Minnesota State Moorhead mainly because it's like a purpose in my life.
• 14:13
  Like a few years back, I really was asking myself like, "who am I?" Like, I didn't really have much purpose to my life and it's nice to be able to have a
• 14:21
  goal you're grinding for every day and working for because it just really makes me passionate, you know?
• 14:27
  SPEAKER6: That's amazing.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER2: Before you go, I want to make sure you know that Oregon School District is really proud of you and really proud of your classmates.
• 14:37
  And we're excited for you and excited for these adventures.
• 14:41
  And you're all just really cool.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER6: At this time, please move your tassels from right to left.
• 14:48
  Congratulations, Class of 2023!
• 14:55
  SPEAKER2: Remember that you can find links to all episodes of Inside the OSD and submit topic ideas on our website at
• 15:02
  OregonSD.Org/Podcast. You can find this podcast anywhere you can find podcasts.
• 15:09
  Make sure to subscribe if you're listening on one of these apps to get notifications on the most recent episodes.
• 15:16
  We'll see you next time on Inside the OSD, where it's all about the kids.