I’ ll see you when I see you, till then my prayers are with you

Tessa Hendricks, Valedictorian of the Jay High Class of 2012 had these words to her classmates:

To be able to stand before your class and say in all honesty that you love each and every one of them is something not many people can say about their class, but I can. In my time at Jay High School, I have experienced the feeling of success with you all, from finally winning the homecoming float competition to adding the final touches to prom decorations last year. I have also felt the hard times, when as a group, we may have failed to make a compromise or not have helped each other as much as we could have. But because of these times we have made bonds that will last our entire lives, and for that I am so thankful.

Our years here at Jay High School have been a learning experience. You all, as classmates, as well as my teachers, coaches and administrators have taught me so much. I have learned how to be a leader, I have also learned to follow when I need guidance, and, with a little help from Coach Whitfield, and his three page reports, I have even learned to tell the difference between when I need to talk and when I need to listen. I have learned the true meaning of responsibility and how it feels to be let down as well as be the one letting someone else down. I have learned to be thankful and have learned to appreciate the seemingly small things like a classmate loaning you a pencil when you are just having one of those days; You all know those days, when you walk out of your door with one shoe on, your shirt on backwards, and you have a test in first period that you forgot to study for! yes, one would be surprised how something as small as a borrowed pencil can help you see light at the end of that day’s tunnel. But through thick and thin I have learned the true meaning of friendship from my fellow classmates, which includes not just making friends, but more importantly, how to be one.

But as you all know, this is merely the foundation of the learning we will do after we walk out of these doors.  As the cliché goes, every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end. So what will you learn in your new beginning? Will you learn to manage your time as you load up on college courses as well as a part time job, will you learn to start a career or will you learn to live away from your parents?  Will you learn to be a man or woman of faith, will you learn to change old habits to better ones, or will you learn new ways to think? The fact of the matter is, you can do anything you want to do. I have never known a group of people with as much potential than the group of students I have gone to school with for the majority of 13 years. When I look at you all, I can see so clearly how bright your future will be. I can see how each and every one of you have such diverse and wonderful talents, and I know you will all use them well. Never forget to participate in your own life. Don’t let others tell you what you can’t do or what you should do. Do what you love, and love what you do. If you find that you are not doing that, don’t be afraid to make a change, because if anyone deserves to be happy it is this group of people.

I would not be the person I am today were it not for each and every one of you. You have filled my past with such wonderful memories like racing on the track at the elementary school track meet and Christmas caroling through the old school, and for that I will be forever grateful.  I would like to thank my family for always supporting me in whatever it was I was doing at the time. I can’t count how many sporting events they went to, but it was a lot. In fact it would take me less than one hand to count the ones they weren’t at. I want to thank my teachers for being there at 7:30 in the morning when I had a question about math homework, for doing everything in their power to answer my sometimes difficult questions, and for always caring about what was going on in my life as well as the other students. I believe I speak for the whole class when I say we will truly miss having such caring people around us all the time. Thank you to my wonderful coaches who taught me the meaning of teamwork, not just the way it works in sports, but in real life as well. Also, I would like to thank the administrators. I would like to thank the old ones for getting me here, and the new ones for preparing me to leave. Jay High School has been good to me. And finally I want to thank my heavenly father for allowing me to have the opportunity to grow up in both a town as well as a school full of people who have always believed in me.

We, the class of 2012, will be the first class to graduate out of this new school and I believe we have set a very high bar. I don’t know what I am going to do without you guys, you’re my family. So, “Let’s don’t say goodbye. I hate the way it sounds. So if you don’t mind, let’s just say for now I’ll see you when I see you. Another place some other time. If I ever get down your way, or you’re ever up around mine. We’ll laugh about the old days and catch up on the new. Yeah, I’ ll see you when I see you till then my prayers are with you, and I hope its some day soon.” Thank you for making my days at Jay as wonderful as they were. God bless you friends, family, and the Class of 2012.