Simran Tamang – Salutatorian of the EHS Class of 2024

Resonance: The Power of Presence

Good morning faculty, family, friends, and fellow graduates, thank you for joining us in celebrating this monumental milestone. My name is Simran Tamang and I am honored to be standing here today as the Salutatorian of the Class of 2024. I want to start off by thanking my teachers, coaches, and all EHS administration, faculty, and staff for providing me as well as my fellow graduates with an unparalleled education over our four years of high school. I want to especially thank my mom and dad, and my family in Nepal who have sacrificed so much for my brother and me to be able to receive a quality education in America and pursue our dreams.

My parents left the comfort and safety of their little village in Nepal to venture into America, an unfamiliar land where the language, customs, and traditions were different. Stepping foot into America, we traded in our grand celebrations of Dashain and Tihar for mellowed celebrations of strange western holidays. My parents courageously took on jobs outside their fields of expertise–my dad went from serving in the Nepali army to working as a delivery man, and my mom from being a farmer to a barista, all the while lacking English fluency. Their resilience and unwavering strength and determination as they worked every day of the week and attended night classes twice a week at Bunker Hill to learn English has been an inspiration and testament to their tireless dedication to their children. I am beyond grateful for their example and the lessons of courage and hard work they have taught me. So, to Mummy, Baba, tapai her la suby gernupha ko la gi, theri theri dhanyabad. If you’re not from Nepal, that was me saying thank you for everything to my mom and dad!

High School has been quite the experience for all of us here, in good ways and bad ways. Whether we’ve formed friendships that last a lifetime, developed an unforeseen love for an activity, or grown a strong dislike towards certain subjects, the last four years of our lives will be a core memory that we’ll surely tell our grandchildren. All about “When I was in high school, we would panic if we lost our AirPods and rejoice if the school lost WiFi.”, “When I was growing up, we knew something was a fact if we had seen it on Tiktok” “Back in my days, President Swift was just a singer, in fact some of us even saw her on the Eras Tour.”

But I want to recognize one (serious) thing in particular. High school is such an important time in our lives because it’s the time when we discover our identity. We figure out who we are, and who we hope to be. Some of us have found a sense of belonging on stage, performing in Augusta and Noble, or singing in the holiday concerts. Some have found our niche on the field, playing football or soccer, or even on the courts, playing volleyball or tennis or participating on the Mock Trial team. And there are also those among us who are still searching, still figuring out who they are, their likes and dislikes, figuring out a balance between what they want and what they need. And that’s completely fine. That’s good. Growth is good. Change is good. But whether you’ve discovered yourself or you’re still searching, I want to encourage each and every one of you to be proud of who you are, to take up space, to be unapologetically you.

Throughout high school, not being able to grow up in my home country and be as connected to my culture and traditions as I would like, I began to realize the power of my presence and the importance of my identity as an immigrant from Nepal. To preserve the culture and traditions that my parents and I had to give up when we came to the United States, I now strive to take up space as a Nepali, proudly showcasing my Nepali heritage and culture wherever and whenever I can.

At the college you will be attending next fall or the jobs you will be holding in the future, let your presence be known. Walk confidently into a room full of strangers, keep your head up, voice your opinions, let people know the correct way to pronounce your ethnic name (Sim-run and Nis-ch-al), and wear your cultural garments with pride. Let your presence resonate as you find your way through life. Start today if you haven’t already. Yes, it’s graduation, but it’s not too late. In a little while, when you walk across this stage, walk with confidence. Let your presence be felt, and maybe those few short seconds will resonate long into the future. Savor the moment. We’ve earned it. I wish you all good luck in your future endeavors, and I hope that you exceed all of your expectations in life!

Dhanyabad 2024 class,

If you’re not from Nepal, that was me saying

Thank you EHS Class of 2024!