Saugus High School graduation 2025 – The Salutatorian Address

By Anowar Mahabub

Good evening, everyone. My name is Anowar Mahabub, and I feel extremely honored to stand before you today as the Salutatorian of Saugus High’s class of 2025.

Before I start, I want to express deep gratitude to the people who made this day possible. I want to thank all the incredible teachers and administrators for your continuous guidance and support. To parents and friends of graduates, your presence makes today even more memorable. Thank you. I’d also like to thank the custodians who are the behind-the-scenes heroes who keep our school proper for us. I’d also like to thank my parents for their sacrifices and for providing unconditional support throughout my academic journey. Lastly, to the class of 2025 – thank you. Thank you for showing resilience, heart, and growth in the last four years. Today is a celebration of our accomplishments and growth.

To be honest, when I first realized that I had to give a speech, I didn’t think much of it. It was the third quarter of my senior year, and it didn’t feel real. But as we neared the June 6th graduation date, reality had taken hold of me. I knew I wasn’t a public speaker, and I knew I wasn’t even the best writer. A couple of weeks before today, I kept asking myself, “How am I gonna do this?” I plagued my dad with questions on how to give this speech, and I was genuinely anxious. But somewhere between that panic and me speaking here today, I realized something important: growth doesn’t come from comfort. If I had turned down this opportunity, I would have missed a chance to push my limits and prove to myself that I’m more capable than I thought. So today, I stand here not as a perfect speaker by any means or a perfect writer, but as a student just like all of us, who has experienced growth.

But today isn’t about me – it’s about all of those sitting here today in our red caps and gowns. So, class of 2025, I want to leave you all with one suggestion: to live life with intention. Lean into the unknown, and don’t be afraid to stumble. As we all pursue our careers after high school, I encourage all of you to try new things and not fear failure. Famous statesman and American wartime leader Winston Churchill once said, “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” As we all move into a brand-new phase of our lives, we are all bound to be met with failure in some way. Whether it’s not getting the job we wanted, feeling lost in new surroundings, or simply making the wrong call, we will all face setbacks. But, amidst the immediate frustration or emotions we may feel, it’s important to realize the benefits failure holds. Failure doesn’t mean the end. It means we tried, and trying despite fear and uncertainty is how we will all grow. So, Class of 2025, as we step into this new chapter of our lives, don’t be afraid to try new things. Don’t be scared to get out of your comfort zone, you may even discover new passions. And don’t ever take failure as a final verdict; every failure is just a stepping stone on each of our paths to success. Our last four years prove our ability to stay resilient, so I inspire all of you to continue to do so in the years that follow.

I know a lot of us here today are eager to leave, so I’ll keep this brief. Class of 2025, congratulations to each and every one of you here today. We did it. Thank you.