Hailey Tran – Salutatorian of the Class of 2025 Speech

Good afternoon, everyone!

Congratulations to all of us Class of 2025 and family, we made it. I’m Hailey Tran. I am honored to be standing in front of you as the salutatorian of the Class of 2025 today. Class of 2025, we’ve finally made it to the end! It’s been an interesting four years, but thankfully we’ve gotten through it. I’d like to recognize some of the people that have had a role in the success of our class today.

Thank you, Mayor Christenson, Superintendent Dr. Sippel, Mrs. Jennifer Spadafora of the Malden School Committee, and all of your teams, for coming to so many of our events and extracurriculars, and for all of your unwavering support of not only the Malden High School Class of 2025, but the entirety of Malden. Mayor Christenson, when I was in 6^th grade, I won an essay contest, and you gave me a citation to recognize me along with advice to keep persevering; it motivated me to keep pushing to reach my goals. Thank you for your summer youth employment program; it means a lot to us students. For me it meant that I got the chance to intern under City Solicitor Alicia McNeil, who I thank along with her team for all of the insight they gave me into careers and for all of their support. Thank you to the City Councilors for providing opportunities for youth to get involved in the community. Councilor Amanda Linehan, thank you for the opportunity to serve as a Youth Representative on the Malden Center for Arts and Culture Steering Committee, it gave me a greater sense of belonging in Malden. Thank you, State Representative Steven Ultrino, for continuing to support Malden High School at the Massachusetts Student Government Day. Thank you, Malden Public Library Librarians and staff, especially Mrs. Rebecca Smith, Mrs. Cathy Bartlett, and Ms. Carol Woodruff. You all encouraged not only me, but so many others, when we were young and spending time at the library, to keep reading. Without all of your support, I would not have such a love for reading and writing. Thank you as well to the Malden Youth Center and Malden Recreation Department for providing so many outdoor activities and programs to support teens and youth during after school hours so that we all have the chance to explore different things in and out of our community. Class of 2025, don’t forget to find a way to give back to your community, because it’s helped you get this far.

Class of 2025, remember to always be grateful for the people who teach you and guide you through life. Guidance and advice from all of our teachers will live in our hearts and support us through moments where we want to give up. Thank you to all of the teachers, counselors, and staff at Malden High who have taught others and I in the Class of 2025. Principal Mr. Mastrangelo, thank you for reminding me that our paths are never-ending and always changing and to always keep going through them, as well as for always finding the time to be a down-to-earth principal that cares for all the students. Mr. Tivnan, you fed my interest in law through all your law classes and I thank you for all of your help through AP Gov, Mock Trial, and Student Government Day. Ms. Clapp, your classes taught me so much about public speaking and English. That’s why I’m standing here. I thank you both for your advice and all of your insight, it has never failed me. Ms. Mayer and Ms. Brookes, I’m grateful for the solid foundation of Spanish skills that you’ve taught me that are giving me the ability to pursue more advanced courses in college.

Class of 2025, we’ve all created friendships that can last. Remember to keep your friendships strong and to support one another to keep striving for success. A lot of people think of rubber ducks as just children’s bath toys, but to me, receiving ducks means victory, because at a lot of the larger swim meets, the winners receive rubber ducks. So, Susila Wong, Kathleen Yick, Megyn Ta, Linh Le, Stephanie Wong, and Erica Lu, thank you for all of the mini rubber ducks, they’ve gotten me through the last month with all the laughter. We’ve all gone through so many ups and downs through these last four years, especially with the AP exams and stressful college applications, but we’ve come out on top and won, so now the ducks are on my grad cap for all of us. I wasn’t able to mention all of my friends in this speech, but I think you know who you are. I treasure all of our friendships and all of you have always pushed me to be better.

Class of 2025, remember that you should never give up on doing the things you love. Mr. Conefrey, thank you for providing an environment for everyone to try out new sports and to thrive in all of the sports provided at Malden High. For me, that was swimming, and for a while, volleyball. Thank you to all of my coaches for all your guidance and to my teammates for cheering me on through these four years. I’ve looked forward to every season with you. Some of you may not know what this next person does for us behind the scenes. Ms. Marquardo, thank you for getting the team and I through the beginning of this season, we missed you a lot after captains’ practices! You’re always there for all of us students, and you go way above and beyond what any of us could ever ask for. I still remember my dream when I was young, to become a competitive swimmer. I can still recall my first swim coach at my first swim lesson, I had 4 floaties on my back and 4 noodles on my front, and I kept struggling even though they definitely knew I wasn’t going to sink. My coach encouraged me to keep trying and gave me the confidence to do so, and now I’ve gained all these swimming accomplishments. That same coach was also my last varsity swim coach. Coach Grillon, you were with me for two of my biggest swimming milestones, so thank you.

Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to thank the people closest to my heart. Without my family, I would absolutely not have made it this far. Mom and dad, you’ve unconditionally supported me through the stressful days and driven me to all my extracurriculars, morning practices even when you only have a couple hours of sleep, and away meets in what feels like has been every state by this point. You always encourage me to try new things, to push myself to excel in whatever I choose to, to strive to always be a humble, respectful, and kind person, and you never let me get down on myself for too long. Sophie, you’re not just my little sister, but you’re mighty, and someone that’s always pushing me to swim better—because you’re competitive. Even though we disagree sometimes, and the MIAA announcer always thinks we’re the same person for at least the beginning of the championships, I always know I can count on you to be there for me when I need it, and for you to be there with me to celebrate our victories. I’d like to thank these next few family members in their native language, Cantonese. 公公、婆婆、二姨、三姨姨, 雖然你們住在遠方，但每一次我需要你們的時候，我好感激你們每一次都會放低手頭的工作來幫我。I love you all.

Class of 2025, we’ve all worked so hard to get to this point, and we’ll continue to thrive in the future. As we keep moving forward into the next chapter of our lives, I hope you keep caring about our community, being grateful for those who guide you through life, preserving your friendships, pursuing your dreams, and cherishing your loved ones. I wish you all the best!

Thank you.