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Good evening faculty, family, and most importantly, the 2024 graduates.
4 years ago, we joined each other on Zoom to celebrate the end of middle school and the beginning of the “best four years of our lives.” Now, we gather together one last time before we branch out to new, exciting opportunities.
Since freshman year, many of us, including myself, have been guilty of uttering the phrases “I can’t wait to graduate high school” or “I can’t wait to be a senior”. We did not acknowledge the value of our high school experience.
What I’ve realized recently is that we should’ve been looking back at our past four years rather than fixating on the future.
As someone who loves math, especially trigonometry, I noticed that two common trig functions, sine and cosine, truly encapsulate the high school experience.
High school can either be a sine or cosine function starting at x=0 for all of you. X=0 represents your first walk into the doors of RHS. Now, you sit here at your x=2pi, entering your next interval of life.
Sine functions start at a lower point and increase as time goes on. For example, you fell asleep during first-period biology on Zoom or failed to truthfully fill out your gym fitness log during freshman year. But then, you got good grades in Sophomore English or passed MCAS.
Cosine functions start at a high point and then decrease as it progresses. For example, you joined club meetings on Zoom or jumped into a sports team and flourished. But then, the workload of in-person school caught up to you.
Regardless of the function you resonate with, both share the same pattern. Once they hit their maximum, they slowly start to decrease before they hit their minimum. Then, as soon as their minimum hits, they increase once again. This pattern continues forever.
Whether you’re a cosine or sine function, you have experienced rejection and suffered hardship as well as encountering success in high school. We have gone through the waves of sine and cosine.
Which function are you?
I followed the pattern of the cosine function. I started freshman year strong with my courses on Zoom but then underestimated the rigor of Ms. Nanstad’s AP Statistics course during my Sophomore year. I slowly got used to the coursework and found my rhythm in high school. You could say that I reached the value as x equals pi/2 – the maximum.
What were times when you reached your maximum?
In senior year, we continued to ride the waves and the minimums persisted. Maybe you didn’t get into your dream college, maybe you didn’t get the grade you expected, or maybe you couldn’t keep a relationship that you held close.
Regardless of your story, take today, your last day of high school to reflect on how you’ve grown.
I’m forever grateful for the people who helped when I was at my minimum and celebrated me at my maximum.
Who are you grateful for today?
Thank you to my parents and the rest of my family for your support, guidance, and encouragement throughout the past 18 years of my life.
Thank you to my fellow leaders of the Feminist Empowerment Movement, the members of Math Team, and the Writing Center for providing me with a sense of community.
Thank you to the staff members who have supported me over the past four years.
To Mr. Kingston for broadening my perspectives.
To Ms. Szymanski, for enhancing my love for math.
And to Mr. Vasconcelos for providing me with a safe space to confide about my worries.
Thank you to Imane and Caitlin, my two best friends who do not attend RHS, for always being open and honest with me.
And lastly, thank you to my girlfriend Enzo who has provided me with the comfort, love, and reassurance that helped me push through the toughest times of high school.
Revere High School class of 2024, this is it.
As my 14 years at Revere Public Schools end, I encourage all of you to reach your maximum but also to reflect on the period of growth while you are at your minimum.
Congratulations everyone!
