‘It’s The Little Moments’

‘It’s The Little Moments’ RCHS Graduation Speakers Reflect On Their Journey

Having begun their high school careers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the members of the Rockbridge County High School class of 2024 are not new to the concept of hardships — if anything, their shared experiences have brought them closer together.

In his opening remarks to the 210 students of the graduating class in Cameron Hall last Thursday night, senior class President Jackson Speers highlighted the bizarre start to their high school career in the fall of 2020, spent in online and hybrid classes.

“I’d like to give my condolences to those whose grades never recovered,” Speers joked.

In spite of this rocky start, Speers said that, upon their return to normalcy, he and others quickly rebuilt their sense of community. It was through connecting with his fellow students that Speers found the most enjoyment during his time at RCHS.

“I love knowing that when I walk out of this room that I will remember a story with almost every single one of you,” Speers said.

Following Speers, RCHS Principal Dr. Michael Craft addressed the class of 2024. Craft offered the idea that alongside the already daunting task of starting high school, transitioning out of a global pandemic created its own level of fear, but that this fear is “not an obstacle to be avoided, but a hurdle to be overcome.”

Craft’s speech revolved around the idea of fear and its natural place in the lives of graduating high school seniors.

“Fear can be a powerful force. It can either freeze us in our tracks or propel us forward. Fear in one form or another has always been with us on life’s journey, whispering doubts in our ears, planting seeds of uncertainty in our minds, and testing the strength of our resolve,” said Craft. “You have struggled to confront these challenges with courage and determination.”

Wrapping up his speech, he gave the graduating class a final piece of advice.

“I urge you to embrace your fears, confront them head on, and use them as motivation to achieve your hopes and dreams,” said Craft.

“The only limits that exist are the ones that we place on ourselves,” Craft added.

RCHS salutatorian Nala Shearer followed Craft’s address and spoke on the importance of recognizing the “little moments.”

“I could list off so many big milestones and accomplishments that we have achieved, both individually and collectively, over the last four years, but the more I thought about it, I quickly began to realize that it was actually the smaller things that stood out to me the most. I did not think about major awards, but instead about all of the little moments that brought us together and made us who we are today,” said Shearer.

Highlighting several special moments between fellow students, Shearer underscored the fact that small acts of kindness are in fact noticed. She told her classmates that these moments “may not get you the same recognition as being a professional athlete or musician, but they may just do something even better: make someone else smile or change the way they may view the world or interact with others in the future.”

Challenging her fellow graduates to continue to be inspirations to those around them, Shearer ended her speech by quoting Devin Riley, who died last year just before his graduation, saying “It doesn’t hurt to be nice.”

Following Shearer was the final speaker of the evening, RCHS valedictorian Charles Lowney.

Lowney began his speech by commending the diversity of his fellow graduates, a diversity of not only people, but thought. “You may all be wearing the same outfit today, but you all have different experiences, different outlooks, different personalities, and different futures,” said Lowney.

He then took time to bring to light the accomplishment of the teachers who stood with their students throughout the difficult time of the pandemic. After mentioning a few in particular, addressing them all, Lowney said, “Thank you for all you’ve done to cultivate the Rockbridge community, to make classrooms where we can learn, where we want to learn. Thank you for not just teaching to the test, but for sharing the drive that has brought you here to teach.”

“Know that what you do matters,” added Lowney.

Continuing the theme of his fellow speakers, Lowney spoke on the impact of the pandemic on he and his fellow graduates, noting their perseverance in the face of such adversity.

“No matter who you are, you can succeed beyond what you ever thought possible by doggedly following where your passion leads. Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence,” Lowney said.

Lowney closed out the evening’s speeches with a call to action, a call to not be afraid of failure, to even “fail upwards” as the graduates continue their journeys outside the safety of the walls of Rockbridge County High School.

“A successful person only has the best view because they’re standing on a pile of failures. So failing upwards shouldn’t mean blundering your way into a better position, it should mean you taking action, learning from your mistakes, and carefully laying a foundation for future success,” Lowney said. “With this new definition in hand, let’s all go out, try new things, stick with it, and fail upwards together.”