‘We will be the generation to change the world’

High School. Two words. Two syllables. And every 14-year-old’s nightmare. Despite that, from the moment that the class of 2022 walked into the empty halls of Brandon Valley High School, we were bound for greatness. The class of 2020 was infamously named the “Covid class,” the class of 2021 was the class in which the Coronavirus ruined their entire senior year … and where does that leave the class of 2022? For the class of 2022, we were left with the difficult task of picking up the remains left by quarantine and Covid and rebuilding Brandon Valley High School and our legacy. A hard task, and one that many thought we would fail at. We, however, have risen to the occasion. This class is proof that good things happen to those who wait. Our class was the first class to go into the intermediate school and come out in one piece. We were the first class to say goodbye to Dr. Talcott and welcome Mr. Schlekeway as our new principal. We have attended four state football championship games, won multiple state championships, set state records in both the arts and athletics, and we have had some of the highest state test scores Brandon Valley has ever seen. All of these factors, however, are not what make the class of 2022 special. 

One of our class’s unique traits lies within our class’s diverse groups of people. With a campaign spotlighting many seniors called, “You can do it all,” our class has broken the stigma that a student has to stick to one group in high school. And we certainly have demonstrated that. With football players singing in the choir, mathematicians producing artwork, and cross-country runners joining the orchestra, our class has paved the way for underclassmen showing them that they can do it all. Generations before us say that our generation is going to be the downfall of the world when in fact, we are going to be the generation to change the world step by step. And after spending four years with the class of 2022, I have no doubt in my mind that our greatness will not stop once we throw our red and black hats off and put away our graduation gowns. 

The greatness of the class of 2022 not only resides in our talents but within our ability to find the light within the dark. For two years a sheet has been placed on top of the class of 2022 covering our light with an uninviting sense of darkness. Our four years in high school have been marked by some of the worst political chaos and dysfunction modernity has seen. Many of us have experienced loss, and our lives have been altered in unprecedented ways. One of our class’s greatest losses lies within the passing of Chad Garrow – a mentor and leader to many of us. The loss of Coach Garrow shocked our school and community. Despite the tragedy following his loss, the class of 2022 responded with power and grit – we have picked up his light and have carried it around with us. The strength we have gained by dealing with these tragedies and trials has inspired us to find solutions. And I can proudly say that the trials that we have endured over the past four years have only made us stronger. We have gained strength through adversity and we are ready to move on to be informed, compassionate leaders in our city, state, and country. I can proudly say, because of our trials and tribulations, that I trust that we are more resilient for the world and more ready to face the uncertain world ahead.

At the end of the day, what makes the class of 2022 so special does not lie within our talents or our losses, but within the people themselves. Our achievements have demonstrated that we are destined to become a great generation of leaders, empowered with respect for others regardless of differences and a passion for being fair and getting the job done right. The next chapter for the Class of 2022 will look different for everyone, each path being a unique reflection of our time at BVHS. As the years move forward and change follows, it is important to remember who we are, what made us, and where we came from. Because the light of BV class of 2022 is everlasting and unfailing. And if we can continue to do that, we won’t be the snowflake generation or the generation that fails. We will be the generation to change the world.