Donze addresses grads at PTHS

(Photo provided courtesy of The Pontio)

The Pontiac Township High School Class of 2024 graduated on Sunday afternoon at PTHS.

This year’s commencement speech was given by Emma Donze. Here is the speech:

Welcome, esteemed faculty, family and friends, and my fellow graduates. We stand before you to recognize past accomplishments and enter a new chapter of our lives.

Our journey hasn't been easy but we have all been perseverant. Our freshman year was the first COVID year and coming from a feeder school I didn't even meet the second half of the alphabet until the second semester of freshman year. I think if I had to choose one word to describe my class it would be resilient.

We went through half days and only came two and a half days a week to wearing masks but that never discouraged my class. We still were a class heavily involved in sports, music, and art which goes to show that we have the skills to navigate any trials we might face in the future. We are excited to go into the world with the skills we have learned here to become impactful members of society.

We must not forget the people who supported us along the way- our families, friends, mentors, and staff members who have continually shown support and made us who we are today. This time in our lives is very bittersweet. We will never forget the late nights studying, the excitement of a Friday night football game, and all the memories and friendships we created along the way.

As we look ahead to the future there are endless possibilities to start our new path wherever that might lead us. Whatever path we choose, let us do so with courage, conviction, and a commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us.