Class of 2025 Valedictorian Speech | Annabelle Nunlist

Good afternoon Oldenburg Academy teachers, staff, family and friends, and especially the class of 2025. I would like to begin this speech by congratulating the entire class of 2025 and acknowledge how hard each person in this room has worked to get where we are today. I know from my own experience, high school has been nowhere near easy. I’ve stayed up extremely late, studying for a test the next day,  working on an 8 page essay due by my next class, or finishing a last minute assignment that I forgot about. Let alone, balancing sports, clubs, practices, and even jobs. I’ve worked extremely hard to get to this position, and I know that every single one of you can say the same thing. 

I have received many congratulations on receiving Valedictorian, but I feel most of that is owed to God; I’ve only been able to achieve everything with His help. I know that if He wasn’t at work during every single test, assignment, and everything in between, I would have given up long ago. Therefore, I give all the credit to God, as He’s the reason I’m standing up here today, and the reason all of us have made it this far. 

I would also like to say thank you to all of the family and friends that have supported us along the way… especially to MY family who has constantly supported me in all my pursuits and cheered me on through every stage of life.  

To my mom… thank you for always being my best friend and standing by my side through the good and bad, especially when I need you most.  

To my dad… thank you for always making me laugh, and showing me what it means to work hard and never give up.  

To my sister… thank you for setting a great example for me to look up to [and exceed :)] and for always being there for me… especially for me to argue with :). 

And to my brother… thank you for demonstrating to me what it means to truly care about someone, and for always being my buddy, even when we’re not together…  anddd for being the one to get into trouble with me :) 

But seriously, to ALL our families, thank you for your love and support… and to my classmates, thank you for going through the last four years with me.  

Finally, thank you to all our teachers for your patience and understanding, for pushing us to work hard, and for nourishing our minds and souls throughout these 4 years. 

Anyway, back to the class of 2025… it feels like just yesterday we were walking through the front doors of OA for our freshman orientation, meeting all new faces, anxious about who would be in our next class and who we would sit next to. Looking back to that moment makes me realize how much we have all grown… not only in academics and friendships, but as people in general. 

Most of us came from different schools and backgrounds, which I thought was going to make it difficult to find friends; however… it seems that our class has formed a family or small community, with each person playing their own unique role. Never forget the friendships you’ve formed and the relationships you’ve found here. 

Each of us has faced our own challenges and successes over the past 4 years that… maybe we’ve told others about, or maybe we’ve kept them to ourselves.  However, there are some things we’ve ALL faced together that have brought us closer…  we’ve all faced moving to a brand new school with brand new people. We’ve all experienced the loss of friends, and the gaining of new ones. We’ve all experienced failure, and we’ve all experienced success… whether in a class, sport, or even a relationship. We’ve also all had some variation of the typical high school experience: cramming everything on a notecard for a final the next day, staying up way too late

studying for a test you forgot about, going out with friends while procrastinating an assignment, or maybe even showing up to school in a panic as you realize… today was a formal day.  

While we may not have noticed it in the moment, these are the things that have brought our class together as a family and formed the OA community. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned through it all, it’s that everything will happen in God’s timing, as long as we put our faith in Him. 

Since the time I committed to OA in the summer of 2021, I’ve been told how blessed and lucky I am to be receiving the gift of a Catholic education. However, I always just brushed it off, and I never fully grasped it… up until now. Our Catholic education at OA should never be taken for granted. We've had opportunities for retreats, mass, Eucharistic Adoration, confession, daily prayer, talks with priests and religious sisters, and much-much more. 

I don’t know about you guys… but I would have never been this strong in my faith, had I not gone to OA - and I'm sure many of you can say the same. 

Each of you has probably been waiting for this moment for a very long time; I know I have. However, now that it’s really time to graduate, it’s a little hard to let go of.  Just remember to cherish these memories we’ve made as a class, and remember the community you have here at OA. 

As we all move on to college, the military, the workforce, or whatever it is, we all have a major transition ahead of us. Going from a small, Catholic school in Oldenburg, out into the world, we may face challenges we’ve never even thought of. However, remember to hold all your friendships close and never forget where you came from. 

I know that if you take the morals and lessons you’ve learned from OA with you into the world, you can make a difference wherever you go.

Most importantly, however, remember to keep Christ in the center of your life, and He will lead you to where you’re meant to be. 

I know, most of you are probably pretty anxious to get out of here, so I’ll wrap up my speech now. There are just a few things I want you to remember. 

First… stay humble in whatever you do; you never know what someone else is going through. Even if someone looks like they have the perfect life, like they have it all together, you don’t know their background, family life, or what they are struggling with. Just remember to love EVERYONE. 

Second… try new things, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes; just remember to learn from those mistakes and do your best to grow. 

Finally… from our senior retreat, always remember that you are all a child of God. Even if you’re different from those around you, we all have our own talents and strengths, and God sees each of us as his own beautiful son or daughter, so remember to use those strengths to make the world a better place. 

Now before I go, I would like to leave you with a quote from St. Catherine of Sienna… one that I’m sure you’ve heard before… ”Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” Just… make sure it’s the Holy Spirit kind, and not the  “I microwaved my mac and cheese without water” kind. 

Anyways, congratulations class of 2025… we made it! I’ve enjoyed our last 4 years together, and I’ll miss seeing everyone in the hallway, having classes together,  and yes… even walking up the 4 flights of stairs for art class. 

I can’t wait to see what the next chapter brings, and best of luck to you all!