Salutatorian Speech: High School Class Of 2024

Emily Kozemchak 13 June 2024 Salutatorian Speech Good evening teachers, faculty, district staff, students, family, and friends alike. Today, the Brick Township High School Class of 2024 is graduating. I would like to thank everybody for the opportunity to give this speech to you all today. Over the past 13 years, your hard work and dedication to your education, extracurriculars, work, and much more have gotten you to where we all stand tonight. Everybody here has experienced a different journey in getting here, and it is important to note who helped you get here: coaches, teachers, advisors, family, and friends. You may have heard the saying in the past that it takes a village to raise a child. Take a moment, or a few, following this ceremony to thank those important people.
On the contrary, very few of us can sit here and say that the people who guided us through elementary school still have a guiding hand in these final moments of our secondary schooling. One teacher that I have been allowed to work with over the past few years has been Mr. Deluca. Full of as much energy and passion for music as when I first met him in 5th grade, he allowed a large handful of us to try our hand at music. Over the years, I have been graced with the opportunity to continue the passion that Mr. Deluca taught me to love. From being able to perform with Mr. Deluca and many others last week, and marching with many talented and dedicated members, music has given me and many others before me, or performing beside me, a home and a second family that you sometimes see more than your biological family. These people inspire me every day to be the best version of myself and have given me so many opportunities to learn people’s stories. When I first mentioned the fact that this speech was about Mr. Deluca, I asked him to provide a quote that resonated with