Growing Up, Moving On

Victoria Shih, Ridgefield High School's valedictorian, held up a calculator during her graduation speech on Friday.

"On behalf of everyone in the class, I'd like to thank all of the people who helped us survive those 922,740 minutes," she said, commenting on her 13 years in the Ridgefield Public School System.

When class speaker Sasha Baskin scanned those same 13 years from the lectern at Western Connecticut State University, she was convinced that "some scary time warp 'Star Trek' process did this."

From leap frog to leaps of faith, members of the class of 2010 found themselves in an ever-evolving journey as they focused on connecting their past, present and future.

"I challenge each and every one of you to look into the mirror, take stock of the past you are from, the future you pursue and how to use the present to join those two," class president Collin Berger said to his classmates.

Following Berger, Shih joked about the class' unity, reminding everyone that they "didn't even manage to execute a legit senior prank." She also observed the class' maturity, something they've "never failed to showcase at class meetings and student performances." In response to this remark, fellow students blew an air horn and tossed beach balls through their ranks.

Forgoing an "overused quotation that we'll probably forget before we get home," Shih chose to "simply take a line from 'N Sync and say 'Bye, Bye, Bye.'"

Wrapping up the evening, faculty speaker Katharine Dougherty said, "Education is a messy business and it takes time. It's never really done, in fact."

She then drew a parallel between education and freedom, telling students that freedom is also a concept that takes continued attention during their life journeys.

Using Franklin Delano Roosevelt's four freedoms, Dougherty told the class of 2010 that they were fortunate to automatically be entitled the freedoms of expression and religion, and freedom from want and from fear. She encouraged the graduates to do their part in making freedom automatic for everyone else.

Baskin concluded her thoughts by returning to the evening's theme of the trip from past to future.

"Sure we may lose contact," the class speaker said, "but hang onto what you can remember. Give yourself a day every once in awhile to remember her, and her, and him. And while you're thinking about that, remember yourself. Remember who you were in these cinder-block walls."