slowly adapted to the new teachers, responsibility, and all the homework. Our main goal for our eighth grade year was finishing strong. Keeping that in mind, we had to finish this year as a family who remembered the St. Paul’s Way. The class of 2014 will aspire to do more to make our community safer and richer than the way we found it. We will learn all we can, so we each can continue to be the best we can be. Here at St. Paul’s, we learned how to be true to ourselves, each other, and God. I believe our parents are proud of what we’ve gained so far.
Another thing we learned here at St. Paul’s was how to face our fears. We entered eighth grade as scary little people, and we are exiting as fearless go-getters. We are confident when we walk out the doors of this school that we will be ready to do our part as independent thinkers and spirited, fun loving, and community difference-makers.
All of us shared great times together during this past year. We started the year off coming together as a class on our adventure trip to North Carolina, where we really found insight as to who we are as people. Our skills and beliefs were challenged while we were there, and we returned home with newfound self-confidence and abilities. This trip was the beginning of our long journey; together we faced our fears, we hiked, caved, climbed, and water rafted as a team – yes, a TEAM! Even when some of us were scared, we encouraged each other to keep going. As a result, we all survived through the trip, and then we moved on with the year. We were each other’s champions.
A couple of weeks ago, as most of you may know, we went on a class trip to Memphis, Tennessee. Our goal was to increase our understanding of the civil rights movement and learn about some of the sacrifices that had taken place in order for me to stand before you here today. On that trip, not only did we grow even closer together, but it taught us something. It taught us that we are all for one and one for all.
As…