She was the first deaf-blind individual to attend and graduate college. Left deaf and blind following an illness at 19 months old, she went on to become an author and advocate for the deaf-blind. I’m sure most of you are familiar with the story of Helen Keller. I understand that this is also a somber moment for us, for after this ceremony today, we will no longer be high school students. Many of you also will leave projects and accomplishments that incoming students will build upon.Ī former teacher once – no, on multiple occasions – would say the following: “Build a bridge, you future rocket engineers of America!” Quick show of hands, how many of you heard that during your time here? I believe all of you will build your own “bridges,” using the skills and experiences you’ve gathered over the years here at Old Colony.
I leave the responsibility of maintaining my final project, a tool crib for the Carpentry shop to track tools in and out, in your shop’s hands. The teachers allowed me to pursue my interests related to Computer Science beyond the school curriculum. I also want to give a shout-out to the Computer Science department. Chaz, I look forward to hearing of your successes in the future – and I apologize for not accepting your Robotics invitation, I simply couldn’t make it work at the time. Not only is he the class president, he is also a member of the Student Advisory Committee, the National Honor Society and is a SkillsUSA officer. Our class would not have been as successful without his leadership. I would like to take this opportunity to give a shout-out to the class president, Chaz Aguiar. I’m sure many of my classmates can relate that being at home made it awfully tempting to pursue activities besides schoolwork. We all know too well that the last four years were filled with many challenges, from the school computers being hacked, to remote and hybrid learning and to missed social events. You will pull out our yearbook in future years and reflect on the Covid days, but you will also see all the wonderful happenings. Whether it was having to learn remotely or having to keep up with schoolwork while being part of extracurricular activities, or holding down jobs, or helping families, here you sit today.Īs our time together comes to a close, take this time to commemorate the memories and accomplishments we’ve made up to this point. Many of you faced heavy obstacles along your journey not only to graduate, but in life. Even during the most trying times of Covid, we pushed forward.
My fellow classmates, being here is proof of the perseverance demonstrated by the Class of 2023. One of my biggest supporters is my older brother Brandon, and I’d like for him to know how much that means to me. Thank your support people with every chance you can. As you sit here today, take a look around you.
So even if you feel like you’re held back by some factor, you can still reach your goals with effort, determination and support. On most days, it’s exhausting, but I never let that stop me or define me.Īs I stand here on the podium today, I want to tell everyone that no matter the circumstance, no matter your “ability,” you can succeed. Combine this with an impaired sense of balance, and you have a student who has to utilize so much energy just to physically navigate the school building, let alone partake in classes. Imagine looking at your daily life through two paper-towel tubes, that is how I see. I also have progressive vision loss with my peripheral vision being severely reduced, and my night or low-light vision being nullified. They allow hearing in a limited range but don’t discern which direction the sound is coming from. It might not be very apparent, but I am profoundly deaf – I have to use specific hearing devices known as Cochlear Implants to access sound and communicate verbally. I was born with Usher Syndrome, which is the leading cause of deaf-blindness and vestibular impairment. I am honored to deliver the Valediction.įor those of you that may not know me, my name is Jacob Mackinnon, I went to high school with you … if you’ve said hi to me in the hallway and I didn’t respond it wasn’t because I didn’t want to, it’s because I didn’t hear you or see you because, well, I’m deaf. The class of 2023 is the first class on the planet to complete all four years of high school during a global pandemic. Welcome to the families and friends that are here today, welcome to the Old Colony community and staff, and most importantly – welcome to the class of 2023! We all stuck together through adversity and challenge, and we have reached the end of our high school careers. Valedictorian, Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School Editor’s Note: The Wanderer invited valedictorians and coheads of school student speakers, Jacob MacKinnon, Teddy Carroll, Aliyah Jordan and Liam Houck, to share the transcripts of their commencement speeches.
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