Bakersfield High: Bakersfield.com

Congratulations BHS Class of 2007

Looking out at my fellow graduates, over 500 of you, I see many different faces. I see the familiar faces that I call my friends, those that I share passing glances with in the hallways and those that I now wish I could have been better acquainted with.

I wish I could say that we all knew each other well and that we could all reflect on the same memories because it would be so much easier to recount specific experiences that have impacted each of our lives. I wish we could all have shared irrepressible laughter over Ms. Richard’s circus stories that taught us verisimilitude or vented frustration over Mr. Reynier’s project that made us explore the deepest recesses of the Cal State library. NOW, we may not have sat next to each other at a football game, but we have all rooted for the same football team; we may not have cheered for the same person at the talent show, but we have all marched to the same beat of our band's drums and sat under the same stifling sun during our first rally. And it wasn't too long ago that we tasted that same anxiety and uneasiness as freshmen.

Three and a half years ago, I was in the same state of mind that we will all be in in a few short weeks when we go to college. Having just moved here from Massachusetts, my heart was filled with vexing emotions of uncertainty, questioning and self-doubt. Would I ever fit in? Even the language made me feel like an outsider—my bubbler—your drinking fountain, my frappes—your milkshakes and my jimmies—your chocolate sprinkles. Away from my comfort zone of my middle school on the East coast, I had to carve new friendships and formulate a perfect impression. But gradually, I found my place in the mosaic that is BHS. And as my high school career comes to an end tonight, it STRIKES me for the first time that in this ever-morphing mosaic, our individual contributions will never be forgotten. We will forge the beautiful pieces we worked so hard to create over these last 4 years into the foundation of the masterpiece that will be our lives.

What I’ll miss the most about BHS is not its arduous academics, the welcoming campus or the insightful instructors, but the invaluable personalities that entertained and enlightened me over the years. No matter how diverse Berkeley may be, I doubt it could harbor someone as brilliantly bizarre as Henry Blanton or the hilariously inappropriate yet softhearted Mark Kimball. What campus but our BHS could foster a character such as Phillip Thomas who not only raps like Ludacris and plays like Jerry Rice but maintains an inspirational level of humility, modesty and compassion.

People like these make me realize how fortunate I am to have spent my high school years at an extraordinary place like BHS. Who knows what the future holds in store for us?. We’ve learned from our parents, our friends and ourselves that we’ll make mistakes and shed more than our share of tears. But what matters most is that we’re leaving as unified, strong Drillers. Armed with perseverance, tenacity and determinacy, I know that we WILL accomplish whatever we put our minds to. We’ll learn from our mistakes and emerge stronger than ever. We have the freedom to dream, the freedom to dare and the freedom to unlock ALL of our potential.

Words can’t express my gratitude to Molly Porter and Mark Kimball for some amazing tips on my speech. I’d also like to congratulate my fellow valedictorians, Michael, Alyssa and Isabel--it’s truly a privilege to share this honor with you.

We may be moving on as future Golden Bears, Bulldogs, Tritons, Generals, or for Angelea Selleck, Dutch in a whole new country, but we started out on this journey as Drillers and although it may take us places, we will always come back as Drillers. Congratulations, Class of 2007, and God Bless.

Shaibya Dalal gave this speech at the Bakersfield High School graduation.

The Power of Teaching

Graduation Speech, Class of 2007

My fellow graduates: here we sit today, bedecked in our billowing robes, sashes, and tassels, eager to graduate from high school and step out into the world. When we first walked onto this campus, we were like smooth, unformed balls of clay, impressionable and absorbing our new and unfamiliar surroundings. Many people have shaped us into who we are today, including our wonderful family and friends, and we are grateful for their love and support.

But let us not forget those who have made Bakersfield High School our home away from home, who have been with us during every step of our journey, who have guided us through every obstacle and illuminated us with the light of wisdom, fortitude, and character—our hard-working counselors, our resourceful principal, and, especially, our dedicated teachers. From them, we learned academic lessons such as how to hop on the mole train and recite the mole chant; that one rabbit plus one station wagon do not equal two; that exclamatory “shriek marks” should be implied, and not stated; that Mein Kampf does not mean “My Life as a Sunflower;” and that physics tests are not supposed to be finished. But most importantly, our teachers have taught us lessons that we can carry with us throughout the rest of our journey, that serve a practical as well as an educational purpose, that fuse “schooling” with our education.

For how else would we have known that a recent high school graduate can subsist entirely on the three basic food groups—Top Ramen, hot dogs, and macaroni and cheese—and that shower shoes should be worn at all times in a communal bathroom? That we can evade alcohol at a party by sashaying down the aisle with a bottle of Squirt? And essential skills of the utmost importance to our future, such as lighting cheap Albertsons matches and executing the ultimate Scrabble strategy?

Along with our loved ones, our teachers—our mentors—have formed and shaped us into elegant and refined statues that hold our identities and our core system of beliefs and define who we are today. Our teachers have helped us lay the blocks of our foundation that hold our statue upright with strength and conviction. Without their guidance, we would have swayed, perhaps even toppled over, at the slightest wind of change, at the slightest hint of uncertainty that made us question what we held to be true—our faith, our assumptions, our paradigms.

It is my hope that when we, the newest graduates of Bakersfield High School, venture out into the world to assume a job or pursue an academic degree, we will all find a mentor to support us, encourage us, teach us, hold us up and make us stand strong and proud, just like our teachers here did for us. It is my hope that we will develop our gifts and talents to the highest degree, always striving for prosperity and never settling for mediocrity. It is my hope that we will continue to be guided by the teachers of today, and, in turn, pass on our wisdom to future generations and become the teachers of tomorrow. Congratulations, Class of 2007, and wherever your academic and vocational paths may take you, one thing is certain: “Once a Driller, always a Driller”—the bonds of tradition transcend generations.

Alyssa Henning is one of four valedictorians from Bakersfield High School, and will be attending Cornell University in the fall. She plans to continue her education with Cornell's five-year Biomedical Engineering program, where she will eventually receive a Bachelor's degree in Molecular and Cell Biology with a minor in Biomedical Engineering in four years and her Masters in Engineering after her fifth year.

Salute to Graduates — Nektoe Demison of Bakersfield High School

Nektoe Dewayne Demison Jr. is graduating from Bakersfield High School this year and your family wants you to know how proud of you we are. As sophmores in high school, we had you. As we have raised you, we now see how much you also raised us into the parents we are today.

Among your many accomplishments, your biggest was your strive to be the best. As we put you into sports as a teenager, you never got discouraged, but yet tried harder. You have worked so hard to be an excellent student, athlete, son, friend and peer. You have had some awesome teachers who have seen the uniqueness in you and have pushed you to keep succeeding. You continue to keep reaching goals, but yet still underestimate your worth.

You have a heart of gold and always think of others before yourself. Your sacrifices for your family are always done with a smile on your face and love in your heart. We realize how hard it is to change schools your senior year, but you again did it without a thought and made the best of it.

This wrestling season, we saw how hard you worked and you have set the precedence for your brothers and sister. Your LOYALTY to your family and being the best you can be add to your already wonderful character. You have set the foundation for them and we love, admire and respect you for that.

We love you Nektoe and are so proud of you. As you are preparing for college and continuing to think of others first, we want what is best for YOU. You have worked so hard and deserve all the great things that are happening to you. The world is yours Nektoe! Congratulations!