In The End Everything Is Okay

The following is the Valedictorian address from Olivia Hinze at the Turtle Lake High School Class of 2025 graducation ceremonies held Friday, May 23.

Hello and welcome everyone, today is a day that we will remember for the rest of our lives and I want to say thank you all for getting us here. Thank you to the Turtle Lake School District for all it has done for my classmates and me. Thank you to the teachers, staff, parents, and loved ones who have supported our journeys. We’ve had so many amazing opportunities throughout our high school years. All the clubs, organizations, and sports have helped us to learn who we are and build lasting relationships. Thank you to the classes who came before us. The classes of 2022, 2023, and 2024 for guiding us through these years. Without you, we would have had no one to look up to, and give us advice for the scary world high school is.
Personally, Turtle Lake has taught me to embrace the life you’re living, because you will never get these days back. From my own personal experience, I can safely say this is the way to go. For those of you who may not know, I used to live in Australia during my 4th-6th grade years. There were times when I missed home so much, that I was blind to the amazing experiences around me. Looking back, I wish I would have taken the time to enjoy where I was, and not wish I was somewhere else. I remember how the Australian schools were very different. There were two breaks throughout the day, one at 10:30 called “morning tea”, and lunch at 12:30. Looking back now I wish I wouldn’t have taken that for granted, because having two breaks in a day is something no school around here would ever have. That memory is the perfect example to remind me to always live in the moment. Despite my attitude in Australia, I’m thankful my family moved back to America. I’d like to acknowledge my parents for giving me this opportunity to be here. I’d like to thank my mom for giving up her home “down under” so that I can have mine here in Wisconsin. She gave up living by the beach for farms and snow, and I am so grateful for that sacrifice. And, I’d like to thank my dad for always working at my school so that I always have someone to go to. You have shown me what it’s like to truly care about your career, and I hope one day I am as passionate about my job as you are about yours. I would have never had the amazing life I have now if not for you both making the tough decision to move back to America.
Through my experiences, I can confidently say that it is far better to enjoy where you are than wishing you were somewhere else. So, with that, I wanted to talk about my senior quote, “Be where your feet are.” The quote stems from the Bible verse Matthew 6:35 which reads, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”. Throughout our lives we always find ourselves waiting for something better. We wait for the weekend, or for summer vacation, or even graduation, but in the process, we miss the beauty of what’s around us.
The same is true for all aspects of life. Look around you and appreciate the blessings you have. Each day you wake up is a new opportunity to live the life you want. We are all living our own lives and there should be nothing stopping you from making the best of every moment. Unfortunate things happen, we all have hardships. But we can’t get so focused on the bad that we miss the good. There is always a positive in every situation…. I’m sure we can all remember our 8th-grade wax museum. That was definitely a hardship that we all shared. We were so worried about speaking in front of the public, but now looking back it doesn’t seem so bad. My point is, that no bad thing lasts forever. Things get better. Things may seem like the world is going to end, but in reality, everything is ok. You just need to gain some perspective. One day you will be happy again. One morning you will wake up and find the strength to get up and conquer whatever’s at hand. Nothing is forever, but don’t take for granted what you have now because you’re focused on the future. Do you realize that you will never get today back? I know it seems insignificant, but truly take the time to reflect on that. For the graduates, I think we are all understanding that we’ll never get this back. But, for the rest of you, you may be wishing this was over so you could go to a bonfire or cookout. But, time doesn’t go by any faster or slower no matter how much you want it to. Time has gone at the same speed since the world was created, so who are we to dictate its pace?
I wish now I could go back to the days when we were young. The days when we went to a middle school dance wishing it was prom. The days we played volleyball in the middle school gym wishing we were high schoolers on varsity. The games were spent playing football behind the field because we were too young to play on it. The days when we thought we’d never grow up, never move out and never be faced with the world at our hands. Those are the times I now cherish because here I stand before you wrapping up my speech at graduation. The next step is leaving this school, to walk the halls as an alumni. To attend the games as a spectator. To continue to address your former teachers by their last names, because hey some things you never grow out of. If I see Mr Kahl on the street you can bet I will never be calling him Doug.
So grads, I encourage you to take this time slowly and appreciate where you are and how far you’ve come. Do not rush through life waiting for the next season, but cherish each day and find joy in the little things. Be grounded, and count your blessings. I’ll leave you with this message, be where your feet are, and don’t wait on tomorrow.
Thank you.