This speech was originally written by Kasey Barnett ('20), student body president and 2020 valedictorian, to be given at the Commencement ceremony held on July 25, 2020. Because she was unable to give these words to her class on that day, we are proud to share them with you here. This fall Kasey will be attending Belmont University.
I would like to say thank you on behalf of all of the members of the Class of 2020 to the faculty and staff who worked tirelessly to ensure that we had the best experience possible prior to COVID and especially over the last few months during COVID. Your work has made the seemingly impossible possible and the unpleasant enjoyable, so thank you for that. I would also like to thank the donors who make it possible for students like me to attend Darlington School and grant all of us the extraordinary opportunities that would not have been presented otherwise.
Many of us came into this world following the tragedy of 9/11, we started forming some of our earliest memories in the midst of an economic crisis, and now we are being thrown into the real world in the middle of a pandemic. As Coach Atha would say in the training room on a Friday night, all you can do is control the controllables and give 100%, 100% of the time. We have faced adversity and shown perseverance through it all. But oftentimes, we get too busy chasing these crazy extraordinary moments, that we often look past the ordinary moments. To me at least, while I know that the COVID-19 virus has caused a lot of negativity in the world, it has allowed some of us to spend time with our loved ones and gain a lot of ordinary memories, like watching a movie with your siblings or maybe getting to go visit your grandparents a little more often. I think those memories are crucial as we begin our college journey. I don’t know about y’all, but I’m going to miss my family, and I know that I can hold those memories close to my heart when I’m feeling homesick.
When I reflect upon my experience at Darlington, I remember how terrified I first was, but what sticks out to me is the kindness that I was shown. I came here not knowing anyone, and constantly being told by those not a part of the Darlington community that I wouldn’t fit in here. Instead, I was welcomed into a diverse world with its own identity. Mrs. Sikes presented us with this question this past year: If a piece of artwork is in a museum, closed, with the lights off, does it have meaning? I know we won’t all have the same answer, but to me, that piece of artwork doesn’t have meaning without the people there to create the meaning. Our experiences and personality drive our interpretations of the world around us. That’s what Darlington is like; to the outside world, they might think that we have no real meaning or identity, but once you meet the people who make Darlington, Darlington, like Ms. Frances and her warm greetings, or Coach Guth and his early morning welcomes, or Mr. Moss with his trendy suits, or so many others, you realize that the community is rooted in its people and the kindness they share.
My challenge to y’all, my fellow classmates, is to pay it forward. Take the kindness that Darlington has shown to you, and pass that on to the others you come in contact with throughout your life. Always try to be a little kinder than you have to. I know we all have those days – I know I do especially – where you don’t feel like you have an ounce of kindness left to give, but I encourage you to find it within yourself to show someone a small measure of kindness. Whether it’s being a gracious driver, letting someone checkout before you, or even just smiling at someone who might need a little bit of encouragement, find those opportunities around you to make someone’s day just a little bit better. Brené Brown once said that in order to be brave you must be vulnerable, so take those moments of kindness to be vulnerable and show your compassion for the people around you. Some people think there’s no strength in vulnerability, but I promise it takes a lot more courage to be vulnerable than it does to be selfish.
We are the generation that can make a difference. It starts with us, and it starts now.
I’ll leave you with this quote from Robert Kennedy: "Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation."
Thank you.
