2017 nex+gen Academy Graduation Monday, May 15, 2O17 1:3O p.m.

Transcription

1 Processional: "Pomp and Circumstance" 2017 nex+gen Academy Graduation Monday, May 15, 2O17 1:3O p.m. Welcome and Introduction: Aimee Milazzo, Principal, nex+gen Academy Ladies and gentlemen, you may now be seated. Thank you for joining us to honor the fifth graduating class of nex+gen Academy. As a founding member and Principal of nex+gen, it is my great privilege to be here today to honor these 63 students. Let me introduce to distinguished Albuquerque Public Schools Board Members: Ms. Candelaria Patterson and Dr. David Peercy who has been influential in the development of the school since We are also joined by Ms. Debbie Elder, Executive Director of Innovation; and Mr. Paul Romero, Chief Technology Officer. I would also like to welcome co-founder and former teacher, Mr. Kevin Gant. I would now ask everyone to stand for the presentation of colors by the Del Norte High School 51st AFJROTC. Please remain standing for The Pledge of Allegiance led by Mark Chappell and Andreu Lazur. Presentation of Colors: Del Norte 51st AFJROTC Graduate Address: Aimee Milazzo, Principal, nex+gen Academy Introduction of valedictorian Kaylie Shingle (Amy Reece) Kaylie Shingle is the daughter of Phyllis and Brian Shingle. She will attend the University of New Mexico in the fall to major in Family Studies with plans for a masters in Occupational therapy. She has been a member of student government all four years and served as Student Body President this year. Ladies and gentlemen, one of our valedictorians for 2017: Kaylie Shingle. Valedictorian Address by Kaylie Shingle Welcome and thank you all for being here to support all of us at the graduation ceremony for nex+gen Academy s 2017 senior class. I can t tell you how honored I am to speak at this momentous occasion today. Four years ago on August 13, 2013 at 7:30am 104 freshman entered the nex+gen community in high spirits. I remember sitting in the back of my first period, Concentric Democracy. When class started our teacher Mr.Garcia stood in front of us and said, Guys you are going to remember this day for the rest of your lives. Now that is all that I remember him saying in that

2 motivational speech, but he was right I have never forgotten THAT moment and I don t think I ever will. That day so many years ago was the start of our long, crazy, and one of a kind journey through nex+gen Academy. This journey did not go without its challenges and speed bumps. I remember at the end of our sophomore year, we were finishing up our last project in our World Studies class. We were studying WWI and WWII with the end product being the crafting and posting of a public art piece that reflected our learning. My group with Natalie Y, Kady, and Kellsie, had ours completed with the last step just being to post it. As we glued our posters up, it started to rain, a small drizzle at first to of course, turn into an all out down pour. Dime sized pieces of ice soon began to fall, pelting us, followed by lightening and thunder. We struggled to hang our art with the glue not sticking when wet. We tried to use boxes to keep us dry as we worked, but in the end we were soaked to the bone. Now the weather ended up not being our only problem. Just as we were starting to finish a police car pulled up, the neighbor had called the cops. I promise you all none of us went to jail. After explaining our project and promising that it was not permanent art the officer actually thought it was pretty cool. He then snapped a photo of what we had and drove off. A little while later, when the sun finally came out, we took a picture of our wet, glue covered, grinning selves in front of our finished product. My groupmates and I will always remember all that we learned from that experience, which included to always have an umbrella stashed. This is just one of the many memories that I have made here at nex+gen. Some are as small and simple as sitting with friends in the cyber hall laughing and with our senior class laughter was never an uncommon thing. We have grown here at nex+gen. Our talents and abilities have reached further than we ever could have imagined. We have learned through the unique and sometimes a little bit bizarre projects with products of infinite possibilities. We have reached out and changed our communities for the better. We have widened our view of what our futures could be, of what we could be because nex+gen taught us to change our perspective. nex+gen has changed us all and hopefully we have left a good impression on it so that future generations can experience the same growth in their learning. To any current or future nex+gen learners, I encourage you to take full advantage of what you are offered, because believe me when I tell you it will all be worth it. Now this special day is not just for us. We have had much help and encouragement from everyone here to get us to this stage. Our families for always being there and supporting us, even when told that for a fast approaching deadline essential and sometimes odd items were needed and that they were needed now. Our friends for annoying us to get the work done or being

3 accomplices to help us get out of it, and of course our fantastic Facilitators for inspiring us to go further and being our friends. Congratulations nex+gen 2017 graduating senior class. I have complete faith in your bright futures as we all take our next steps towards them. Let me leave you all with a quote by A.A. Milne Promise me you ll always remember; You re braver than you believe, stronger that you seem, and smarter than you think. And in the words of our very own Joshua Romanowski; I hope you all have a very nex+gen day for now and forever. Thank you. (Amy Reece) Natalie Yonemoto is the daughter of Darrell and April Yonemoto. She will attend the University of New Mexico in the fall to study mechanical engineering. Her most memorable achievement during her time at nex+gen was her senior project, Paddle Up! In which she designed and created a portable, foldable kayak. Ladies and gentlemen, also a valedictorian for the class of 2017: Natalie Yonemoto. Natalie Yonemoto Address We came to nex + Gen with the doors wide open. Since there were no doors in our school. But that doesn t mean that we didn t overcome some learning curves. It seems that it was just yesterday that we were designing t-shirts in Ms. Lopes class, taught our parents about cancer for i-bio, and were debating difficult topics in Concentric. As we progressed through the years, we got markers thrown at us during math, we were taught a different language, and enjoyed the many experiments we did in chemistry and physics. And we made it, we overcame these challenges, many of which no longer seem like challenges any more. In a couple years from now, we won t remember the long evenings working on assignments that were due in echo a minute before midnight, or the hassle of trying to coordinate with our groups, we will remember the connections that we had, and the skills that are imbedded into us. Now, standing here, four years later, we can all agree that nex+gen has definitely changed us. We are better speakers, due to the variety of projects that we had to present, better learners, because of our resources and project based learning, and better people, due the support of our community. The amazing thing is, is that we are all different. Some of us may want to become artist, nurses, craftsmen, engineers, or entrepreneurs. While others are going to take a year off, join the military, or go straight to the next school. But the truly amazing thing is, is that we all took the same classes, researched the same things, but we all got something a little different out of it, and all of these amazing things that we are going to be starting in the next couple of months is the result of our not so typical high school experience. This experience helped shape the way we learn, the way we think, and the way we are going to live our lives.

4 Now many of us might not know what lies beyond this day or what we're going to be doing years from now. But not knowing, sometimes is the most exciting thing, because that means that we will continue to learn, and continue on this great adventure. Thank you. (Amy Reece) Meredith Waskow is the daughter of Christy Waskow. She will attend the University of New Mexico where she plans to study journalism. During her time at nex+gen, she served as the president of National Honor Society for three years. Ladies and gentlemen, our third valedictorian for the class of 2017: Meredith Waskow. Meredith Waskow Address Class of 2017, four years of writing papers, cramming for tests, and deliberate procrastination, have brought us to this point. I would like to extend a thank you to our wonderful teachers, staff, family, and friends for their continuous support. And of course a special thanks to the vital and not at all excessive fire drills that got us out of class, if only for a few minutes. Now, at the moment of our graduation, we can t help but wonder what the future holds. For instance what will we ever do without standardized testing, dutifully shielding us from actual education by constantly measuring us against the state s obtuse standards. But in all seriousness. Every aspect of our lives are in one way or another focused around piecing together the complex puzzle that is our future. And we spend so many of our days trying to see the final product that we forget to appreciate the time and effort we spend, the friends we make, the struggles we overcome and the accomplishments we achieve. Sure, seeing the completed picture is certainly rewarding, but it isn t the point of a puzzle. The point of a puzzle is putting it together. Right now, class of 2017, we are placing down yet another piece and our future is becoming just a bit clearer, however, there is still a great deal we have to learn.. Whatever path you chose, I hope you remember that this puzzle, this confusing mess of seemingly meaningless fragments, is yours. Which means no one else can tell you what it s supposed to look like or the right way to complete it. You don t have to rush, you don t always have to know what is next, and you certainly don t need to do it alone. Yes, the future is important, but truth be told that puzzle is always going to be changing. One day we are each going to find that something we truly believed we were destined for isn t panning out the way we expected. But like putting together a puzzle, when a piece doesn t fit, you don t spend hours trying to force it to conform, because that would be a misuse of time. Instead, you focus on the aspects that do fit, knowing that eventually the rest will fall into place. Don t let anyone tell you that you have to know where you want to go and what you want to do. There is no wrong way to live and there are many ways to succeed. So let us take this day to fully appreciate the magnitude of this accomplishment and to visualize

5 our futures. But, instead of looking at the incompletion, and intimidating empty spaces, let s admire the beauty of what we ve created so far, because it s pretty amazing. Thank you, and once again congratulations. Presentation of the Class of 2017: Aimee Milazzo, Principal, nex+gen Academy Thank you ladies. I would like to ask Board Members Ms. Patterson and Dr. Peercy to join me at the podium. Ms. Patterson and Dr. Peercy, I would like to present the Class of They have met all of the graduation requirements as set forth by the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education along with the New Mexico Public Education Department. To you I present the nex+gen Academy Class of Board Response: On behalf of the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education, we accept this 2016 graduating class of nex+gen Academy. Readers: Amy Reece, Caitlin Reece, Michael Steele, Laura White Closing: Aimee Milazzo, Principal, nex+gen Academy Graduates, as you stand at the finish line, know that you have not run this race alone. Your teachers have been there with you every step of the way to guide and encourage you. Would the teachers please stand for a round of applause. Graduates, share this moment of success with your parents. They have been there to support you through both challenges and victories; no job is more challenging or more important. Would our parents please rise for a round of applause. Please move your tassels from right to left. I am confident that I send you off today to be the creators of a new tomorrow. Know that my best wishes go with you. Everyone please stand as our graduates now process out. We can all join them in the hallway and patio just north of the theater. Recessional: "Time of Your Life" by Green Day