To the Graduating Class of 2021,

In any given year my message to the graduating class would be similar to the year before. I would recognize grand achievements and high school milestones. I would encourage you to treasure the memories and friendships and look ahead to creating your own path. However, there is nothing typical or ordinary about the class of 2021 or your story.

Recently I spent some time reflecting on how different your high school experience has been from every other class that has preceded. Whether you dreamed of starting the year with Senior Sunrise, excelling in the athletic arena, racking up Senior Class points on dress-up days, engaging in lively classroom debates in Senior English, or dancing the night away at Senior Ball, these traditions did not become part of your high school story. The 2020 Pandemic altered your story and it will forever bind the Class of 2021 together.

You are the class that walked off campus in March 2020 and didn't return for 13 months. You navigated online learning, practiced social distancing and, mask-wearing became a norm. You are also the class that led CHS back to a sense of normalcy when the campus doors reopened in April 2021. You brought back Senior Sunset. You led the graduation procession through Gerety Stadium with Pomp and Circumstance reverberating from the sound system for all of Antelope to hear and celebrate with you. You turned your tassels, said your goodbyes, and headed off to write the next chapter.

In the words of Tony Robbins, "No one's life is a smooth sail; we all come into stormy weather. But it's this adversity - and more specifically our resilience - that makes us strong and successful."

It is your resilience that has made the Class of 2021 #CenterStrong. It is your resilience that will enable you to find success as you pave your way through the next chapter. It is resilience that will be your guide as you enter the workplace, begin post-secondary education or, leave home to serve our country. Your path and your story are now your own.

Every day you are given a blank page and a host of choices. If I can leave you with a few words of advice from my own life story, let it be this.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. The greatest growth happens outside of your comfort zone. Take chances. Some of your most extraordinary accomplishments may lie along the path you were afraid to take. Don't be afraid to fail. Failure is where the greatest lessons are learned.

It's time for you to step boldly into your future with the courage and resilience that has led you to this moment. May you always consider Center your home as we will always be proud of the mark the class of 2021 has made.

Sincerely,

Scott A. Loehr

CJUSD Superintendent