Paris, Tenn.–The following are the student speeches for Friday night’s HCHS Graduation. Giving speeches were Valedictorian Jordyn Ingram; Salutatorian Amelia Northam; Class President Bradley Medlin and Honorable Mention Savannah Miller.
Class President – Briley Medlin
I asked a variety of seniors to describe their morning routine: Mary Claire Palmer says that she gets up at 5:30, scrolls on TikTok, gets ready, drops her sister off at Grove, heads to school, and meets up with her boyfriend. Jakari Ray says that he wakes up at 7:45, brushes his teeth, washes his face, throws on clothes, and hopefully gets to class before the bell rings. Mary Kate Grooms says that she wakes up, cries about assignments for five minutes, throws clothes around her room until she assembles an outfit, puts on shoes if time allows, then is out the door. All of these morning routines are different, but for the past three years, Monday through Friday, they have all led to the same place.
In his book, Salt from My Attic, John A. Shedd wrote, “A ship in a harbor is safe.” Though fighting for a parking spot at the bottom of E lot isn’t a cathartic experience, whether we realize it or not, we have found comfort in the familiarity of this school. We’ve grown accustomed to the humor found in Dr. David Webb’s random relationship advice, the excitement in the electricity that accompanies Friday night football games, and the solace found in friends who have supported us through laughter, tears, and even games versus Dickson County. We are the ships, all destined for different journeys, and this campus—with its traditions and character—has been our harbor.
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Together, we’ve had to overcome obstacles like learning our way around campus, standardized testing, and seasons of academic burnout, but tonight, we face our greatest challenge thus far: wearing hats that put our foreheads on full display for everyone to see.
All jokes aside, sitting here tonight, it’s evident that the cap is not the challenge—it’s the uncertainty of what comes after the cap. It’s easy to stay in the safety of the familiar—to linger in the places we know, surrounded by people who understand us, following the routines that have made us who we are. After becoming accustomed to a place like Henry County that fosters excellence, friendship, and community, stagnation is deceptively comfortable. It whispers that staying put is safer and that not taking risks means avoiding failure. In actuality, avoiding movement doesn’t protect us; it traps us. The truth is, the quote I gave earlier wasn’t in full; the full quote reads, “A ship in a harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are meant for.” Just as ships are meant to sail, we are meant to venture out, even when the waters ahead are unknown.
For some, the adventure is a college forty-five minutes away, while for others, it’s a college across the country. For some, it’s jumping into the workforce or a given trade, and for others, it’s making the brave commitment to defend our country. Whatever your adventure is, the transition into it is undoubtedly scary, but as Henry County students, we know that our futures are not defined by uncertainty or fear, but rather by strength and bravery.
So embrace the unknown, step forward with courage, and trust that the experiences ahead are worth stepping out of your comfort zone. Though it can be daunting, do it scared, make mistakes, learn from them, and build a future that makes you proud. We have been safe in our harbor, but now it’s time to set sail.
Honorable Mention – Savannah Miller
Good evening, fellow graduates, esteemed faculty and staff, and proud family members and guests! I am Savannah Miller, and I appreciate you all being here tonight to support each of us as we take our final walks across this stage. Your support as friends, as family, and as a community has helped us strive for success throughout our scholastic years here at Henry County High School. I experienced this sense of support when I moved here prior to my Sophomore year: a fellow teammate quickly befriended me and invited me to a local church activity. Being in a new town without any local family or friends is a challenging experience, and I will always cherish and appreciate those who stepped forward with a welcoming community spirit and kind heart.
Whether it’s the roar of the crowd during a Friday night football game or the support from coaches and peers in clubs and sports, we have always felt encouragement from our teachers, classmates, and community. This same encouragement has allowed our class to achieve goals through hard work and determination. Encouragement leads to motivation, which sparks hard working attitudes. My Cross Country coach, Mrs. Stephanie Winders, comes to mind when I think of encouragement. Her support and dedication to the team always sparked a willingness to strive toward my personal goals. She would stay after practice and actively listen to any problems or concerns I might have, and I knew she cared because of the support she provided. As a class, we have expressed our hardworking attitudes through achieving ACT milestones, excelling in club and organization competitions in DECA, Robotics, Spanish, and Rho Kappa, and reaching this significant accomplishment of graduating high school. As the legendary coach Vince Lombardi once said, “If you’ll not settle for anything less than your best, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives.” We represent this determination tonight as many of us display different colored cords and stoles.
Our career aspirations we’ve held in our hearts since childhood will only be fulfilled by how we have developed in response to our learning environment. In this community, we have the opportunity to discover ourselves through whatever department or elective that aligns with our aspirations. One could study how to properly sketch linework in Art, learn costume and setting design in Theatre, style and care for hair in Cosmetology, and learn hands-on skills related to auto repair in Mechanics. These skills will guide us in whichever path we choose: college, military, trade school, or straight into the workforce. I know whole-heartedly that our class will do great things in the future. Our experiences as a class have led to us growing close together and developing long-lasting connections that will assist us in the future. No matter where our future takes us, I know that we have each other to rely on. Thank you all for the unwavering support on this momentous occasion and as we continue our journey!
Salutatorian – Amelia Northam
Good evening everyone. As I stand here tonight, looking out at this sea of red, I see more than just a graduating class. I see a group of individuals who have been built up and strengthened by this high school. From the ability to take college classes, to seek help in PXL we have been provided with all the training needed to make it to this point, and to find success when we leave. This makes this moment not only a product of our own hard work, but also a reflection of the incredible support system that’s brought us here. I’m not saying to doubt the merit of your own achievements; I’m just saying a lot of us haven’t made it this far on our own. We owe a lot to the teachers, guidance counselors, and other staff who have poured their time, energy, and care into helping us grow—not just as students, but as people.
As we leave this place and step into the next chapters of our lives, whether it’s college, the workforce, the military, or something entirely different, we take with us so much more than the quadratic formula song or the start and end dates of the Civil War, and I’m sure some of us will always have those things memorized. We have been taught things that are so much bigger than facts out of a textbook. Things that don’t show up on tests but will define who we are more than any number on a report card. We have been taught how to think–some more than others–about the consequences each decision we make has on ourselves, our community, and our world. As Mr. Hampton often says, “school is the weight room for life.” When you’re playing a sport, you don’t deadlift your opponents, but deadlifts give you the strength to perform better against them. The same applies here.
Our lessons, our challenges, our growth are the reps we’ve worked through to build the mental strength we need to succeed after today. Our school and community has given us the opportunity to gain that strength. And now, it’s our turn to use it, to take everything we’ve learned, and to go out into the world with purpose, confidence, and character. So tonight, we don’t just celebrate a finish line, we celebrate a chance for a new beginning. Let’s honor those who got us here by doing something great with what we’ve been given. Congratulations on how far you have come, Class of 2025. Now let’s go make the future something to be proud of.
Valedictorian – Jordyn Ingram
As a twin, I’ve become accustomed to sharing. Whether memories, birthday cakes, or even graduation, I’ve shared just about everything with my brother for the last 18 years. Now, I know I’m not the only twin here tonight. The Class of 2025 seems to have a surprising number of duplicates; we even have our own page in the yearbook. Tonight feels like it marks the end of the chapter that my brother and I share and that you other twins share. But it also is the end of a chapter for us as a class. Many of you can relate to the bittersweet nostalgia filling the air. After all, we’ll be packing up our rooms, saying goodbye to our childhood homes, and stepping out from under the same roof we’ve shared with our parents, siblings, dogs — and for some of us, our other half.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been wrestling with this wave of nostalgia. Friends, family, and coaches keep telling me, “Enjoy it while you can. These are the good old days.” For almost four years, I believed them. But lately, I’ve realized how limiting that idea really is.
There’s a bittersweet feeling in knowing I’ll never walk these halls as a student again, but there’s something even more unsettling about believing this was the best it ever will be.
Don’t get me wrong, I can confidently say that high school was the best time of my life so far. I’ll never forget finally beating Beach in overtime…shoutout to Coach Summers: Go Big Red…or Ms. Angela’s voice in the hallway saying “Thumbs up, 5 stars” as I pass by, or the unforgettable activities after homecoming. All of those nights I spent playing pickleball or the laughs we shared at the lunch table made high school memorable.
But to only speak of the highlights would be to tell only half of the story.
Along the way, I’ve experienced my share of ups and downs—I’ve seen Henry County lose to Dickson County, totaled a couple of cars, started paying taxes, and even taken the ACT eight times.
But life hasn’t been without its tougher moments. I’ve also watched my peers experience the devastation of losing a parent. I’ve seen classmates almost lose their lives due to their bad choices. I’ve felt the sting of rumors, the ache of heartbreak, the absence of losing the dog who saw me through my childhood.
That phrase “the good old days” always sounds like something that’s already over. Like a chapter closed, a moment gone. But what if we challenge that idea tonight? What if we decided, right now, that the good old days aren’t something we leave behind but something that graduates with us?
If we live until we’re 80, we’ve only lived 20% of our lives–that leaves about 80% of our lives still in front of us and unwritten. Eighty percent of adventures, love stories, career wins, new friendships, detours, comebacks, and fresh starts. Eighty percent of chances to discover who we really are and what we’re capable of.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to peak at 18. I don’t want to look back in 20 years and reminisce about the good old days and tell stories from high school like that was the last time life felt exciting. Because the truth is, the ones who believe that the best is behind them often stop reaching. They are the ones that hold on to what was and miss what could be.
My deepest wish for the graduating Class of 2025 is when someone tells you that “high school is as good as it gets,” I sincerely hope you prove them wrong. I hope you try to make every day better than the last.
In the years ahead, we’ll all find ourselves in very different places. Some of us will be in college, others in the military. Some will be married, and some may be starting families. Some of us will even experience having our very own birthday cakes. But no matter where life takes us, one thing remains true—we are the ones shaping our own paths. We are the ones that get to decide what comes next.
So take the risk. Jump in with both feet. Eat that last slice of cake. Join that beauty pageant. Let go of anything that no longer brings you joy. Tell them you love them. Push your limits. Lead with kindness. Learn to forgive—always. Go out two nights in a row, even if you have an exam the next day. Learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Fall in love again–but this time with life itself. But most importantly, live a life with no regrets.
Treat every day like the opportunity it is. Build a life that’s worth remembering not because it’s perfect, but because it’s yours. And when we meet again in ten years at our high school reunion, I hope we share stories not just of touchdowns and prom dresses, but of lives we lived so boldly and without regret because we learned that every chapter of our lives are worth remembering.
High school isn’t as good as it gets because it is just the beginning.
Congratulations, Class of 2025, on your accomplishments and all the accomplishments yet to come.
Photo by Dallas Jackson/Forever Communications