Sayuki Lane, Executive Board Vice President

Hello! My name is Sayuki Layne, and I will be introducing the graduation speaker for the Class of 2024.

As I discreetly asked various students and teachers about this year’s graduation speaker, they characterized the speaker as “super nice,” “understanding,” “flexible,” and a “teacher that everyone visits whether they have” them “or not.”

Furthermore, not only are they a friendly teacher, but also extremely involved and loved in the sports community. They coach the boys hockey team and the girls JV golf team.

If that’s not enough, their tremendous school spirit does not go unrecognized. They are always one of the first to sign up to volunteer for school events. You will find them greeting people at the door for various dances, and then everyone happily hurrying to them to get breathalyzed. For football games, you will see them with just as much school spirit as the students.

This person is also known to be an incredible German teacher who balances having meaningful connections with their students through jokes and fun while ensuring that everyone leaves knowing about German culture and how to speak German by keeping each student’s goal in mind.

Finally, I heard he’s an excellent dancer, so make sure to ask him about that before today ends!

Please welcome our graduation speaker, Herr Kelly! 

Matthew Kelly

Families, esteemed guests, colleagues and, most importantly, the Class of 2024 — did you know that the UV Index is currently 8?

[Puts on Bucket Hat]

This is how I started almost every girls golf practice over the past four years and I figured that I might as well start my address to the Class of 2024 this way. This is especially true because the only advice [about giving this speech] that anyone from the Class of 2024 could give me was: 

*channel inner valley girl* “I don’t know… give me a shout out!” 

or 

*channel inner bro* “Herr bro, give a shout out to the boys!”

So here is the shout out that many of you asked for. [drinks water] 

Now that I have checked the one and only box that you gave for me, I can use the rest of my speech to hopefully impart something to you besides sun safety.

While thinking of the journey that you embarked on during the past four years, one theme kept resurfacing. Stories. Most of you know that if you had a story that I found interesting, you would have my complete and utter attention until the story was over, regardless of the content, length or whatever I or we were supposed to be doing.  

Eventually, you will not be able to remember your high school experience as vividly as you do now. At one point the only things that you recall are your stories. I graduated high school over a decade ago and the only things that I can recall are my stories. These stories represent your greatest memories and will stay with you for the rest of your life.

To the class of 2024, thank you for sharing your stories with me and letting me be a part of your graduation and overall high school experience. Whenever and wherever I see you next, I can’t wait to hear the stories of the next chapter of your life and reminisce about our stories together here at Wilton High School.

Congratulations and best of luck in all of your future endeavors, and don’t forget to wear sunscreen!