Class of 2010!! Where do I begin? If asked to define “senior year” one would probably simply describe it as your last year of high school. However, we all know that it is much more than that. Your senior year of high school marks the end of a 13 year journey that has taken you from naptime and snacks to calculus, physics, advanced biology and all points in-between. You’ve made lots of friends and probably lost a few along the way. You’ve been the student and the teacher, the mentor and the mentee, the leader and the follower, the kid and now the adult. Along the way you’ve managed to learn some important things about math, science, English, social studies, Spanish, art, technology and life skills that have helped shape you academically. However, you’ve learned many other valuable lessons during your time here at Western High School. You’ve learned about work ethic and dedication, about getting along with others, about dealing with “drama,” and about committing yourselves to a seemingly unknown cause just because it was the right thing to do. You’ve been faced with the task of being teenagers while managing to keep your sanity. You’ve been asked to do lots of things that didn’t make any sense at the time but did them because you were expected to.
I am writing this farewell with mixed feelings. I’m very proud that I’m fortunate enough to have watched each of you end this very important chapter in your lives but I’m not excited to see you go. I am unbelievably proud of each of you and of what you’ve accomplished. As I look back on my career, I have fond memories of each graduating class and each of those classes has a distinct personality that distinguishes it from other classes. However, I have never been part of a group that has the combination of personality, academic ability, dedication, and pride that you have as a class. I will miss each of you personally and collectively. I have grown accustomed to seeing your smiling (usually) faces each morning when you get here and each afternoon when you leave. I have learned as much from you as you’ve learned from me. You have helped me learn how to do this job and you have been a great encouragement for me, both personally and professionally. You help remind me each day of why I wanted to become an educator. The mark of a great class is whether or not the school becomes better a better place to be because of that class’ influence. You have made Western High School a better place for all of us because of your dedication and hard work. Graduation 2010 will be one of my proudest moments because of who you have become but one filled with sadness because of what you will no longer be. Congratulations Western High School Class of 2010. Thank you and good luck!!!!
Mr. Brewster