Molly Owen: “We have proved that we can navigate through some of the most unimaginable things. Think of what we can overcome in our futures.”

Class of ‘22, we entered our first day of kindergarten in 2009, and after these thirteen years of hard work, isn’t it bittersweet to believe that we are done?  Our class is by far the most resilient class that has graduated from Waukee high school. It might be a stretch considering the class of 2020 almost didn’t have a high school graduation, and the class of 2021 had anything but a normal senior year. However, this class has faced some of the most unusual challenges that set us apart and make us class of ‘22.

Sophomore year of high school, almost feels like it never happened, and to be fair, some of it really didn’t happen. When the world shut down and we couldn’t be together, it felt like “normal” would never be obtainable. While the thought of online school from the comfort of our homes seemed like a nice idea before that year, we definitely didn’t imagine it to be the way it was. Sure, copy and paste and google translate became our best friends, we got to learn more about our teachers and see their pets through a screen, and maybe even got a few drive by parties to celebrate special occasions, but we were missing the most valued part of learning, being together. 

Our junior year, we were thrilled for the experiences that we did get, even if they were few, always saying, ‘at least we aren’t seniors this year.’ While most of us never attended a football game, or had a live audience at all of our activities, we were still together and that’s what mattered. The different changes in 2021 were scary, new mandates, some more online schools, and a lot of disappointment, but through these things we became stronger for our final “normal” year of high school. 

This past year has felt like a breath of fresh air and as normal as a senior year could get after the pandemic, we still had obstacles. Sporting events, school dances, live audiences, were finally given to us, but we were missing half of our student body. A high school split is very unique to this graduating class, because it is the first to ever occur in the district. This year we got some things that we never had gotten in the past years at Waukee. The ability to get parking spots in the morning, and an easier time getting through the hallways to get to class, but it is still easy to notice that we are graduating without some of our closest friends and family. 

With one school becoming two in the last year, some uncertainty of who we are as Waukee High School, has come into question. We were challenged to ask ourselves: what makes our school different, what makes our school cool? It was hard at first, we had constant comparisons and small rivalries, and establishing ourselves in this changed environment didn’t feel ideal. However, we had the opportunity to create a solid foundation and re-establish what a Waukee Warrior is. And I believe we accomplished that. This class has proved that we were made to overcome this specific challenge. Over this year, we showed through all different activities and academics that we are still the strong, consistent and amazing senior class of the original Waukee High school, defying being the old school, or just the school down the street. For our friends graduating from Northwest,  best of luck in your future endeavors as you celebrate your own graduation. 

So here we are. After all the things we went through together, it is time to move on to something new in our lives. High school might not have been as we imagined it and it may have had its moments, but we still endured and made it here, to graduation. To our teachers, and administration who helped us be where we are today, thank you. Thank you for not only teaching us, but for pushing through these challenges with us, and helping us find out who we are as a high school. In the moments you struggled, faced personal barriers, you never lost your spark to teach, and we are incredibly grateful. To our family and parents, thank you for practically homeschooling us for a quarter in high school and always inspiring and supporting us. To the class of 22’, let’s never stop being resilient in the presence of adversity. We have proved as high school students that we can navigate through some of the most unimaginable things, then think of what we can overcome in our futures. The next time you wear a cap and gown, or achieve your next goal in education or life, think back on these years at Waukee, and how resilient of a class you were a part of. 

Congratulations ‘22!