Shabnam Bonyadi’s Valedictory Address at Poway High School

Shabnam Bonyadi delivered this speech June 13, 2013, at Poway High School commencement.

Four years ago, we walked onto the Poway High campus and experienced a unified first impression: This school is huge. Still untested and our minds still busy looking for N3-206 or N6-105 or W-4, we did not imagine ourselves in four years moving and shaking the school with our lasting achievements.

I have been given four minutes to summarize what took 10 Iliad newspapers and an entire compilation of the Odyssey yearbook to cover, which were both remarkable accomplishments themselves.

It is the activities we are involved and our dedication to academics that have contributed to our school’s competitive rankings in numerous fields. Didn’t our robotics team participate in World Championships this year? And hasn’t our wrestling team once again maintained its national prominence? And aren’t many of our artistic accomplishments going to be displayed at the Del Mar Fair? And didn’t our football team make it to the CIF championships? 

Although busy pursuing our extracurricular activities, we were never distracted from our academic responsibilities, which our increased API score and higher national rank can attest to.

However, it is not only through the school organized activities that Titans excel in, but also through the variety of senior projects that students must work to create for themselves. Our peers have organized events to raise money for cancer research, have helped students with special needs, and have developed ways of supporting communities around the world. 

The impacts we have left through our senior projects have been seen all the way in Sacramento as we have received the Civic Learning Award for California public high schools.

While our hard work and ambitious attitudes have pushed us to perform exceptionally well in a remarkable number of activities, we must thank all those who have supported us throughout the years. 

The unremitting motivation and dedication from our families, teachers, coaches, administrators, and friends have truly been essential in fostering our growth and knowledge at Poway High. 

They have supported us when our graduates performed brilliantly in the musicals and plays. They have supported us when our girls’ volleyball team made it to state championships for the first time in nine years. 

They have supported us when our Emerald Brigade Marching Band came out top at the Vista Invitational Field Tournament. And they have supported us in creating our first ever rugby team that competed in championships.

Class of 2013, we defy the odds. We not only made it through the 2012 Mayan predicted apocalypse, but we have also established ourselves with our accomplishments in academics, athletics, arts and activities in our community.

For our parents, this moment is bittersweet. They still remember the first day of preschool when we were wrapping our arms around their legs, crying to take us back home. Now many years later, our parents are anxious about letting us go as we embark on our journey out of Poway High to continue learning, achieving great accomplishments, and leaving impressions with every step in our paths. 

At Poway, we have demonstrated what we are capable of. And now it is come the time to unleash these nationally recognized talents to the rest of the world. Congratulations class of 2013!