Jessica Li
Valedictorian
Dear Class of 2024,
After years of being stuck in the trenches (the front stairways) and battling fierce winds (the junior research paper and declamation), we’ve made it to the other side!
It somehow still feels like 2020 wasn’t that long ago, when I was meeting you all through little rectangles on a computer screen as a B-sie. While I was scared to be the new kid, you all immediately welcomed me with open arms, and in the past four years, I’ve met some of the most amazing people.
While I’m excited to no longer need a bathroom pass to get away from mushrooms and fungus in the science classroom and to escape the stifling sixie hallway once and for all, there are so many parts of this school that I’ll miss. I’ll miss blowing up gummy bears during Chemistry Olympiad, singing my heart out at Argo production weeks, late night Catapulta FaceTimes and fun Learning About Biochemistry experiments. I’ll miss our deep discussions during math seminar, creating @blssleeperzz in French class and laughter-filled lunches. I’ll miss clogging up Wollaston’s after school with the soccer teams, making beautiful music with Concert String Orchestra and most of all, the many friends I’ve had so much fun with.
Boston Latin School has definitely changed me for the better, as I hope it has for you too. Trying to decode the Aeneid, having mental breakdowns and building physics flashlights at the last possible minute may have seemed like the end of the world at the moment, but it’s all been worth it. Through it all, we’ve grown more confident as students, developed great work ethic and become strong leaders. I am so proud of each and every one of you, and I cannot wait to see what you all accomplish in the coming years. Leaving here, it’s time to pursue your passions, learn as much as you can about yourself and achieve your dreams.
Younger students: work hard, but never at the sacrifice of relationships or memorable experiences. You’ll be much happier and a better student if you have a healthy balance of both.
See you all when we’re gray, wrinkly and balding at our reunion.
Signing off,
Jessica Li
Jessie Wang
Salutatorian
Hello beautiful people of the Class of 2024!
It’s really not hard to imagine the exact moment when you receive your diploma on stage in a purple robe, as I’m sure we’ve all fantasized about it over and over again. But it is hard to imagine its repercussions on our life. Leaving Boston Latin School? Waking up after six every morning? Using my phone freely in a hallway? It hardly feels real.
Everyone I’ve talked to has mentioned that it hasn’t “sunk in” yet. They don’t have the intense emotions they expected or feel like it’s truly “all over.” Part of the reason is because we’re probably too worn out. We’ve been through a lot together: from sixie shenanigans to virtual school to Junior Forum sessions to college applications. I’m sure we are all definitely looking forward to a break from all the purple-tinged and paw-printed madness.
But perhaps part of the reason why it hasn’t “sunk in” for some is because it might not be truly all over for us. Many of us will continue to stay engaged with BLS (I know you’re rolling your eyes, but hear me out) by visiting favorite teachers or clubs, volunteering as alumni or even returning as key-jangling, cell phone-collecting faculty members years later. I, for one, will be visiting the Argo to swipe some Insomnia cookies, following Ms. Cojohn on Instagram and finally calling Ms. Kwan Jess(i)e 2 right after graduation. I guess as corny and annoying we all thought speeches about our precious alma mater and “Te Scholam Matrem” performances (except for the hilariously off-pitch senior assembly one) were, it still is difficult to part with a school like BLS, where so many of us have blossomed into the people we are today.
The nostalgia is a double-edged sword. While I look forward to never seeing the dreaded blue, black and white screen of SIS again, I’ll miss cry-laughing during club meetings and being there to witness the talent and passions of my peers at Asian Nights, pep rallies and so much more. At the same time, I am so excited for a fresh start. After all this time and change, I cannot wait to discover what the world has to offer and apply what I have learned.
When I look back on the six years I’ve spent at BLS, I realize that I have changed so much as a person, yet I feel like not much time has passed. I’m not exactly sure when I transitioned from the stereotypical sixie running through the hallways to a proud senior entering a new chapter of her life, but I’m so glad that I did. I’m so glad that all of us did, and that we’re ready to take the next step, together.
Congratulations, dear Class of 2024. Here’s to old friends and new heights!
Jessie Wang