05/26/2026
LC Community-
On Friday night, our Leverett’s Chapel High School graduation ceremony celebrated an outstanding group of seniors and marked an important milestone in their lives. While the ceremony itself was beautiful and meaningful, we know many family members, friends, and guests were unable to clearly hear the speeches and presentations because of the sound issues we experienced during the program.
We know this does not make up for the lost moment Friday night, and we certainly understand the frustration and disappointment that came with not being able to fully hear our students speak during such an important occasion. However, we do want to make sure our community has the opportunity to read the words our students worked so hard to prepare and deliver.
Below are the speeches from our Valedictorian, Itzel Mata, and our Salutatorian, Thomas Johnson.
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ITZEL MATA
Class of 2026 Valedictorian
Good evening —
Friends, family, and most importantly, the graduating class of 2026.
Earlier this month, my friends and I made a bet: whoever cried first at graduation would have to buy the rest a McChicken. So please bear with me as I try not to cry, because McChickens taste a lot better when they aren’t bought with your own money.
I put off writing this speech for the longest time. When Mrs. McClendon asked for it two weeks ago, I turned in the worst speech I have ever written in my entire high school career just to get her off my back. In reality, I didn’t finish writing my real speech until last night. And it wasn’t because I didn’t want to write it or because I was being lazy. I put it off because I knew this would be one of the last meaningful things I would ever do at Leverett’s Chapel.
I’m sure most of y’all, especially those who have attended multiple LC graduations, are tired of hearing speeches about how great going to a small school is. And I’m sorry to break it to you, but mine is over that same topic.
Over the past 14 years, LC has become a second home to me. It has blessed me with the chance to meet wonderful, kind people, especially my teachers. I’ve had very few teachers throughout my school career, partly because some of them had us for more than one year. For example, Mrs. Coker taught me in kindergarten, 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. She just couldn’t get enough of my class. However, even though I only got a new teacher every blue moon, I wouldn’t change that for the world. Because thanks to LC I’ve created meaningful relationships with mostly all of my teachers and mentors. So to every teacher I’ve had at LC: thank you for helping me become who I am today.
I do, however, have a special shout out for a wonderful group of ladies whom I sometimes wished were my grandmothers, with their warm smiles and kind advice, but who I was lucky enough to have as mentors instead. Mrs. Portley, Ms. Perry, and Mrs. Amaya: thank you for always being there for me and the rest of the seniors. Thank you for standing up for us, even when we were in the wrong. Thank you for being kind and believing in us, even though one of y’all once called my class a “disgrace to America” for not knowing our 50 states in eighth grade. I won’t say who… but you know who you are.
The smallness of LC didn’t just help me build relationships with teachers. It helped me build lifelong memories with my classmates. Over half of the graduating class of 2026, including myself, has been here since Pre-K. The rest joined us along the way. But no matter when someone arrives at LC, I can promise you they leave with memories that last forever.
This year, my favorite part of the day was eighth period, the only class where all the seniors were together. Our favorite thing to do, besides arguing with each other, was remembering stories from our younger years.
One of our most famous stories is the time Manuel got a splinter stuck in his behind in first grade. We had a substitute that day, Hunter Hammontree, and instead of taking Manuel to the bathroom or the nurse’s office, he bent him over and pulled the splinter out right in front of all of us.
Another classic story is when Ethan Vaden first came to LC. The same week, maybe even the same day, he started throwing white erasers around Mr. Cahill’s classroom. The boys immediately joined in, turning our geometry class into a full on war zone.
But that wasn’t the only time the geometry lab became a battlefield. One day, Mr. Cahill made us fill geometric shapes with chia seeds. It wasn’t very fun until Vanessa, Bryan, and Vaden started throwing them at each other. Eventually, everyone had chia seeds all over them, especially in their hair. Mr. Cahill never caught us in the act, but he definitely saw the mess. He eventually made us clean it up, which Bryan did by vacuuming on top of the desks.
I have a story for every single one of my classmates, but to keep this short, and PG-13, these are the only ones I’ll share.
So to my classmates: thank you for never letting a single day at LC be boring. And here’s the last thing I want to say to y’all: we all like to say we won’t miss school, and that’s kinda true. But deep down, we know the truth. We won’t miss the homework or the tests. We’ll miss the familiarity. The comfort. The feeling of seeing the same fourteen faces in a classroom for 180 days a year. Because that’s all most of us have ever known.
But I know each and every one of you. I know we will be successful, whether that means becoming rich, starting a family, or whatever success looks like to you. When we walk out of these doors tonight, I want you to face the world with courage and determination. Walk with a purpose everywhere you go. Remember where you came from and the people who helped you become the best version of yourself. And please, don’t become a stranger.
Now, for the last part of my speech, I want to talk about the people who mean the most to me. This is for my mom, my dad, and the rest of my family.
Cuando comencé la escuela, tuve dificultades. A veces no entendía las tareas, y mis padres, al no saber inglés, no podían ayudarme. Así que recurrí a la única persona en mi familia que sabía inglés en ese momento: mi primo Gustavo. Una vez, cuando estaba en segundo o tercer grado, le pedí ayuda con una tarea de matemáticas. Me hubiera ido igual si la hubiera hecho yo sola, porque cuando me la devolvieron, la había reprobado. Esa fue la última vez que le pedí ayuda.
Sin embargo, sólo porque Gustavo no era el mejor en matemáticas o en ninguna otra materia escolar, no significaba que no me ayudó en otras cosas. Lo mismo ocurrió con el resto de mi familia. El hecho de que no pudieran ayudarme con mis tareas escolares no quiere decir que no me han ayudado en absoluto. Cada uno de ellos me ayudó a su manera.
Mi tío Juan me llevaba a la escuela por las mañanas. Siempre me hacía llega tarde porque se queda dormido, pero el esfuerzo estaba ahí. Por las tardes, mi tía Yola pasaba por mí; tarde también, pero siempre llegaba. Mi tía Malena, Jenny y Karla, mi tía Martha, y cada uno de los miembros de mi familia hicieron una diferencia en mi vida. Todos me trataron como si fuera una de los suyos. Me ayudaron a convertirme en quien soy hoy, y por eso quiero decirles que estoy eternamente agradecida.
Pero a quienes más quiero agradecer es a mis padres. Mamá, papá: gracias. Gracias por haber sido siempre mis mayores apoyos. Por darme las oportunidades que quizá ustedes no tuvieron. Por quererme tal como soy y por nunca dejarme sola. Les debo mi vida. Les prometo que trabajaré duro y realizaré mis sueños, no solo por mí, sino también por ustedes, para demostrarles que su esfuerzo no será en vano. Los amo con todo mi corazón.
Class of 2026, give yourselves a pat on the back. Our effort and hard work have finally paid off. Our time at Leverett’s Chapel has come to an end.
Thank you to everyone here tonight. It truly means a lot to me and to the entire graduating class.
Have a wonderful night and safe travels home. And remember, it’s always a great day to be a Lion.
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THOMAS JOHNSON
Class of 2026 Salutatorian
Good evening everyone,
To the administrators, teachers, staff, families, friends, and my fellow graduates, thank you for being here to celebrate this special day.
My name is Thomas Johnson, and it is an honor to stand before you as the Salutatorian of the Leverett’s Chapel Class of 2026. This moment is special for me because Leverett’s Chapel has been a home since Pre-K. This school has been a place where we grew up together, and now here we are sitting here today in our caps and gowns.
My journey here is special because ever since I was here, I have had family at this school. My grandmother, my dad, and my mom, who has been here with me the entire time as the band director. That means this school has never just been a place where I learned. It has been part of my family’s life, and I am grateful for the support they have given me throughout the years.
Many of us have known each other for most of our lives. We have shared classrooms, field trips, sports games, pep rallies, and memories we will never forget. One of the most special things about our class is that there are only 16 of us. In bigger schools, it might be easy to blend into the crowd. But here, every person matters. Every student in this graduating class has helped shape who we are.
Because our class is small, we became more than classmates. We became like family. We learned how to support each other, challenge each other, and celebrate each other’s success. We’ve seen one another at our best and sometimes at our most stressed. But through it all, we made it here together.
Tonight is also a time to thank the people who helped us along the way. To our teachers: thank you for your patience, your encouragement, and for pushing us to do more than we thought we could. To our parents and families: thank you for the sacrifices you made, the advice you shared, and the love you showed every step of the way.
Some may think we missed out by going to a small school. But standing here tonight, I think the answer is exactly the opposite. We did not miss out on anything. We gained something most people never get to experience. We gained a place where no one is a stranger. We grew up in a community where people do not just know your name, they know the vehicle you drive, they know your family, and they’ve cheered for you since you were big enough to play football or carry an instrument.
As we prepare to head into the future, the road ahead might feel a little quiet at first. We’re going to places where we’re just another face in the crowd. But Leverett’s Chapel has given us a different kind of strength. We’ve learned that success comes from hard work and guidance from the people around us.
As we leave Leverett’s Chapel and begin new chapters, some of us will go to college, some will start careers, and some may still be discovering the path ahead. No matter where life takes us, we carry with us the lessons we learned here: stay determined, support others, and never forget where you came from.
Class of 2026, this is not the end of our story. It is the beginning of a new one. We may go different directions, but we will always share the bond of growing up together in this place.
Thank you for the memories, the laughs, and the journey we shared. I am proud to graduate beside each of you.
Congratulations, Class of 2026. We’ve come a long way, and we are ready for whatever comes next.
Thank you.
