Glenbrook South commencement speech: 'We've made the sweetest lemonade from the sourest lemons'

Editor's note: Following is the graduation speech Glenbrook South Student Council Senior Class Board President Drew Duffy delivered to his classmates as part of the school commencement ceremonies on June 4.

Good Afternoon,

Parents, family, board of education, faculty, staff, and members of the Class of 2023, I am delighted to welcome you to the 59th annual commencement of Glenbrook South High School! My name is Drew Duffy and it has been an honor to serve as Student Body President this year.

I wanted to start this ceremony by sharing some advice one of my favorite teachers told our class at the end of every Blue Day. When the dismissal bell rang, my debate teacher, Ms. Jun, always reminded us to: Wash our hands, stop at stop signs, and make good choices.

So today I stand before you, Class of 2023, to tell you to wash your hands, stop at stop signs, and make good choices. That's it - that's all the advice I have to share.

I can't bestow any novel, astonishing wisdom onto anyone here. I'm 18 years old, I got my driver's license one year and seven months ago, and yesterday I learned that you cannot, in fact, substitute fabric softener for laundry detergent.

Today is the official start of our "adult" lives, and if we follow Ms. Jun's three simple rules and embrace the outstanding education we have received here at Glenbrook South, then we'll be just fine in whatever path we choose to take.

These last four years have been a period of substantial growth. We entered the halls of GBS our freshman year as different people.

Do you remember your first days at GBS? I distinctly remember mine. It was June 2019 when my mom dropped me off at the fitness center doors for my first day at football camp. Armed with a water jug and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in hand, I tried to hide my nerves. Three hours later I had already made new friends.

By the time August arrived, the angst of being in a new school didn't completely disappear. It was still nerve-wracking seeing all these new people in this massive building where I didn't know how to find my way around.

Luckily, the friends I had made at football had my back and we figured it out together. I'll never forget our Friday afternoon practices before watching the varsity team play that night. I am grateful for these football friendships that lasted through every season and I have no doubt will continue well after we cross this stage today.

This is just how my Titan story started, and I know every graduate here has their own unique narrative to those beginning months.

Just when we were getting accustomed to our new home, making friends, navigating high school expectations, and enjoying 5-star paninis in the cafeteria, a global pandemic hit. The magnitude of COVID-19's impact shocked us all. It didn't seem real. We were told "two weeks to slow the spread," never imagining how it would dramatically change our lives for the next three years.

We adjusted to staying at home, practicing social distancing, and trying to embrace remote learning. Our homes turned into our classrooms, our cafeteria, our gym, our movie theater, our Starbucks, our everything, as we adjusted to the virtual world.

Though the pandemic certainly brought its hardships, it also developed our resilience. We discovered strength within ourselves and our communities, as we supported each other through truly unprecedented times.

I think that word alone should jog your memory.

COVID made our sophomore year just bizarre, spending a significant portion of our day staring at a black screen. Class from our beds was admittedly quite comfortable at first, but things quickly became tiring. No sports, no activities, no events took its toll. We missed seeing our friends every day, having those small one-on-one conversations with our teachers, and simply being on campus.

It was a challenging year. We persevered and clung to our Titan spirit. We welcomed new twists on traditions, especially that 90-minute lunch period. What a saving grace that was!

By spring there was hope - IHSA activities resumed, students and teachers were allowed to return to the building and a new normal was created.

Who could forget that festive homecoming game in the spring where fans were fanatically decked out in blue and gold!

We hit the ground running junior year with a new appreciation of high school life norms. It was a relief to be able to see our friends face-to-face every day albeit still masked up. We engaged in conversations, shared jokes and laughs, and built deeper connections. The personal and social interactions that had been missing for so long became a source of joy and motivation.

We appreciated the simple pleasure of being able to gather - together, to learn - together, to be together.

With standardized test scores and a crucial final transcript looming over our heads, we began to set our plans in motion for what life after high school might look like. Despite this, we found balance and thrived in our countless extracurriculars.

Our class commanded record-breaking athletic performances in basketball, football, volleyball, track, wrestling, gymnastics, and many others all with the ATV students there to capture it in style and make those awesome videos.

In the fine arts realm, we returned to in-person shows with outstanding Broadway-level performances of the "Breakfast Club," "Shakespeare in Love," our variety show, "You Learn," and of course, "Shrek the Musical."

Before we knew it, senior year was upon us. It was the year for us to take the lead in the activities we had dedicated so much of our time to. We were finally the captains, the board members, those older kids in the hallway, the leaders that we had always looked up to.

While it doesn't feel like we can talk about it in past tense quite yet, it has come to an end and what a fantastic senior year we experienced - together. Living our lives, leading GBS traditions and cherishing every moment.

I am truly in awe of the talent, enthusiasm, and passion demonstrated by you - the Class of 2023.

Twelve days ago, I took off a Glenbrook South jersey for the last time. I saw as my classmates did the same - had their final moments with a group they have grown with so much. Both on that field and in every possible extracurricular activity this school has to offer, we treasured how our shared experiences have shaped us into the people we are today. These were heartbreaking and heartwarming moments.

Now at this moment ... I am filled with gratitude - gratitude for this community, its resources, and its investment in our education and in our future.

On behalf of the Class of 2023, a heartfelt thank you to the entire Glenbrook South faculty and staff - from teachers to coaches, counselors to paraprofessionals. Please know what you do matters and makes a difference to each and every student in your care.

Additionally, a special thank you to our principal, Dr. Barbara Georges, for her compassionate leadership, and guidance this year. We're proud to say we're her first graduating Class of Titans. We know we're your favorites, too!

On a personal note, thank you to my parents, Ellen and Kevin Duffy. You always were there to support me and it meant so much having you at every Friday night lights, wrestling match, lacrosse game, or whatever random event I was doing that week.

Thank you for raising me to be the person I am today and instilling in me the values of faith, family, education, and service to others.

While it may not have been the high school experience any one of us expected, it's one none of us will forget. We went through something that's going down in the history books where others will one day analyze our extraordinary experience.

It's hard to say goodbye today, it is also so incredibly exciting to see the next chapter of our lives begin as we take on a new adventure. This last chapter had a lot of plot twists. I cannot wait to see what's in store for all of us.

Our journeys are unknown. Our destinations are TBD. Let's take risks along the way, make decisions that are right and real for us, learn from our mistakes, explore our passions, follow our instincts and we'll live a life of purpose and fulfillment.

Oh and lastly: Don't forget to ... wash your hands, stop at stop signs, and make good choices.

We've made the sweetest lemonade from the sourest lemons, survived a pandemic, and most recently a fire, so I know for sure we're prepared.

Congratulations, Class of 2023 on a job well done!