They say “The tassle’s worth the hassle,” but dang… for this year’s graduating seniors, teens who’ve been living with COVID-19 since they were sophomores, the struggle has been real. Class of 2022, we see you. We honor you. And we wish you the very best.
Announcing “Congrats to You, Class of ’22!,” a collection of community voices sharing wisdom and advice for a group of graduates whose high schools careers have been sooooo not normal. The least we can do, after all you’ve been through, is give you a bigger cheering section.
Want to contribute? Use the “Talk To Us” feature on the WVXU app, or share a quick video on one of our social feeds, using the hashtag #WVXUCongrats22.
We asked Alanee Wright, a sophomore at Xavier University and already a seasoned motivational speaker, to help us kick things off. Like you, she’s had to overcome, adapt, and persevere. Early in the pandemic, when she was still attending Roger Bacon H.S. in Cincinnati, she became a primary wage-earner for her family, working long hours at Chipotle while trying to keep her grades up; she’d need every one of those A’s, since standardized tests were never her strong suit. The idea of ever having enough money or high enough scores to attend a private, prestigious four-year university like Xavier seemed like an impossible dream. But she got there.
“I had to bet on myself,” she says. And to this year’s graduates: “I’m proud of you guys. Keep going! You got this. Your only competition is yourself.”
Watch Alanee’s “Congrats to You” video here:
You’ll be hearing more from Alanee in an upcoming episode of of our Democracy & Z podcast. For now, enjoy her pep talk–and when they start playing “Pomp and Circumstance,” know that we at Cincinnati Public Radio are marching along with you, your friends and loved ones, cheering you on. Congratulations, good job, and good luck!
Congratulations to the class of 2022 and especially our friends at Aiken High School! My words of wisdom as you take your next step is do what inspires you. Y’all are still young and there is big road ahead, times flies, but good thing is that you’re the pilot. Go to college and gain more knowledge, money is always there you can always get a job but it’s better to be educated early so your mind is open and ready to accomplish your next goal.
You have done the long journey And you have worked so hard it is now you time to shine in the world Congratulation Class of 2022 The newest ones into the real world
Congratulation class of 2022 I am so proud of y’all. You can do everything if you believe you can and put your efforts, keep working. I wish y’all the best in your new journey!