WESLEY CHAPEL – Principal Robyn White offered four songs to inspire the Class of 2025 as they leave Wiregrass Ranch High School to pursue their dreams.
White said graduates embodied resilience and determination, qualities reflected in songs like Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” and Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).”
“Each challenge you faced has only made you more resilient and prepared for the future,” White told them during graduation. “You’ve learned to fight for your dreams and stand a little taller.”
White told graduates to believe in themselves and stay hopeful, echoing the spirit of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” and to face challenges with the strength and courage of Katy Perry’s “Roar.”
White has presided over Wiregrass Ranch graduations for 13 years as principal but this would be her last.
“As I retire after 39 years in education, the last 20 of which have been in Pasco County, I can’t think of a better time to go,” White said. “I leave with a heart full of gratitude and pride knowing that the future is in the hands of such capable and inspiring young individuals.”
Graduates also spoke about the relativity of time.
Salutatorian Nicholas Kovacs said looking back at high school was already starting to feel like a dream, though it felt like a lifetime going through the past four years.
Valedictorian Austin McCallister said that if someone would have told him that it would take 4,500 hours to finish high school, it would have seemed like an eternity. He compared the experience to climbing a mountain.
“Mountains aren’t supposed to be climbed all at once,” McCallister said. “They are climbed step by step – one class, one hour, one caffeine-fueled all-nighter at a time. And look around, we made it.”
McCallister nudged classmates to continue climbing new mountains as they emerge and not be afraid to fall or forge new paths.
Student Council President Amera Gardner alluded to this in her speech, recalling a mix of excitement and anxiety she felt on the first day of high school.
“We weren’t just the new kids,” Gardner explained. “We were the first full class to return after COVID, stepping into a school, still trying to find its rhythm. But instead of easing in, we brought that energy, we showed up, we got involved and we redefined what normal meant.”
Gardner described how the Class of 2025 finds itself in a familiar spot, ready to fly from the nest but with some apprehension of leaving. She assured classmates they are ready to fly.
“Tonight we soar,” she said, “together, apart and forever connected.”
