By TYNETTE CHRISTY
Address to the graduates
Good morning faculty, staff, school board members, families, friends, and most importantly, the graduating Class of 2025.
What a joy and an honor it is to stand before you on this day.
Today we celebrate not just academic achievement, but the heart, grit and growth it took to get here.
Today we come to celebrate this moment … the moment you earned.
What a full-circle moment this is for me. Thirty years ago, I walked the same halls of KCHS, ate in the same cafeteria, sat in some of the same classrooms, played in the same gym, looked out from the same bleachers and wore blue and gold with pride.
And guess what. Where you sit today, I sat too. With big dreams running through my mind. Not exactly sure where life would take me, but I knew this place had impacted my journey.
So, I stand here today, not just as the speaker, but as someone whose journey began right here.
Today is personal and meaningful to me.
I know the pride of this moment, the uncertainty of what comes next and the quiet hope that whispers within telling you that you are meant for something more.
So today I don’t speak like a stranger, but from experience.
As I prepared to speak today, one word continued to come to my mind and that was “puzzle.”
When I look out, I see many pieces to the puzzle called life.
Each of you is uniquely shaped and designed with purpose.
Each of you possess a piece that holds power.
Today, my hope is to help you understand the power and purpose of your unique piece as you continue in your next chapter of life.
A puzzle begins with corner pieces, those key anchors that bring structure and direction.
Some of you are the corner pieces, the natural leaders who have provided stability and guidance to your class.
Some of you are edge pieces, steady, dependable and strong. Your presence brings structure and stability. People can count on you. You help define the boundaries, holding space for others to grow and shine.
And then there are the centerpieces, those of you who know how to build connections, create harmony and bring people together. The world needs people like you. Your ability to unify and strengthen communities will make all the difference as you move forward.
And of course, some of you are uniquely shaped pieces, creative, bold and different. You stand out! The world is waiting for your difference.
And today, I want to take a moment to honor those among you whose journey may have come with additional challenges — whether they were physical, learning-related, emotional or unseen by most.
Your strength and determination have inspired everyone around you. And your piece of this puzzle is not just important, it’s irreplaceable.
Now, as you leave this chapter behind, you’ll begin to search for the next space, your next fit.
Some of you will head off to college, or university or a technical school, eager to explore new ideas, meet new people and discover new parts of you. But make your piece count on the campus. Your piece has the power to make a difference.
Some of you will enter the workforce or entrepreneurship bringing along your skill set and your passion. Businesses, trades and careers will thrive because of you. Your piece matters.
Some of you have chosen military service, and we honor your courage, sacrifice and commitment. You are stepping forward to protect and serve something greater than yourself. Your piece will become vital in the strength and security of our nation.
And for some, the next step may simply be taking time to figure it out. And that’s OK. Self-discovery is a path, but be sure to walk it with intention, patience and grace. Trust that each step, no matter how uncertain, is bringing you closer to the bigger picture.
You are all an important piece of the puzzle of life, and your piece holds incredible power.
Your piece is your purpose and your potential.
But don’t let that power sit idle in your hands, put it to work.
Think of it like this: a television that’s never plugged in isn’t broken, it just hasn’t been connected to its power source.
In the same way, if you don’t connect your piece to purpose, its full potential won’t come alive.
As you step into this next chapter of life, be sure to plug your piece into purpose.
You’ll be surprised by the power your piece holds. It carries the potential to open doors of opportunity you never dreamed of, connect you with people you never imagined meeting. It can take you to places you never thought you’d go and unlock possibilities you haven’t even dared to consider.
But wherever you go, please remember this: Don’t try to force your piece into places where it doesn’t fit. The world will offer you spaces, but not every open space is your space.
There were times I tried to force-fit my piece where it didn’t belong. Thinking I was doing what was right because it looked right.
Force-fitting your piece will bring frustration, exhaustion and confusion — every time.
When you find the right fit, you won’t have to shrink who you are or reshape your values. You’ll feel it. You will know it. It will feel right. And that’s where you’ll grow, that is where you will thrive and contribute in the way only you can!
I sat where you sit now, 30 years ago, but I was carrying the weight of new motherhood during my senior year.
As I looked around at my classmates full of excitement, talking about Senior Week and the freedom ahead, I quietly wrestled with reality.
On graduation day, my 2-month-old baby was in the audience, while uncertainty and fear walked across the stage with me.
Deep inside, I heard the whisper that there was more to me.
But I couldn’t help but wonder: How could my dream still matter?
Had I missed my moment? Had I disqualified myself?
When everyone else seemed to be moving forward, chasing futures, I felt like mine had been paused.
Why did I share that with you?
Motherhood may not be what you are carrying, but I have come to know we all carry something.
We sometimes carry negative thoughts. We walk with uncertainty. We struggle with low self-worth, insecurities, am I good enough, is college for me, will I find a job, am I smart enough, do I have what it takes, or compare ourselves to others and fight with thoughts of failure.
All these things make us second guess and overlook the power of our piece.
What I came to learn is that your dream doesn’t expire when life detours.
Life won’t always go as planned.
Sometimes it will tell you “No.”
Other times, it will whisper, “Not yet.”
It can seem unfair, unpredictable, even unkind.
College may have unexpected turns, the job may not be what you expected, the military could present challenges.
And in those moments, it’s easy to feel lost or discouraged.
But a detour is not a dead end.
Your dream still lives, even when the road bends in unexpected ways.
Please understand the power of your piece can still find its fit, even when the path looks different than you imagined.
I finally made it to college and earned my degree, but before I could accomplish the degree on paper, I had to earn the degree of my mind.
This degree is not a piece of paper nor something you can frame and hang on the wall.
The degree of the mind is the emotional strength within, the wisdom you gain when things don’t go your way. It’s the strength to keep going when you want to quit. It’s believing in yourself even when times get rough. It’s learning how to persevere despite of.
As for me, someone reminded me of my potential. I had to shift how I saw myself, not as someone who messed up or missed out, but as someone still capable, still could, still would, still worthy, still powerful.
That mindset is connected to the power of your piece.
The degree on paper may open doors, but the degree of mindset determines how you walk and remain in them.
It’s your mindset that fuels your resilience, your vision and your ability to rise when life doesn’t go as planned.
So pursue education, yes, but never forget to strengthen the mindset that will carry your piece the farthest.
The power of my piece brought me back to the very place where I once stood with uncertainty, here at KCHS.
In 2008, I worked in the Guidance Office here at Kent County High School for almost eight years. Encouraging, assisting and motivating students to recognize the power of their own piece.
During those eight years, I stood as the baccalaureate speaker, the power of my piece, my purpose awarded me that moment.
As a kid, I always wanted to meet Oprah Winfrey in person, because I always wanted to have my own talk show.
While working at KCHS, I got a phone call out of the blue from [then Superintendent] Dr. Couch with free tickets to see Oprah Winfrey.
The power of your piece opens doors for you.
In June of 2013, I was able to stand on the stage side by side with the principal at that time, Tracey Williams, and greet the 2-month-old that waited for me in 1995. It was now 18 years later; it was my turn to wait for him.
The power of my piece, I was at the right place at the right time, which granted me that opportunity. Not once but twice, again for my daughter in 2016.
And today, the power of my piece has brought me here once again, this time holding the microphone as your speaker.
Did I ever imagine any of those things, absolutely not, but the power of your piece which is linked to your purpose makes ways and creates opportunities of a lifetime.
Today, I won’t ask you to promise me, nor to promise your family, but I ask you to promise yourself that you will never give up on finding your place, on finding your fit. Promise yourself you will never lay down the power of your piece.
My position as a grief counselor still requires the power of my piece. I now sit with others who struggle after losing a loved one. I walk through the grief journey with them until they can regain strength, regain power to continue to carry on with their piece.
So, to every graduate under the sound of my voice, don’t you dare give up when life detours.
Don’t let a “no,” a setback or an unexpected turn make you believe your dream is over.
Push forward when it’s uncomfortable. You don’t have to have it all figured out, you just have to keep going.
So, whether you’re a corner piece, an edge piece, a centerpiece or a uniquely shaped one, know this: You matter.
As you step into your next chapter, walk knowing that purpose leads, trust in the value that you hold and carry the confidence that you belong.
You have something the world needs.
Class of 2025, your piece has power. Now go place it boldly.
Congratulations.
