Good afternoon everyone,
I stand here today to express how grateful and proud I am to have reached this important milestone. These three years spent at Castelli were full of exciting, emotional and joyful memories, which I will cherish and never forget. Leaving this school leaves me in tears, since it also means leaving my classmates and my teachers with whom I have created strong bonds.
Care, Integrity, Sustainability - the core values that represent Castelli at its best, which we were taught to pursue during these three years of middle school. Castelli has also taught us an infinite number of other values, among them courage, respect, empathy, responsibility, and, most importantly, curiosity. Curiosity is defined as a strong desire to know or learn something; it is what drives us to become lifelong learners. Curiosity motivates us to ask questions, explore and seek new knowledge. It promotes critical thinking, new perspectives and passion towards learning new things, as well as cultivating new interests. This is what Castelli has successfully encouraged us all to seek during these years of middle school.
I still remember when I was in 6th grade, I never used to express my opinions, I was shy and insecure. I did not believe in myself, but Castelli helped me change this.
Venus Williams once said:
“You have to believe in yourself when no one else does - that's what makes you a winner right there”
Through a lot of commitment from the teachers, whom I thank, I was able to start believing in my opinions and stand up for myself, improving my public speaking and developing new soft skills.
An example of this is be the Change the World Model United Nations (CWMUN) conference we attended in New York City in March. Three years ago, I would have never imagined being in New York without my parents, expressing my ideas in front of hundreds of students.
Looking back on these three years, I realise how much we have all grown from the start of middle school. We have developed empathy, communication, teamwork, and much more. Together we have lived through three unforgettable years. I will miss going to this school - even though it took me 45 minutes every day to get there! - And I wish the best to all my classmates and all the Castelli staff. This is not just the end of a chapter, it is the beginning of a new journey. We did it!
