The Kennedale High School class of 2017 Valedictorian is Leanne Blind-Doskocil. Leanne is the daughter of Patty Jo Waters and Gary Doskocil and the sister of Beth Blind and the Doskocil sisters, Katy, Pam, and Amanda. {{more:READ MORE …}}
Leanne will graduate from Kennedale High School with a GPA of 4.729. Leanne has been heavily involved in choir over the past four years. She is currently the President of the KHS Choir Program, has been selected to the Texas All-State Choir twice, and has been a State Qualifier in Solo and Ensemble for the past two years, and received a Superior rating in Solo both years. Leanne has also been a member of the Texas Girls? Choir for 9 years, serving as President, Chairman of Events, Secretary, and Social Chairman at various points in her tenure. She has also been a member of the KHS National Honor Society and Youth Advisory Council, Secretary of the Spanish National Honor Society, and a Regional Qualifier for the UIL Science Academic team.
In the fall, Leanne plans on attending Texas A&M University where she has earned around $10,000 in scholarships. She plans on majoring in meteorology.
Valedictory Address …
Welcome, again, everyone to the commencement ceremony for the Kennedale High School class of 2017. I can?t believe how fast these 18 years have gone by and that this moment is finally here; it is a huge privilege for me to speak to you all tonight.
First off, I can?t thank my family and friends enough for giving me unfailing support and love throughout my life. Thank you to my mom and dad for giving me courage as I tried new things growing up; to my sister, Beth, for being one of my biggest role models; to my grandma for giving me the best advice; to my choir directors, Debi Weir, Layne Trent, and Mr. Schenck, for guiding me as I explored my passion for music; to my friends in high school for putting up with my craziness; to my TGC [Texas Girls Choir] family for always putting a smile on my face and having my back; to my school choir family for embracing me when I joined choir and for all the jam sessions around the piano; and to everyone else, thank you.
music unites people from all walks of life …
As I was figuring out how I would compose my speech, I was trying to think about what message I could really talk about and leave the audience with. It finally dawned on me with being a part of a choir practically my whole life that I should relate my speech to music. I know from experience that music is a universal language that unites people from all walks of life and compiles many voices into one for a common purpose. I have chosen three songs to convey my graduation message that have guided me through high school and life. Quite frankly, I?m not very fond of solos, so if you know the song, please feel free to sing along.
Well as we all know, high school has been a journey. Much like a roller coaster, it had the ups and the downs and the exciting moments and even the dull. Our high school journeys were filled possibly with parties, spontaneous adventures, late night studying, practices for extracurricular activities, procrastination before a project was due, and chill days with friends. These moments and experiences shaped each and everyone of us into who we are today and paved the way for our high school journeys. Remember and reflect on these moments and life lessons you have made as you begin your new life journey. And speaking of journey, what better song can send a senior on their way than Journey?s ?Don?t Stop Believing?. Please sing alongDon’t stop believin’ …
Don’t stop believin’
Hold on to that feelin’
Streetlight people
Don’t stop believin’
Hold on to that feelin’
Streetlight people
Don?t Stop
As we continue on our journey and look back at our experiences thus far, our memories are filled with the moments that are good and the not so good. We have all had these rough times from failing a class, losing a friend, having trouble making ends meet, dealing with breakups and divorce, being rejected from a job or scholarship, or not making the sports team. But as life throws its curve balls at us and knocks us down, we have to remember to have faith and to get back up. For me my junior year, I lost a very close role model and director. But I was blessed to have great support from my family and friends, and I joined the choir program here at the high school where God placed another amazing director in my life. And yes this is cliche, but it is true that when one door closes, another door opens. It is really the hard times more than the good that define us and build our character. We must continue to ?Keep Holding On? even as times get tough.
Keep holding on …
Keep holding on‘Cause you know we’ll make it through
We’ll make it through
Just stay strong
‘Cause you know I’m here for you
I’m here for you
There’s nothing you could say
Nothing you could do
There’s no other way when it comes to the truth (lower)
So keep holding on
‘Cause you know we’ll make it through
We’ll make it through
We?ll make it through our next journey just as we made it through high school. We were all here at Kennedale High School and made our mark in some way. Whether you were a tuba player, class president, a UIL Beast, guard captain, a member of the basketball or football teams, part of the drama department, a member in the school?s organizations such as student council or key club, or just a friendly face that smiled to others in the hallway – you left your mark and made your memories here. This next song hits close to home for me, and it reminds me to strive to be the best I can be everyday; I hope that you all can carry this message with you too.
I wanna do something that matters …
I wanna do something that matters
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better
With the time I’ve been given
And I wanna try
To touch a few hearts in this life
Leave nothing less
Than something that says “I was here”
Now it is our time to go out and leave a mark on the world. I have had the privilege and honor of speaking to you all tonight and being a part of the class of 2017 here at Kennedale. I wish you all good luck at whatever your future endeavors may be and congratulations on all of your accomplishments thus far. We did it class of 2017!
I hope that wherever your ?journey? takes you, you ?keep holding on? because ?you were here?. God bless.
