by Julianne Maxwell

The culmination of the seniors’ high school careers will occur when seniors receive their diplomas in June. This year’s graduation will be notable for its speeches from Senator Ben Cardin and seniors Steven Palmer and Lauren Corlett, whose speeches were chosen from a pool of seven seniors.

Cardin speaks at roughly ten graduations each year, about half of which are for high schools and half for colleges. According to Cardin’s communications director, Susan Sullam, he will, “urge students on the importance of finding a passion, whether it is public service, education, the medical field or military, and highlight the importance of helping others.” The senator appreciates communities and wants students to understand the importance of bettering them.

Palmer, who is known for his “Palmer 2032” campaign, is focusing his speech on “the horrible things that could happen in the future, but what I hope will happen instead.” He hopes to engage the audience and fellow graduating students by discussing all the terrifying things that students do not want to happen such as being unsuccessful and poor, but all the while offering his optimistic outlook on the future and the real world. “If just one person feels inspired by my speech, I will be satisfied,” said Palmer.

Corlett also wrote a speech on the importance of being a part of communities. In her words, her speech details “how I’ve never participated in anything considered normal for a Sherwood student but I still feel connected to the community.” Corlett, who has been heavily involved in television production during her time at Sherwood, feels as though the community around her has been accepting of her interests and those of others like her who do not get involved in athletics or the arts. The main point of her speech is to help students understand “they’ll always have somewhere they feel they belong.”