June 12, 2023 by Elijah N’dolo (‘24)
June 12, 2023 by Francisca Schmalz (‘24)
Every year, as the end of the year approaches, members of Saratoga Springs High School’s graduating class are given the opportunity to submit an application or be selected to be selected as one of four student speakers at graduation. The Student Council President and Senior Class President automatically are granted the opportunity to speak. This year, those speakers are Evan Griffiths and Clare Hegener. Other seniors have the opportunity to apply to speak. These applications, short summaries of their speeches, are read over by teachers and staff. And after extensive deliberation, two winners are chosen. This year’s winners, Abigail Bundy and James O’Connell, will be reciting their speeches at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Friday, June 23rd, in front of the thousands of family and friends gathered to see them commence a new chapter of their lives.
The Girl Who Does it All: Abby Bundy
By Elijah N’dolo
Whether it be her astonishing musical talent, her major role on the girl’s varsity soccer team, or simply her stellar academic achievements, Abigail Bundy is widely regarded as one of the most driven students in Saratoga Springs High School. Her contributions to the school and community make her a role model for any student aspiring to succeed in life. As a child, she dreamed of having the honor of giving a speech for her graduation, and in late May, it was announced that this dream would come true.
Bundy was born in Rochester, New York, but a few years later her family moved to Saratoga Springs and eventually enrolled her at Dorothy Nolan Elementary School. Her experience there would not only be one of her fondest memories but would also help to develop her never-ending curiosity. “When I was young, I was a very curious little kid, so I think the teachers that I had really inspired my curiosity and encouraged my learning,” said Bundy. “That openness to trying new things inspired me in high school and middle school to always make new friends, engage in new experiences, challenge my learning, and not be afraid to make mistakes. Those teachers’ enthusiasm and kindness inspired me to enjoy school and enjoy learning. I also made some of my best friends that I still have today, so it was very a formative experience.”
Another significant element of Bundy’s education was her tie to music. In 4th grade, she learned to play the viola, an instrument she stuck with throughout middle and high school. She also learned to play the piano and the violin and in more recent years became the president of Saratoga Springs High School’s Fiddle Club, Chamber Orchestra, and Tri-M Music Honors Society. “With music, through elementary school with Mrs. McNamara, Mrs. Drellis in middle school, Mrs. Labello in high school, and my private teachers–these teachers have been such a positive influence and honestly my favorite teachers that I’ve had; their encouragement to practice and make class fun made practicing enjoyable for me,” reflected Bundy. “I no longer feel like practice is work, it is just fun and a stress reliever for me. In Fiddle Club, we’ve been able to play gigs all over the area, meet some cool people, and give back to the community through music.”
Truly a jack of all trades, Bundy also discovered from an early age that she had a passion for soccer. She began playing when she was four years old and continued on to become an important member of the Saratoga-Wilton Soccer Club, the local travel team. In middle and high school she also played on the various school teams.“Soccer has been a constant in my life and has been a great way to make friends. Along with music, soccer has also been an opportunity for leadership. Pre-season is hard as there is a lot of running and stress with going back to school, but it’s been a good opportunity for me to challenge myself. Not only has it been a great way to exercise, but it has also helped me make some of the best friends that I have and internalize the values of hard work and being there for your teammates,” said Bundy. “When you see everybody giving their all and putting everything towards winning a final, that’s just a great feeling and something I want to be a part of and want other people to be a part of as well.”
In addition to her musical and athletic achievements, Bundy is the secretary for the National Honor Society and the president of the Science Research Club, a club centered on promoting STEM education to elementary-aged students. All these elements, alongside her strength in writing and speaking, make Bundy the ideal student to present a speech at this year’s graduation ceremony.
Bundy recalled that one of the first moments that inspired her to strive to speak at graduation was when she listened in while her mother, a teacher in the Queensbury district, helped prepare other students for their graduation speeches. “I remember listening to graduations in the past and being in awe and thinking, ‘Wow, this is really cool: they have a lot of courage to go up there in front of a lot of people.’ The activities I am involved in are diverse: soccer, music, and science research, so I feel like I can represent a lot of different people in my speech,” said Bundy. “I just wanted to create a speech that could cater to the entire class, which is something that is difficult to do. When I started writing this speech, I didn’t realize how difficult it was because you can’t share personal stories, but you have to share stories that people can relate to. So that was kind of a challenge, but it was a goal that I had to share the experiences that we all had as a grade.”
Bundy will attend Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, starting in the fall of 2023. There, she plans to major in political science, minor in French, play club soccer, and play viola in the orchestra.
A Friendly Face and a Mean Guitar: James O’Connell
James O’Connell’s participation in the popular student-formed band Melon and his friendliness toward others make him popular with students and faculty. Known for his remarkable talent on the guitar, as well as his cheerful spirit and love for travel, O’Connell made for a great candidate for graduation speaker. He hopes to share a valuable message with his classmates and their families and friends through his oration on SPAC’s stage.
Born in Connecticut, O’Connell passed through Dorothy Nolan Elementary School upon his arrival in Saratoga Springs. He described that his experience there was helpful to prepare him for the difficulties that students inevitably endure during their transition to the highly populated Maple Avenue Middle School. “Dorothy Nolan was nice because it was a big elementary school,” O’Connell said, “and at a young age, I was exposed to more people and things. So the change to the middle school wasn’t too crazy.” In middle school, O’Connell was able to connect with many students and faculty to create friendships that linger to this day.
In ninth grade, O’Connell created an informal jam band with a friend and called it Melon. Over the next few years, this band would grow to gain more than a half dozen members, with the current squad being Connor Baird, Cory Shishik, Owen Leary, Sam Michelin, and of course O’Connell himself. This band would become popular amongst teenagers through Saratoga Springs due to their many gigs inside and outside of school. “I thought that it was very impressive that a high school band could perform at that level, and I loved the energy that they brought to the stage,” said Elizabeth Whitney, a senior at Saratoga Springs Waldorf School after watching Melon perform at Melon Winter Mash, January 7th.
Baseball has also had a significant influence over O’Connell’s childhood and early high school years, seeing as, up until recently, he was a regular member of the school’s team. In 11th grade, due to the academic challenge of junior year and O’Connell’s wish to focus on his band, he stopped playing, although it has remained a passion of his. Additionally, he loves to play golf and tennis and snowboard in the winter.
Another passion of O’Connell’s is traveling to visit new places and cultures. O’Connell has been a regular member of the International History Club and looks back fondly on the adventures the group’s members embarked on together. “The most fun I’ve had of any trip,” said O’Connell, “was the past year with the club in Germany, and that was incredible.” For his senior year, O’Connell was elected Student Faculty Liaison for the club and aimed to most efficiently link the interests of students and teachers.
It has been a longlasting wish of O’Connell’s to give a speech at graduation and was grateful to be awarded the honor. “ I feel like I have a very valuable message that could really pertain to anyone,” said O’Connell. “And we [seniors] are at such a pivotal point in our lives that hearing something of value from one of your peers could be very beneficial.”
O’Connell will study international business at the University of South Carolina and plans to continue to play music as well as traveling and meeting new people.
The Busiest Babysitter: Class President, Clare Hegener
By Francisca Schmalz
Clare Hegener has consistently proved herself to be a dedicated member of the Saratoga Springs High School community, a driven student who has served on class council as treasurer in her junior year, and served as class president this year. Hegener describes being a student leader as “a lot of hard work, but super rewarding.” She also says that she loved being able to express her ideas for the school.
Outside of school, Hegener babysits a lot. She estimated around 10-15 hours a week, however she says she loves kids, so the work pays off. Hegener described her schedule as a student leader as consistent, saying she and her fellow council members met every day in flex, but were also constantly in contact with each other. She says this facilitated a constant flow of ideas and quick problem solving. Some of her biggest challenges as a student leader involved handling peer backlash, but Hegener generally looks back on her experience fondly.
When it comes to her graduation speech, Hegener found little difficulty in developing it. She says she’s been working on it since the fall and had a goal of what she wanted her speech to be. She describes wanting her speech to be different, but fun. She made sure to include many of her favorite memories, and it’ll be exciting to hear about them on June 23. She said the things she will miss the most about Saratoga are her friends and the teachers that have guided her through the years. Hegener will surely be missed by the staff just as much, but it’ll be exciting to see where she goes in life. Hegener’s post-graduation plans include going to the University of Miami in the fall to study finance.
And, as parting words to the rising seniors she said, “have fun with it, senior year goes by fast!”
Leading in Class and on the Field: STUCO President, Evan Griffiths
Evan Griffiths, this year’s student council (STUCO) president, will also be speaking at graduation. Griffith considers himself as having leadership roles in all four years of high school. Whether it was something simple as spearheading a group project or bigger leadership positions in athletics or student council, he said, “these positions entail being a role model and putting others before yourself.”
Outside of school, Griffiths has been captain of his club soccer for several years which taught him about leadership in a different setting. He describes being a student leader as fun, but noted that it can be challenging. Griffiths says for future leaders to, “be ready to work with others and to listen to what they have to say, as well as listen to what the student body has to say,’ while also, “having the ability to keep an open mind and being able to listen to what everyone has to say, as well as looking out for everyone can ensure good leadership ability in someone.”
While his schedule isn’t busy now as he’s a second semester senior, at times it has been jam-packed. After a two-year hiatus of school activities, Griffiths said this year was even more challenging than previous years. Especially entering into his role as STUCO president, he said that along with trying to make the whole student body happy, he had to be aware that you simply can’t please everyone–which is a hard balance to strike.
As for Griffiths’ graduation speech, he says it wasn’t difficult to develop at all. He says it came naturally with some time and thought, and that he was able to draw inspiration from lessons from his time as a member of the school community, and from outside of school experiences. His most memorable moments at the high school come from the “post AP” era of junior and senior year, bowling during the PE classes, and experiencing an excellent soccer season his senior year. Outside of school Griffiths likes to spend time with friends, and family. He also enjoys biking, running, golfing, and playing soccer, and he was on both the track and soccer team this year.
Post-graduation, Griffiths plans on attending Northeastern University for the next four years, majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics. He will miss most how tightly knit the Saratoga Spring’s community is. To the rising seniors, Griffith said, “stay on top of all your work until the end, get involved with the school, and enjoy the year.”