Valedictorian Olivia Ellis talked of overcoming challenges, pessimism of others

by Dan McClelland

The valedictorian of the Tupper Lake High School Class of 2023, Olivia Ellis, focussed her message Thursday to classmates and commencement exercise guests on overcoming the impossible. Her address was laced with humor.

Olivia is the daughter of John and Heidi Ellis of this village.

The stand-out soccer player and pentathlon champion, Olivia, began her address by noting “that if there was something everyone here has experienced in their life, it’s someone telling them they can’t achieve something.”

“This achievement could range from eating an entire piece of pizza in one bite (-and please ask my father about that one later...” and then she confided it almost involved a car crash and family contest for the last piece of pizza in the box) to something much more substantial, like someone telling you that you wouldn’t succeed in school, or in a sport, a play or musical or maybe not having a successful life at all.”

“I know people have said those types of things to me. Anyone who has worked in any kind of customer service job can attest to the fact that this happens a lot more often than people think.

“-And that sometimes it can be easy to believe those words and bring them into reality, but don’t let those words define your worth or who you are!”

Another option, however, is to prove these critics wrong, she stressed. “This is something that our class can attest to. While it may not have always been in the most productive fashion, we have always fought against people telling us that we can’t. In elementary school we rebelled against that giant traffic light that was installed in the cafeteria. That light was not going to stop our lunch-time conversations.

“But in all seriousness, this trait of not allowing others to define your abilities and futures is something, I hope, all of us carry with us into our lives beyond school.

“This principle is something that I have come to live by and carry with me into the different areas of my life. If someone said I can’t achieve something, I will work ten times harder just to prove them wrong. My mom likes to call it being spiteful, but I just see it as being highly motivated...a sort of spite-success, if you will.

“Actually this entire speech is centered around the fact that when I was in eighth grade, my family and I were driving back from a Sam’s Club trip to Plattsburgh a few days after that year’s graduation. We were discussing the speeches given that year and my dad said that in my graduation speech I should include this made-up word that I found hilarious at the time. I agreed to his idea, albeit thinking it was very funny, although admittedly actually not planning on doing it or even remembering it.

“That was until my mother turned to me and called my bluff. She was so confident I wouldn’t, she bet me $100 that I wouldn’t say this made-up word in my speech. At that exact moment my path of my high school career was defined and I decided I must become valedictorian, so I could give this speech, prove my mother wrong, say this word and, of course, get my $100.

“I figure this method has worked out for me pretty well so far. I hope all of us can look people in the eye when they tell us we won’t ever achieve what we want, what we hope, and prove them very, very wrong. All of us in this class can achieve something quite amazing. It may take a little spite and a whole lot of work, but we can all do it!

“Everyone one of us can spite-succeed in one way or another and I can’t wait to see what we will all do!

“-And so with that I will say congratulations to all my classmates. I’m grateful I got to grow up with all of you and “Mushigaga! Mom, pay up!”

Her finish brought laughter and loud applause from the grads and the audience.

According to reports this week at a graduation party last week, her mom, Heidi, presented Olivia with a framed copy of the word written out and a $100 bill.