Good afternoon and welcome to the graduation ceremony for this year’s graduates of Boothbay Region High School. My name is Anna Gosselin and I am the salutatorian for the class of 2025. I just want to start by saying how proud I am of my class. It’s so amazing to see all the different directions we are headed, even though we were all brought up in the same school. I wish you all the best and I hope you are all blessed with success in whatever you choose to do.

A lot of people don’t really know this about me, but throughout my entire time in elementary school, I struggled with selective mutism. For those of you who don’t know, it’s basically a disorder that makes people unable to talk in certain situations, and it only affects 1% of the world. In my case, I was unable to talk at school, but at home it was a completely different story. I was a ball of energy, constantly running around and laughing with my sister. However, every morning at the second my mom dropped me off at school, I would go completely silent for the entire day. With this came many challenges. It was obviously very hard to make friends, and whenever it came to presenting projects, I would have someone else do it for me. I vividly remember opening my mouth and trying to talk out loud to my class, but it was impossible for me to get any words out. I remember feeling so defeated every single day and praying every night that I would get the courage to speak.

Unfortunately, this courage did not come easily. I worked for years in the guidance office and with specialists to overcome my selective mutism, and it wasn’t until the fifth grade that I finally spoke. I answered a question when the teacher called on me for the first time ever. It was just a one word answer, but that one word changed my entire life. It’s crazy how such a small, insignificant moment can be the difference between being stuck where you are and completely changing everything.

I wanted to share this story with my class today because if you ever feel stuck or unhappy where you are, there is always a way out. Just a small act of courage can make a huge difference in your life. It may not come easy, and it may take years for you to get there, but simply just being brave for even a second can create a completely new life for you. Like Jesus says in Matthew 17:20, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

I would like to extend a very special thank you to Hailey Bezon, who was my guidance counselor at Edgecomb Eddy. Without her, I probably would not even be talking at school today, and I definitely would not be giving this speech. She taught me so much at such a young age, and I want to share it with you all today because her advice can carry you through all aspects of life. To the graduates who stand beside me today and to everyone listening, be uncomfortable. Whether you are still wondering where you will end up or you think you know exactly where you want to go, never be afraid to be uncomfortable. One single moment of courage can change your entire life, just like it did for me. Thank you.