Potomac High Seniors: 'Time To Think Positive And Test Negative'

DUMFRIES, VA — A group of graduating seniors from Potomac Senior High School in Dumfries came together for a virtual ceremony where they delivered a joint graduation speech that was recognized by Sen. Tim Kaine as one of the top speeches submitted to his office as part of his “Everybody’s the Graduation Speaker” contest.

Dressed in their caps and gowns, the 10 graduates thanked their teachers and parents for pushing them to do their best throughout their high school years. The lead spokesperson for the group of 10, Braden Mack, said they "owe a debt of gratitude to the amazing teachers at our school for sacrificing their already busy schedules to help us in our times of need."

Whether it was in the classroom, after school, or on weekends, the seniors at Potomac Senior High School knew they could reach out to their teachers. The teachers were a key factor in getting them "past the finish line," Mack, president of the graduating class, said in his part of the speech.

When the coronavirus crisis shut down schools across the Virginia, the students said they leaned on each other for support. "We supported one another," the students said.

The Virginia senator posted the Potomac Senior High School's joint speech on Sunday on his Facebook page and website.

With many in-person high school graduations postponed or canceled due to the coronavirus, Kaine encouraged Virginia's graduating high school seniors to submit a video of an original speech they would like to give at graduation.

Kaine said he felt a sense of loss for the graduates and wanted to give all high school seniors in Virginia the chance to be a graduation speaker.

"One of the many groups of Virginians I've been thinking about during this challenging time is the graduates of the class of 2020, many of whom won't have the graduation experience they've been planning for a long time," Kaine said in a statement.

In his portion of the speech, Braden Mack, a top player on Potomac's baseball team, emphasized that the Class of 2020 will not be defined by the coronavirus pandemic but will be remembered for "our enduring optimism."

"Now it's up to all of us, the Class of 2020, to think positive and test negative in the future to strive to be our best selves now and always," Mack said in concluding the graduating seniors' winning graduation speech.