It’s been a long ride for the class of 2017 — in the words of class speaker Mara Burke, their four years together have been like a rollercoaster. However, on June 2nd, Burke will bring their high school lives to a close with her address to her classmates.

Burke is used to using her voice, being one of five children in a large family. She has rarely had trouble speaking in front of large audiences but did not consider auditioning to be class speaker until she took Mr. Towers’s public speaking class last semester.

All of Towers’s students had to write a speech to be submitted to be class speaker as one of their assignments, but only three out of all the applicants were selected for a second round in front of a board of class advisors. After working for around a month and a half, Burke’s work paid off when she was first called back for a second round and then selected as the winner.

Burke is grateful to Towers, who has shaped her as a speaker and a person despite only teaching her for half a year and says that much of the speaking strength that earned her position as class speaker is due to his instruction.

“Mara’s assets as a speaker are her best qualities as a person: she is dynamic, personal, warm and genuine,” said Towers. “Over the course of the year, Mara grew as a communicator in her articulation-both written and spoken.  She continues to grow in harnessing her tremendous energy into focused, driven speech.  She brought with her intangibles that no one can teach: charisma, honesty and integrity.”

Apart from Towers, Burke mentions her mother as an influential figure, with whom she shares not only looks, but opinions about life that led her to help her daughter with her formation of the speech.

In her speech, Burke draws on personal experience but aims to make her message universal; after all, she is speaking in front of her 404 classmates as well as parents and friends. Topic-wise, she highlights the importance of growth through struggle and having a voice for oneself.

She also touches upon the fact that the Class of 2017 came into Westford Academy with a less-than-favorable reputation but has since then overcome that judgement.

“We were part of a label, that class, before we entered high school, and I really draw upon the idea of how that we all have overcome that label, that harsh label, and that labels aren’t what define people — it’s who we are. We define ourselves, we make our own choices, and just because [of] what someone else says about us, that doesn’t mean that’s who we are,” Burke said.

This same strong-minded dedication to one’s goals is present throughout the speech. Burke’s firm belief is that students need to stop waiting for opportunities to come to them and that they need to make change happen themselves. She also expresses the hope that her class can become more world-aware as they leave WA.

“We need to change things […] We have all come a long way since the beginning of high school, and I think we can all still do more for each other […] I’ve seen us all grow, kind of become less ignorant, and going into college I hope that all my classmates will take on the ideas that I present in my speech and put them towards everything in their lives,” Burke said.

Burke is no stranger to the ideals she presents in her speech, as she herself is dedicated to various extracurriculars and volunteering activities that expose her to the world. She is a member of the girls’ varsity basketball team, peer counseling, volunteering through church, dean’s council, and other commitments inside and outside of school.

As for the qualities that make her a strong speaker, particularly in front of large and diverse crowds, Burke suggests that it is the skill of observing others that she learned from various WA teachers that allowed her to write a speech that is applicable to everyone and true of the world around her.

“I’ve always been pretty analytical about my surroundings, that has crafted me into always questioning everything and trying to see things in a different light to help me formulate what I could say to my classmates in the speech,” she said.

Although she considered going into law and was encouraged to become a teacher, Burke ultimately chose to study Environmental and Civil Engineering at Villanova University. Contrary to popular opinion, Burke believes that strong speaking skills will prove to be essential in her job field when she communicates her ideas and makes connections with people.

Burke is slightly nervous about her speech, which is rare for her, but reflects that usually as she delivers her thoughts she gets lost in the passion she is trying to convey and leaves her anxiety behind. Having written the speech herself, she asserts that there is no need to be nervous with her own words.

Ultimately, Burke’s speech will hinge on her central message that the Class of 2017’s four years at WA have been transformative.

“Never forget high school. Even though you can look back and it can seem horrifying at times, it’s molded us into the people we are today. Even with the good and bad experiences, I think it’s still really important to remember what happened at Westford Academy for these four years,” Burke said.