“Gratitude makes optimism sustainable” - Michael J. Fox.

To me, this means, that in order to be optimistic, you have to have gratitude. And gratitude is why I am here tonight. Three years ago, I had never heard of Fortune Academy or even considered what it might be like at a different school. I started my high school career at Zionsville Community High School and most of the time it was stressful. I really had no idea I had a problem with reading comprehension. I just thought it was hard…hard to read…hard to write. I started to hate school and not feel good about my grades or myself.

But at Fortune, this all changed. I learned strategies to help me remember what I read. I was taught how to write in a way that made sense. I learned that I actually didn’t hate school. I have my Fortune Academy teachers to thank for that. They helped me grow into a confident person, and that’s the stuff they don’t always teach in class. My teachers helped me learn how to put all the pieces of learning together so that I could do something with them, like give this speech.

Thank you to my family who supported me, and to all those along the way who have shown up to support me.