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Year-End Speeches Capture the Defining Traits of Good Character

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Year-End Speeches Capture the Defining Traits of Good Character
Year-End Speeches Capture the Defining Traits of Good Character
The Belmont Hill mission of instilling character in young men requires an intentional process that builds day by day, and year by year.  For middle school students, this starts with an emphasis on recognizing heroic qualities in others, followed by identifying ways they can embody similar ideals in everyday life at Belmont Hill. The culmination of that discovery process comes in two year-end public speaking opportunities for Form I and Form II students. 
 
In their “Hero Speeches,” Form I boys reflected on the people and qualities they admire with answers ranging from parents to coaches to siblings and more. While each student spoke with honesty about someone in their personal lives, recurring themes of dedication, responsibility, and selflessness coalesced across the speeches.
 
“A hero is someone who upholds their integrity, is honest, and has humility. Most importantly, though, a hero must be someone who respects you, and treats you with kindness and loyalty,” first former Grady Steeves said. “For me, I believe the people who demonstrate this the best are my parents. My mom and dad are the people who help me most. I can always rely on them to help me through a tough time, offer guidance when I need it, or share their knowledge with me. They are role models who I can at all times trust to do the right thing, even when it is hard, and lead me to do the same."
 
When Michael Shortsleeve first heard of the assignment, he might not have known exactly what he’d write, but he immediately knew he’d be writing about his father. “My dad has always been my hero throughout my whole life. He has supported me in everything I do, encouraged me to do my best, and has always been simply a great dad,” Michael said. “He is optimistic and always has a positive mindset in everything he does. My dad is kind, funny, energetic, and a great person. He keeps going even when things are tough and has a relentless work ethic. He has taught me valuable lessons and is my role model in life.”
 
In the Form II theme of “Becoming Men of Courage, Compassion, and Integrity,” students applied the lessons from the previous year to their own lives with more focus and intention. In their final speech assignment, students picked one of the values in the form theme and spoke to how they personally define it, why they view it as integral into building a strong community, and how they act on that value as a student at Belmont Hill. 
 
Second former Owen Palumbo spoke on how the need for courage often arrives in quiet moments. “A school like Belmont Hill depends on people who are willing to step up, not just when it’s easy, but when it’s hard,” Owen shared. “Without courage, it’s easy to stay silent, to follow the crowd, or to avoid challenges. But with courage, we create a community where people feel respected and supported. However, courage isn’t always easy to practice. In fact, it can be really difficult. Sometimes we worry about what others will think. Sometimes we’re afraid of failing or embarrassing ourselves. And sometimes, doing the right thing means going against our friends or putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations.”
 
Owen encouraged his classmates to demonstrate courage by speaking up, taking accountability for mistakes, and supporting one another. These sentiments capture the transformational impact of recognizing and embodying selfless values through the annual form themes. 
 
“At the end of the day, courage isn’t about one big moment, it’s about the choices we make every day. If we choose courage, even in small ways, we can become better students, better friends, and better members of this community.”
 

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