I first want to say that there is so much more to Brodie Kieras than what the title “valedictorian” has to offer.
I’m honored to walk with him at graduation, not because of his academic accomplishments, but because he has been an amazing friend.
Kieras was in my ninth grade English class, my classmate for a year, yet we never talked. I didn’t realize that the stranger across the room would become my best friend.
Junior year, I had a free sixth hour. The first day I didn’t know where to go or what to do with my time. I ventured to find a place to simply sit.
After wandering aimlessly into the cafeteria, I noticed students sitting at the booths along the wall. More specifically I noticed Kieras. Being the onlyfamiliar face, I decided to strike up a conversation that should’ve occurred two years prior. With the exception of KCTC on Wednesdays.
Fast forward past the awkward conversing and shyness and you’ll have us sitting there with nothing more than his work and the silence between us.
I know this sounds like a slow paced novel, so I’ll hit that fast forward button again for you and get to my point: I learned that no matter one’s persona, you should never limit the possibility of a relation between. In Sparknote form that means: no matter how different the other may seem, a friendship can blossom.
To be honest, they were the small things that kept us bonding daily.
Some of which include…
- We met everyday at the booth where I’d ask him the same questions, and his replies would become more personal from day to day.
- When something was wrong he’d just look at me, waiting for me to rant.
- When I’d tell him anything, he’d purposefully say “okay” when possible for the fact that I don’t like it. He even signed my yearbook with: “OK.”
- I learned that he doesn’t like gum, or jam, and prefers gray skies.
These little bits of information caused us to get to know the other on a unique level, creating a foundation that was of interest.
Kieras may be the valedictorian, but he’s humble in the fact that he doesn’t flaunt his accomplishments. I would never strike up a conversation about grades or GPA, because truthfully I cared more about him than his test scores.
In addition to our friendship, he’s now apart of the “crew”, a group of six individuals that talk and have met up throughout our senior year. He adds so much depth and warmth to the group that we feel complete.