Proud, unexpected, and grateful. The words used to describe the feelings three seniors are experiencing as they walk into their final days spent at ADM High School. Three seniors who have attended this school district since kindergarten, now capping off their ADM education careers by being chosen as the class of 2025 senior commencement speakers. On May 25, 2025, 166 seniors will gather in their caps and gowns surrounded by family, friends, and guests as they celebrate their high school graduation and moving on to the next chapter of their lives. Seniors Isaac Hatchitt, Taylor Braun, and Payton Taylor will take the stage to speak at the ceremony each having an assigned topic of past, present, and future.

Payton Taylor credits her selection to the relationships she has build throughout high school with her teachers and peers as well as being involved in both Speech and FFA all four years, helping to improve her speaking skills. Taylor says her inspiration wasn’t what you would expect a typical planning process to look like and actually got inspired to write her speech while watching the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. When asked what it meant to Taylor to be speaking, she said “I think its a good way to address my whole class and let them know we’ve always all been in this together and I’m so proud of everything everyone has done.”

Isaac Hatchitt will be speaking on the topic of future, he credits his involvement, relationships, and responsibility for being chosen for this honor. Hatchitt also said “It’ll be fun, my whole speech is about YOLO and the fact we only live once, so I’m really trying to embrace that presence and thought process to help with my nerves preparing and giving my speech. Out of all the years spent at this school I know this is a good way to end it off talking to all of my classmates before I may never see some of them again.”

And finally, Taylor Braun is the third senior speaking at the commencement ceremony. When asked how Braun felt about this being the capstone to her high school career, she said “I would say this is a really big honor, I know lots of people would’ve done really well in this position and it’s super special for me to be chosen for it.  I never expected myself to be in this position, I never really tried to go for it but I’m very proud that I am here and that this is the ending to my time at ADM.”

All three students have spent time in and outside of school time practicing and preparing for their big moments helping celebrate our graduating class. Whether talking about the past, present, or future we are so proud of our three commencement speakers as well as all of our graduating seniors and are looking forward to celebrating this chapter of their lives on May 25. Friends, family, and community members are all welcome to join the ADM Commencement ceremony for the class of 2025 held in the North Gym on May 25 at 2pm.