Video of high school graduation speech where a valedictorian student roasted her “alcoholic” teacher and her “unavailable” counselor has gone viral. The graduating student also slammed the high school’s administrators as negligent. This is not your typical valedictorian speech.
Nataly Buhr was this year’s valedictorian at San Ysidro High School in San Diego, California. On Wednesday, Miss Buhr gave her graduation speech and went full scorched earth as she took teachers and school staff to task. Buhr started her speech by talking about the positive influences in her life.
“Good evening parents, friends, staff and class of 2019,” Nataly began her speech. “It’s a pleasure to speak her to you today. I’d like to give recognition to those who have greatly influenced me during the past four years. To my mother and father, you are the most hard-working and caring people that I know. Especially in this past year, with all the craziness of applying to colleges and coming closer to adulthood. You have been wonderful mentors and role models. Thank you for your endless love and guidance. ”
Then she lowered the boom on her high school counselor. “To my counselor, thanks for teaching me to fend for myself,” Buhr sarcastically said. “You were always unavailable to my parents and I, despite appointments. Only in these past few weeks, with the awards ceremonies and graduation coming up, did you begin making your appearance. You expressed to me your joy in having one of your students be valedictorian when you had absolutely no role in my achievements.”
She then aimed her sights on the school’s administrators. “Your negligence to inform me of several scholarships until the day before they were due potentially caused me to miss out on thousands of dollars,” she said.
Nataly then accused one of her teachers of being an alcoholic. “Thank you for using yourself as an example to teach students about the dangers of alcoholism,” she said of the drunk teacher without naming the instructor. “Being escorted by police out of school was a lasting impression. I hope that future students and staff learn from these examples.”
The blunt shot at the teacher shocked the crowd and there was a gasp from the audience.
Sweetwater Union High School District spokesperson Manuel Rubio said that her speech was not approved and she went way off script of what was approved by the school. Oh you think? “We think that the student’s speech was inappropriate and out of line,” Rubio said.
“While we definitely welcome the concerns of students and their families regarding any situation at one of our schools, doing so in such a manner without any prior knowledge of this situation by the school, is not the right way of handling this,” Rubio added. “Ultimately this takes away from what should have been a day of celebration for the school and their community.”
How badly did you want to lambaste your high school teachers on the last day of school but never had the fortitude or opportunity to do so?
[TheHill]