By DEEP PATEL, Gazebo Assistant Editor

As high school comes to an end for seniors, several recently expressed what they believe in with a short statement and presented it to their class.

This project was part of their Senior English class curriculum, taught by Mrs. Lindsey Stevens.

“Four years ago, when I took over seniors, I wanted them to end on a positive note while wrapping up their year,” she said.

The speeches were two to three minutes long. Each  student wrote a 500-word speech about something in which they believe.

Each graduate gave their speech to the class, and parents were invited to attend.

For David Haithcock, hope is a necessity.

“It is important to have hope in midst of all the recent tragedies that’s happened,” Haithcock said. “I saw statistics of how many people died in the Belgium terrorist attack, so I felt inspired to write about hope.”

Jackson Pyles decided to write about competition itself. “I believe in competition, and every student should find the thing they like to compete in and go from there,” he said.

This activity, in which students wrote statements of belief as a final classroom exercise,  not only took place at Stratford but also across America.

According to ThisIBelieve’s official website, “thousands of teachers across America have asked their students to write This I Believe essays.”

Assigning this project is especially helpful for seniors, as it encourages them to think about what is important in life as they embark on the next phase of their journeys.