"Why Not Try... Why Not Dream?" - Sarah Wichman Shares as GISH Graduation Student Speaker

On Saturday, May 9th, 2026, Grand Island Senior High honored 620 graduating Seniors at the annual Commencement Ceremony. 
 

Per school tradition, part of the program included a message shared by a student speaker.
 

Sarah Wichman, from the Academy of Engineering & Technology, a student athlete, fine arts performer, and a vocal student leader, shared a message with her graduating class and the packed arena of the Heartland Events Center. 

Below is the transcript of her speech.

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President of the School Board, Mr. Hank McFarland; Superintendent, Mr. Matt Fisher; Assistant Principal, Mrs. Fawn Gernstein; faculty; parents; family; friends; and the Grand Island Senior High Class of 2026: 
 

I want to take a moment to thank our teachers and families for being patient with us… for guiding us… and for believing in us even when we did not believe in ourselves.

Our teachers and families have helped shape who we are as individuals. We will carry their lessons into everything we do from this point on. And today, as we step into what comes next, I want to talk about one of the most important lessons they've taught us—how to respond when the world tells us 'no.' 
 

My fellow graduates, over these past four years we have all heard the word "no", some of us more than others. No you cannot retake the test. No, the room temperature cannot be changed. No you cannot park in the gold-colored lines.  While sometimes these rules seemed small or frustrating, they taught us discipline… responsibility… and how to adapt when things do not go our way. But here's what I realized: as we stand here on the edge of the rest of our lives, the "no’s" that will actually matter most aren't about parking spaces or room temperature. They're the ones we tell ourselves. 
 

No has taught us to be afraid of failure and to question every choice asking “what if.”

Today we stand at the biggest “what if” yet. What if we leave our comfort zones?... What if we fail our big challenge?... What if the path we have chosen is not the one we actually want? But here's the thing about 'what if' — it is not really a question about failure. It's a question about uncertainty. It's standing on the edge of a future where nothing is guaranteed, where we don't get to see the ending before we choose to begin. 
 

It is easy to let those questions undermine, us. It is easy to stay stuck in "what if", paralyzed, weighing every risk until we are either too afraid or too tired to move. As we receive our diplomas today we realize something important:"What if" is half of the equation. It is curiosity, not courage. It asks what could go wrong. It never asks what could go right. 
 

The world will tell us to be realistic… It will tell us to suck it up… It will tell us to follow the path already paved by those who came before us and to keep our dreams within reach of what feels comfortable. It will tell us to choose certainty over possibility. But when you find something that makes you excited—whether it's a career, a cause, or a person—and that voice in your head asks, 'What if it doesn't work out?'
 

Answer it with this:...'Why not?' 
 

Why not try?... Why not dream?… Why not take the chance when everything in us is telling us that it matters? "Why not" is a refusal to accept the limitations that have been placed in front of us. It is the spark that turns a dream into a plan. When we ask 'why not' instead of 'what if,' we stop being passengers in our lives and start becoming the drivers. 
 

Why not be the one to solve that problem?

Why not be the one to lead that organization?

Why not be the one to accomplish something people once thought impossible?

This isn't about arrogance…it's about potential. The people who change things are not always the one who is most qualified or certain.  They're the ones willing to try when everyone else is still asking 'what if.' And here's the hard truth: the people who tell you it's impossible. Most of them stopped believing in 'why not' for themselves a long time ago. 
 

As we stand here today many of us are stepping into the unknown.

Some of us are headed to college or trade schools, others to the workforce, and some of us the military. There will be moments when we feel like we don't belong in the room. We will face challenges that feel bigger than we are. We may fail at something that matters to us. We may take a path that turns out not to be the one. When that happens, remember this:

Our potential is not defined by where we start, but by our willingness to keep going. Growth doesn't come from getting it right the first time. It comes from trying… adjusting… and continuing even when the outcome is uncertain. 
 

Think about who we were four years ago on that first day of high school, nervous about new classes and new friends. Think about the late-night study sessions, the tests we faced against all odds, and the challenges that made us stronger.

We are not the same people we were then. We grew through failures…we grew through successes…we grew through moments that pushed us to be better. If we can change this much in four years, imagine what's possible in the next four—or the next forty—if we refuse to let fear decide for us. 
 

Class of 2026, my challenge to you is simple. Do not let "no" be the word in your whole story.

Use it as fuel. Let it push us forward, not hold us back. When the world tells us that we are too young…too inexperienced…or not enough, let that be the moment we lean in and prove that growth is always possible. 
 

The future does not belong to those who wait for certainty. It belongs to those of us who take risks…are willing to fail…willing to learn…and willing to keep going anyway. It belongs to those who ask the question that shuts out doubt: 'Why not?'. 
 

For four years we have lived with "no". Asked: "What if." Now it is time to answer with "why not." Go out there and take chances. Go out and follow our passions. Go out and build lives that reflect who we truly want to be. Go out and make it happen.Go out and create something meaningful. Go out and change the world in every way that matters to us. After all…why not? 
 

We did it, Class of 2026! 

Now, it’s time to show the world what we’re made of. 
 

#WeAreGIPS