[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:33] It's a speed that which to move, but when we move together, we move as one. When we face our challenges, we face them as one. And when we accomplish something, we accomplish it as one. We are pace, and we move at the pace of girls. The pace of girls is different than the rest. It's contemplative, thoughtful, sometimes struggling, and wavering. But at pace, we choose to move with girls.
[1:02] Low when they slow,
[1:04] feet when they do,
[1:05] offering acceptance, kindness and love
[1:07] to give them the confidence to thrive on their own.
[1:10] This year, we are over 3000 strong.
[1:15] 3000 individuals who together
[1:17] are a force to be reckoned with,
[1:19] a movement for girls.
[1:22] At the heart of our movement
[1:23] is a culture that values all girls,
[1:26] believing every girl deserves an opportunity
[1:28] to find their voice and potential,
[1:30] To feel value, to feel safe, a culture committed to finding the great in every girl.
[1:38] We see the great in every girl, we recognize it, we tell them to keep going at the pace of girls until they see it too.
[4:26] Sometimes things get hard, but at least for me.
[4:31] 9th grade year, they used to call us fresh meat.
[4:33] I thought school was like a playground, a very fun place to be.
[4:37] Until I got into a grade with my graduation requirements didn't meet.
[4:41] We think graduation is not that serious.
[4:44] We're not at 12th grade, so we're just playing around until we do usual.
[4:49] Minutes, seconds, hours, they fly.
[4:53] Weeks, months, years, here's your lot 2025.
[4:56] One more month till I graduate and I was gone serious. I blame my teachers as if they
[5:01] was the villains, but then what about me? Did I take a serious? Did I put my all in? Did
[5:09] I try? Is it too late? Do I say forget it all or do I cry at eight tests? Different days
[5:14] ready to give up. Thank you to myself, I was selfish. I have no luck. Now it's time to put
[5:19] my all in. I won't give in and I shall not fall. One more test where I have to risk it all,
[5:25] But I shouldn't. I knew what I was missing. I just never paid attention. All the
[5:29] sounds was there. It was easy. I just should have listened. Started with nothing
[5:33] or coming to pace. Not knowing I was coming here with a 0.17 GPA. Nothing to show
[5:39] for that I tried. So it was time to do what I needed. All I needed was support and
[5:42] help to make it through with that. Support and help look what I grew into. GPA is
[5:47] over 2.0 and I have a graduation day. It was ups and downs. But look at me now
[5:51] today and I say this the same. All you have to do is try. Take this year's if you
[5:57] want to come to the real world and survive it gets rough sometimes but that's
[6:01] fine but you have to get up and push through it sometimes. I believe in all
[6:05] girls that pace has most believed in me and I want every girl here to achieve
[6:09] and be productive and least successfully like me. My name is Amelia Crawford and
[6:14] I have to enter my speech.
[15:08] Good afternoon. My name is Jocelyn, and I was honored to receive the 2024 Amanda Horn Promise Award. This annual award honors Amanda Horn, a former
[15:19] Pace Board member, co-chair of Pace Capital Campaign, and a true leader who consistently shows up for our community. The award is inspired by a movement that speaks deeply to Amanda, because I said I would. A global movement about
[15:36] battering humanity through promises made and kept. Its message is simple but powerful.
[15:43] We can change the world by showing up for ourselves and for others.
[15:49] And if you know Amanda Horn, you know she lives that message every day. While Amanda can
[15:54] be here today, she's in the mountains of North Carolina. I'm incredibly honored to announce this
[16:00] years recipient. This year's award goes to someone I deeply admire. Over time I've
[16:06] watched my friend grow into a strong, confident young woman. She's worked hard to
[16:12] shift her mindset, overcome challenges, and go after her goals. She's always pushing
[16:18] the rest of us to stay focused. Do our schoolwork and believe in what we're capable of.
[16:23] She even went all the way to Tallahassee to speak with lawmakers about how
[16:27] how Pays has changed her life, paying it forward so more girls get the same chance.
[16:32] To me, she's more than a friend, she's a role model and an inspiration.
[16:37] And one day, when she becomes a police officer, I know she'll show up for her community
[16:42] just like she's shown up for us.
[16:44] Please join me in congratulating the 2025 Amanda Horn Promise Award recipient, Mimi Crawford.
[17:11] Let's
[17:59] give these ladies another round of applause.
[18:12] Good evening graduates, families, faculty, mentors, and friends.
[18:20] Today we gather to celebrate something extraordinary, not just the completions of credits or
[18:29] The past and exams, but the triumph of resilience, the power of transformation and the beauty
[18:39] of a second chance to our peace graduates, you did it.
[18:46] And maybe for a long time someone made you feel like you wouldn't.
[18:51] you heard words like trouble too much not enough or at risk but today and
[19:00] every day after this let the words define you to be powerful, capable, brilliant
[19:08] and unstoppable because look at you now. Each of you have walked the role that
[19:15] most people could never imagine. Feel with obstacles, pains, moments where giving up might
[19:24] have felt easier than going on. But you didn't give up. You didn't give in and you didn't give out.
[19:33] You showed up. You did the work. You grew. You fought for yourself. And today you walked
[19:41] across the stage, not just as graduates, but as warriors, as survivors, as leaders.
[19:50] Paces more than a school.
[19:53] It's a safe haven.
[19:55] It's a place where healing and learning work hand in hand.
[20:01] Where staff members become champions for potential, where girls like you become young women ready
[20:10] to shape the world. Graduates, you're not just crossing the stage today. You're crossing
[20:16] into a new chapter of possibilities. And I want you to remember three key components.
[20:26] Your voice matters. Your journey is uniquely yours. And you already have what it takes.
[20:33] and then I break it down for you. Your voice matters. Use it. Speak truth.
[20:40] Advocate for yourselves and others. The world needs stories. Your strength. Your
[20:47] ideas. Let no one ever silence the power of you ever again. Your journey is
[20:56] uniquely yours. Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Whether you become a nurse
[21:02] artists, a teacher, a leader, or an entrepreneur, what matters is that you're moving forward.
[21:10] Denzel Washington once said, don't confuse movement with progress because you can run
[21:18] in place and not gain movement.
[21:22] You already have what it takes.
[21:25] You've learned to survive and now it's time to thrive.
[21:27] You develop courage, grit, compassion, perseverance, those are ingredients for success in any part of life.
[21:38] To the families and loved ones here today, thank you for believing in these girls.
[21:43] To the staff and mentors at pace, you have done your job.
[21:47] You have changed lives, but today belongs to the graduates.
[21:52] Several of you have already chosen the path and plan to attend local colleges or universities
[21:59] including Manatee Technical College, College of University, or State College of Florida.
[22:07] If you wish to pursue a higher education, pace is fortunate to have scholarships available
[22:13] through the generosity of Brian and Nancy Coleman Fun.
[22:18] To the class of 2025, you're not just a success story,
[22:24] you're authors of your next chapter.
[22:27] Go write it bold, go write it fierce,
[22:31] and go write it free.
[22:33] Congratulations, please, graduates,
[22:35] the world is better because of you.
[22:38] Thank you.
[22:56] I know I chose the order,
[22:58] but in the future someone remind me,
[23:00] I don't want to go after Omar.
[23:04] Thank you, Omar.
[23:05] and thank you to Managee County School District for entrusting the education of our girls to pace.
[23:12] I am Amy Wick-Mavis and I have the deep honor of serving as the Executive Director for
[23:18] PACE Center for Girls. On May 4, 1995, 30 years ago, I walked into pace for the very first time.
[23:30] Like most of our girls, I wasn't quite sure what I was walking into.
[23:36] I spent most of my career working with boys, a school that only served girls.
[23:41] That was new for me, but I thought, I'll give it a try.
[23:45] If it doesn't work out, I can always go somewhere else.
[23:50] Sound familiar to any paste girls?
[23:53] But something happened.
[23:54] I found myself surrounded by young women with enormous strength, not the loud obvious
[24:03] kind, although it gets very loud at pace, but the quiet, persistent kind, the kind of
[24:10] strength it takes to get out of bed when everything feels heavy, to show up when life has
[24:18] told you not to bother to hope even when it hurts. And I stayed because you are worth
[24:28] staying for. Today is your day. Some of you completed your high school requirements
[24:37] months ago. Others literally passed the algebra EOC two weeks ago. But all of you crossed
[24:45] the line. All of you arrived. And today we pause everything to celebrate you, not just for graduating,
[24:57] but for refusing to give up. When you first came to pace, you didn't know if a day like this was
[25:05] even possible. Maybe people in your life told you it wasn't possible. Maybe even the voice in your
[25:15] own head told you it wasn't. Maybe it was hard to believe in anything. But we
[25:24] believed in you until you could believe in yourself. And here you are a high
[25:32] school graduate. That is not a small thing. That's a goal achieved one step at a time.
[25:41] You've overcome obstacles that would have broken others.
[25:46] Some of you were told you were too far behind.
[25:50] Some of you were managing more than anyone your age ever should.
[25:55] Some of you face loss, fear, instability, and still found a way to keep going.
[26:02] You went to school through a pandemic, when everything felt uncertain, and while many
[26:11] gave up, you did not.
[26:14] You kept showing up even when it was hard, even when no one saw.
[26:20] We saw you.
[26:22] We saw you come tired but determined.
[26:25] We saw you push through setbacks.
[26:26] We saw you sacrifice summers, sleep, and sometimes hope, but you kept reaching.
[26:34] And now, look around.
[26:37] Look at the people who are here who never stop curing you on.
[26:43] The pace girls sitting right back there, they see you.
[26:50] And they want to be you.
[26:53] So your families who were scared and unsure still stood by you, parents, take a deep breath.
[27:05] Anyone remember that very first meeting with Miss Randy?
[27:11] The questions, the fears, the uncertainty, look where your daughters are now.
[27:24] Let that moment sink in.
[27:27] And our paced team, the ones who dreamed of this day for you even before you believed
[27:36] it was possible, can our paced staff stand up?
[27:52] These are the people who loved you enough to hold you accountable, to push you, to sit
[28:01] with you when things felt impossible, they have carried your stories in their hearts.
[28:10] And to our community supporters, many of whom don't even know your names.
[28:17] Thank you.
[28:20] Your belief in these young women has rewritten the trajectory of their lives.
[28:26] You didn't just give to a program.
[28:31] You invested in hope, and healing, and possibility.
[28:37] And today, this moment is the return on your investment.
[28:46] Girls, when you came to us, we made you a promise that we would believe in you until you were
[28:55] fully able to believe in yourselves. Today, I want you to feel that deep in your heart,
[29:04] because the world is waiting for what you bring, your resilience, your strength, your
[29:12] story. This diploma you're receiving today is not just paper. It's proof. Proof that you
[29:22] You made it! Proof that you are capable of rewriting your story. Proof that you are
[29:31] more than your past, that you are ready for what is next.
[29:37] I have been to many past graduations, but every time, every single time, it feels like
[29:47] the first, because what you have accomplished is not ordinary, it is extraordinary,
[29:59] it is
[31:33] Judge Jocelyn, and I would like to thank Ms. Leah for helping me all the time when I was at
[31:39] pace academically. And I would like to thank Ms. Yolanda for helping me emotionally, and
[31:44] I would like to thank my little sister, my mom, my grandma, and my grandpa, and everyone
[31:50] at pace.
[31:52] Something I would tell my younger self is, you got to no matter what you do, and
[31:57] to believe in yourself, because you are the only motivator in your life.
[32:01] My
[32:48] name is Jennifer. I'm a 2025. He's graduated and I want to think this Leah for being very proud of me and always motivating me to finish my work.
[32:58] And I also want to thank my parents, my mom and dad. They were my biggest supporters since day one.
[33:05] And they've always told me to always pay attention and work hard in school. And I want to thank them.
[33:14] something I would tell my younger self is to not be afraid of change changes how
[33:19] we grow especially within ourselves.
[33:47] Hi, my name is Vanessa. I would like to thank
[33:49] Miss Yalanda and my family and friends for pushing me to keep going and not to
[33:53] give up.
[33:57] Something I would like to tell my younger self is to not give up to keep
[34:01] going no matter what people are telling you. My
[34:29] name is Dezari. I just want to thank
[34:30] my mom. She was there for everything. Hi,
[35:02] my name is Kira. I just want to say thank you
[35:04] to everyone at pace but especially Miss Yolanda and Miss Leah for always being there for me
[35:10] emotionally, academically and every way possible and also I want to say the biggest thank you
[35:16] to my family and my friends for sticking beside me and always believing in me and yeah thank you
[35:22] guys.
[35:26] What I would say to my younger self is keep going and always be proud of yourself for all
[35:32] with the little teammates.
[35:34] My
[36:17] name's Ruby and I would like to thank my mom and my dad
[36:20] for all the support that they give me
[36:22] and my siblings for always standing behind me
[36:25] and making me so supportive.
[36:32] Something I would tell my younger self is
[36:34] to not give up and to keep trying because you can do it
[36:37] and there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
[37:17] And all the case, community, something
[37:23] I would tell
[37:24] my younger self is, you'll be okay, you got it
[37:28] under any circumstance and you can do anything you want as long as you believe.
[38:08] Hi, my name is Mia and I would like to thank all the past staff members such as
[38:13] Ms. Mia, Ms. Neil, and a little bit of time I did have a worse Annie.
[38:18] And I would also like to thank my grandma, which is my mom, my Thica and my cousin.
[38:24] They never gave up on me and they always encouraged me to graduate and I didn't look
[38:29] because of all of them.
[38:31] I would also like to thank my mom who never let me give up and she pushed me
[38:39] every single day and she is my superwoman and she motivated me every day.
[38:51] Something I was telling my younger stuff is don't let the obstacles get in your way and you came along
[38:57] and you graduated and you did it.