Cadet diploma's are passed out alphabetically, the last cadet giving a speech. Often as not these are the best speeches in the event.
“We are prepared because when inevitable difficulties or disappointments come our way, we can look down at this ring. We can feel the weight of it on our hands. And we will be reminded that we chose to do something hard – something different. We chose to dig deep within ourselves. We chose to be challenged – to challenge who we are knowing that character shows itself in difficulty.”
- Cadet Samuel Zuschlag, the (second) last graduate of the Class of 2021