After graduating from St. Mary of the Hills School in 2022, David Fleurme returned to his alma mater this year to share an inspirational speech with the school’s National Junior Honor Society about the importance of resilience and overcoming setbacks. (Photo Courtesy St. Mary of the Hills School)
MILTON — St. Mary of the Hills School recently welcomed a 2022 graduate back to deliver an inspirational speech at this year’s induction ceremony for the school’s chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. He shared a story about overcoming setbacks and developing a greater sense of charity through his personal experiences as a volunteer.
David Fleurme, a member of the Class of 2022 who graduated with high honors and is entering his senior year at Boston College High School in September, congratulated the 22 National Junior Honor Society inductees as they reached the end of their school year at St. Mary of the Hills. David also thanked Principal Suzanne Banach for inviting him to speak at the induction ceremony.
A full list of this year’s National Junior Honor Society inductees from St. Mary of the Hills School can be found at the bottom of this story.
David is one of the many success stories to come out of St. Mary of the Hills School, a culturally diverse Catholic school teaching students in preschool through the eighth grade. The school employs 35 full-time faculty members, instructing about 268 students drawn from over 25 communities.
David, who as a sixth grader was a recipient of the prestigious St. Francis Award, which honors St. Mary of the Hills students for exemplifying qualities such as humility, love, and gentleness, told those in the audience that he was once in their shoes, as a member of the National Junior Honor Society who has moved on to join BC High’s chapter of the National Honor Society.
“In 2022, I stood here on the same stage as all of you, as I was granted this honor to be part of this wonderful journey of scholarship, service, leadership and character,” David said. “I would be lying, however, if I said that the journey to excellence that all of you are embarking on is without pain or hardship. The number of setbacks that I have been forced to endure since my time at St. Mary’s has been exponential, from failing tests and not getting into classes I desired, to falling through on promises and damaging my relationships with those I love.”
David shared with the audience the biggest challenge of his life thus far: undergoing brain surgery in 2023, causing him to lose peripheral vision on his right side. David described it as the one obstacle that he “felt was nearly impossible to overcome.”
“After an eye exam in February of last year, I was deemed ineligible for my driver’s permit,” David said. “This, to be transparent, devastated me, as I was unable to experience this universal experience with the rest of my peers. At points, I honestly felt as though my high school life was over, as I watched all my friends pass this monumental milestone.”
While his vision problems were troubling, David did not let this keep him from reaching his goals in the areas of academics, athletics and volunteerism.
“This major misfortune only fueled me to be the best I can possibly be in all other facets of my life, motivating me to go the extra mile in school, on the track and in my service work,” he said. “I know that this is the same for all of you. While you may not have the same experiences I do, you’ve all faced your own challenges, your own setbacks, your own shortcomings.
“Going forward, I want you to channel these experiences into doing your all wherever and whenever you can, using your mistakes as stepping stones to success,” he added. “Similarly, as you all enter into this new chapter, you must understand that the National Honor Society is not only concerned with academic prowess but also values your service work and your character.”
David then shared an anecdote from his time completing a 24-hour service requirement for sophomores at BC High, which he chose to spend at Food N’ Friends, a charity operated by the Attleboro Area Interfaith Collaborative that provides meals to people in need. About 10 minutes into his volunteer experience there, an older man in a biker jacket and a bandana brusquely pressed David to fetch him an English muffin and butter, ahead of serving anyone else.
“This first time I heard this, I was annoyed and disgruntled. ‘How is this guy, who I’m serving, asking me for special treatment?'” David recalled. “As I was near the end of my time with Food N’ Friends, however, I found myself thinking of this man quite a bit. I came to a realization about service work that I hadn’t grasped before, the idea that this brief moment of my day was likely one of his most important. Though I found this task menial and tedious, he may have seen his English muffin with butter as the cornerstone of his day, a pleasure that he experiences rarely, but when he does experience this moment, he treasures it.”
“As National Junior Honor Society members, you act charitable not when you want to or when it is convenient to, but whenever you can,” David explained. “Service does not end once you have completed quotas, but once the people who are suffering suffer no longer. Before I leave, I would like to leave you with a few questions to consider as you enter into this new stage of life: Am I willing to try my best where I can? Will I come back stronger after my failures? Am I ready to service those in need unconditionally? Do not just ponder these questions now, but carry them with you throughout your life, being ready to put these values into all the great work you will do. I hope that you all can enrich not only your lives, but the lives of those around you through the National Junior Honor Society.”
Principal Suzanne Banach thanked David for returning to St. Mary of the Hills and delivering such an inspirational speech to the school’s National Junior Honor Society inductees.
“We’re grateful to welcome David back to St. Mary of the Hills School and for him to share his experience with us, inspiring our National Junior Honor Society inductees with his insight into charity and how we can find meaning in the most difficult challenges in life,” Principal Banach said. “This was a deeply moving speech by one of our treasured alumni. We’d like to congratulate all of our National Junior Honor Society inductees and hope that the inspirational words delivered by David will help carry them into their high school careers with a sense of determination, thoughtfulness and love.”
List of National Junior Honor Society inductees from St. Mary of the Hills School for 2025:
Grade 8
- Mila Gordon
- Karla Metellus
- Tiffany Samuels
Grade 7
- Julianne Bailey
- Olivia Chery
- Zoe Michuki
- Imani Rhudd
- Enobong Umoren
- Aengus Washburn
- Jolina Laguerre
Grade 6
- Laurie Dexaus
- Isabella Edwards
- Michaela Egwim
- Kester Exantus
- Olivia Eyster
- Gavin Grandchamps
- Theodore Mannion
- Joseph Morrison
- Dozienna Onujiogu
- Madison Pierre-Antoine
- William Spiegel
- Kyrie Vilsant
###
Discover more from John Guilfoil Public Relations
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.