Appling Middle School Graduation Valedictorian Address - 2011

[DeathKnightGamers]

wow im gonna miss appling so much i graduated from this class to and olivia tht was an amazing speech even tho me and u never really talked but i saw you in the halls and knew who you were you were amazing on piano to u accomplish alot more then regular people do ur an all around great person ;)

[bigslim414]

Olivia, You are an amazing speaking. Im one of ur best friends. U inspire me and I'll miss u next year.

[bigslim414]

GO OLIVIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!

[MrAwesomeboy1995]

Beautiful. Olivia went to my school but now is moving on to high school

[marasaco]

Thank you for passing this along as a mother of a daughter who is 6, a son who has DS who is 4 , and a baby brother who is almost 2. I hope and pray that I'm raising my children to see that our boy is a unique gift. I would love to see my oldest daughter feel that same way in 8 yrs about her younger brother with DS.

[jthomasahs14]

if only this video was public. absolutely amazing.

[toromlo]

Thank you for sharing. Saw this on CNN.com while sitting at work. I hope nothing but happiness for you and your family.

Greetings from San Francisco :)

[ivegotsunshine899]

My speech was meant to commemorate my brother and help others realize the blessing he was to my family--he was definitely not a burden. Special children are some of the sweetest, most loving, genuine people you could ever meet and I feel sorry for people who do not take the chance to befriend someone with special needs. Sorry I'm rambling but I was so happy to see another person give a speech like this and I had to say something! You did a wonderful job :)

[ivegotsunshine899]

Bringing awareness to the truth that these special people are a gift to us is crucial. I also gave a speech this year--my senior speech for my high school graduation which was about my brother.

[ivegotsunshine899]

I just wanted to say that I am also so impressed by Olivia's speech. My brother is also considered special. He passed away last year due to health issues after living his whole life with cerebral palsy, sculiosis, and blindness.

[mrsmatt10808]

I am so beyond impressed with this young woman. I am the mother to identical twin boys, 18 months old, who both have Down syndrome. I have often wondered how a sibling would feel about having brothers with special needs. It is my sincere hope that any future children of ours are as well-spoken, kind, loving and inspiring as Olivia is. This video touched my heart. Thank you.

[slowmoreb]

Olivia Halvorson for President!

[shinokino]

I loved her speech I was crying when she walked off stage. I'm happy I had the honor to see her say the at graduation.

[TheKaoruxHikaru]

Olivia! I love her so much, she is absolutley amazing. Her piano is perfect, and she has an amazing attitude. She goes to my school, and she's very intillegent.

most of the kids and parents started crying with her. Go Olivia!

[Baybahluv]

This girl is going to go on to do great things! Thank you! My daughter has Down syndrome. She is two and I often wonder how my newborn daughter will feel about her sister having special needs. I hope it is just like this <3

[zastt]

I have a son with Down syndrome who is, as I type, spending his last hour in middle school. I cannot count how many times I have read posts from parents on message boards concerned how their new baby with Down syndrome is going to impact the lives of their other children. If I ever read another one, I'm going to link them to this speech. Beautifully said -

[iamviable1]

This young lady has learned more in her short lifetime than many adults will ever learn. Her mind and heart have been enlarged because of the brother that has been placed in her. Wish more of us could be so blessed.

[cindyriggs1]

Beautiful.....Amazing......I am in awe of the deep understanding that Olivia has of life.

[lilhatcher]

wow thank you for sharing we all can learn from both her and her brother

[catherinelfinn]

I cannot imagine how proud you must be of your daughter. Not only for all of her accomplishments but for her understanding of life and the world around her. God bless you and your family.

[PrincessKaylaGrace]

What a beautiful speech. Her words were honest, raw, and heartfelt. She is a beautiful person and there is no doubt she will go far in life. Our five-year-old daughter, Kayla, has Down syndrome. I hope we are blessed with other children that are just as caring and compassionate as your daughter! Thank you for sharing!

[JenVandy]

Thank you so much for sharing. I remember getting a prenatal diagnosis for our second child and worrying about how our first-born wouldn't have the dream playmate we wanted for him. And we worried about how we would focus on our new child's needs and how our first-born would be somehow neglected. How wrong we were! Thank you for sharing your precious daughter's accomplishments and story with us. You're a blessing!