Evan Carl Hadfield, PSHS Grad

August 18, 2009

Evan Carl Hadfield, Plano Senior High School 2009 Graduate, captured the hearts of faculty and staff with his remarks at Plano ISD's 2009 Employee Convocation event held today at Prestonwood Church.

He told the 7,000 gathered that he was amazed that his 12 years of education flew by so fast. "Wow. Twelve years. Twelve incredible, and incredibly long, years of PISD. Now, I mean, I know that for most of you, twelve years is just like a fifth of your life so far. Okay, it’s alright. Some of you are a little slow on math. I know, it’s been awhile. Don’t feel too bad. For Dr. Otto over here, it’s about a ninth. Hopefully he’s really slow at math!"

Off to College: 'Feels Like Leaving Family'

As a recent graduate and soon to be freshman at Brigham Young University, where he'll study economics and international relations, Evan said that he feels like he's leaving behind a second family as he heads off into the "wilds of the real world."

"Over the years I’ve learned and grown from mentors and friends in all areas of PISD staff," he said. "There was the bus driver who gave out winter presents, the lunch lady who five years after I’d seen her in middle school came up to me, and said, 'Oh! Remember me, David?' 

"There was the school secretary who had me and some friends get together to play happy birthday on our instruments for one of the assistant principals. And there was the band director who told us afterward we desperately needed to work on our tuning."

High Expectations...Second Day of School!

Evan continued, "And there was the English teacher who taught me a life lesson. The first quiz we had in her class, second day of school - I didn’t do as well on it as perhaps I should’ve, I mean, I didn’t do terrible…I mean, I passed…but let’s just say it wasn’t a test paper worthy of the fridge door. But as we left class that day, she stopped me, and, clearly puzzled, said, 'Evan? Hmm. I expected better.'

"The second day of school! I still wasn’t even sure how to spell her name, and I was already being held to a higher standard. Someone must have told her some nonsense about me being a good student – as a joke, yet her expectations for me were high – before I’d even walked in the room. And that goes across the board – Here, you’re expected to show respect, to show character, to be a good citizen and to clean up after yourself. You’re expected to learn, to listen – to learn to listen, and to adapt. In today’s world, as we all know, change is inevitable – except from the school vending machines."

'Here in Plano ISD, college isn’t discussed as a nicety, but as a necessity.'

Evan praised the Plano ISD teaching staff, saying, "Here, teachers and staff don’t want to hear students complain about how hard we work; they want to see how much we get done. Here, college isn’t discussed as a nicety, but as a necessity.

"I understand dealing with us can be difficult at times – just ask my parents! – but I know I speak for the nearly 4,000 of us that survived over a decade under your wing that we owe our futures to the dedication and tremendous patience you showed us.

"It’s because of all of you that the youth of Plano, Texas, will be seen as tomorrow’s creators, producers, thinkers, and leaders.
I’ve had an incredible experience here, one that cannot be replicated anywhere else.

I cannot thank you each enough for giving me a leading edge as I enter the next stage of my life. And when they ask me in college where I went to school, I’ll be able to proudly look them straight in the face and say, Plano."