Fifty-seven young men and women graduated from Mathews High School last Saturday with a “change in attitude,” a concept expressed by valedictorian Abbie Hudgins in her speech.

“At the beginning of the school year, I found myself focusing on the negative components, even though they were far from my control,” said Hudgins. “I was fixated on the unfairness of the situation and found myself complaining about what could’ve been and what was taken from us. I was going through the motions of my senior year saying things like, ‘Next year will be better,’ and completely rushing through and throwing away each valuable moment of my senior year.”

Hudgins said that her mindset shifted when she and her teammates fell short in the VHSL state semifinal basketball game.

“Where I was disappointed and absorbed with the minimal number of games played and tedious policies sent in place, I should’ve been grateful that my teammates and I were able to have a season at all and play the game we love,...