Malishka Arni, the Montville Township High School [MTHS] Salutatorian of the Class of 2025, will be majoring in finance this fall at New York University's Stern School of Business. On June 19, at the 54th Annual MTHS Commencement Ceremony, Arni spoke to her peers, their families, and the faculty, staff and administration of the Montville Township Public Schools.
“One thing I have always prided myself on is my self-sufficiency,” Arni said. “I enjoyed being someone who could solve all of her problems on her own and never had to bother anyone else.”
As high school got more and more challenging, Arni noted that she slowly “began to see that the real challenge was not shouldering everything on my own, but taking support from others and channeling it into creating the best version of myself...self-sufficiency could also mean having the awareness to know what I need, and that I didn’t need to abandon it to accept that support.”
When asked what the most important lesson she will take with her after the MTHS graduation, Arni said, “The most important lesson I have taken from MTHS is the importance of community. Whether it's studying with my friends over FaceTime late into the night or decorating the hallways for Diwali with fellow members of the Cultural Diversity Club, I've learned to surround myself with people I feel at home with.”
Arni’s Montville Township Public Schools academic career began at Valley View Elementary School. Before concluding, the 2025 MTHS Salutatorian shared seven additional points of advice with the more than 280 members of the Class of 2025. She also thanked her parents and baby brother, particularly singling out the inspiration her father and mother have provided.
“I used to roll my eyes when he [Arni’s father] talked about coming to this country with nothing, but now that I’m 17, I can’t believe how long it has taken me to realize that his story is the foundation of every opportunity I have, and I can’t thank him enough for always pushing me to be the best I can be,” explained the graduating senior..
The salutatorian also shouted out a big thank you: “Mama, thank you for being the person I could talk to about anything, whether it be friend group drama or crashing out over my GPA, for believing in everything that I do, and for your amazing advice that is for some reason always right.”
Before concluding the salutatorian address and congratulating her fellow graduates, Arni took a moment to share one quote that she explained has stuck with her from Junior year AP Language Class: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
The quote, which appears at the end of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, inspired Arni to reflect:
“We’ve all experienced something like that. High school is this weird balance between trying to grow into who we want to be, while still being shaped by who we used to be. I know for me, I came into high school right after quarantine, trying to change everything about the awkward version of myself I didn’t want to be anymore. I thought the key to moving forward was rewriting everything behind me - unlearning my self-sufficient tendencies and trying to be better. But what I’ve realized is that we don’t have to erase our pasts to grow. Whether it’s our mistakes, our identities, or just the parts of ourselves we’re still figuring out, they’re not weights holding us back. They’re the current we learn to row with.”
Arni’s MTHS Salutatorian speech to the Class of 2025 can be viewed on the Montville Township Public Schools YouTube Channel. A transcript of the speech is available below:
Intro
Good evening! Welcome family, friends, staff, and fellow graduates. My name is Malishka Arni and I am your MTHS Class of 2025 Salutatorian. I am so honored to be here, speaking on behalf of our class, to celebrate our exceptional and unforgettable accomplishments over the past 4 years.
Middle piece #1
Throughout high school, we faced and overcame many challenges to reach where we are today. We relied on the support of our families, parents, friends, teachers, counselors, and countless other outlets. But to truly persevere, we also relied on ourselves.
One thing I have always prided myself on is my self-sufficiency. I liked the fact that I never went to kumon or asked my parents for help with my homework. I enjoyed being someone who could solve all of her problems on her own and never had to bother anyone else. And this worked pretty well for me - until high school hit. When classes got harder and I started balancing school with activities, I found myself going to extra help, forming study groups, and asking questions I would’ve once kept to myself. Slowly, I began to see that the real challenge was not shouldering everything on my own, but taking support from others and channeling it into creating the best version of myself. That self sufficiency could also mean having the awareness to know what I need, and that I didn’t need to abandon it to accept that support. So if there’s one thing I could impart to my fellow graduating students heading off to college, it’s this: Although we may feel the need to be independent adults, It’s okay to take up space, and it is okay to ask for help.
Middle Piece #2
Okay, so I know I just told you what I would say if I could give only one piece of advice, but I can give you as many as I want (as long as it fits into this 3-5 minute long speech). So, I’ve compiled a short list of some of the most profound pieces of advice I have received during my time in high school to share with you all.
Be a kid. The most immature people are the ones that take life too seriously.
Share gossip, but never secrets.
Keep consistency in your life. Whether it’s doing the daily jeopardy in Mr. Riotto’s AP Gov class or studying with your friends before every Calc BC test, find comfort in routines.
Order a water cup at Taco Bell and discreetly fill it with baja blast. They never notice.
The quieter you are, the more people will listen.
Always take the hypotenuse. In other words, work smarter, not harder.
Don’t limit yourself and what you can achieve. You are far more capable than you think.
To all of the teachers, counselors, and friends who have provided me with this guidance and lead me through high school - thank you for shaping not just the student I became, but the person I’m still learning to be.
And to my friends especially: thank you for being my constant through the chaos. For the late-night pep talks, the shared stress, and the delirious lunch table laughter that got me through even the most overwhelming days. You've all reminded me that success means little without people to celebrate it with. I'm so grateful for the memories we've made, the ways you've lifted me up, and the moments we’ve grown through together.
But I have no two people to thank more in this world for my success than my parents. They found the perfect balance between giving me the freedom I needed to grow and to learn on my own, and a strong support system to fall back on if I ever needed it.
To my mama, thank you for being the person I could talk to about anything, whether it be friend group drama or crashing out over my gpa, for believing in everything that I do, and for your amazing advice that is for some reason always right.
But I think my biggest inspiration has to be my father. I used to roll my eyes when he talked about coming to this country with nothing, but now that I’m 17, I can’t believe how long it has taken me to realize that his story is the foundation of every opportunity I have, and I can’t thank him enough for always pushing me to be the best I can be.
And of course, to my baby brother Etash - Despite all of the times you stole my phone and hid it behind the toaster or all of the less than endearing nicknames you’ve devised for me over the years, I am so grateful that I have someone like you who can laugh with me over the smallest things, or know exactly what I’m thinking with only a glace across the room at a family function. You've been my favorite distraction and a constant reminder to never take life too seriously. And I hope that when you look at me now, you see only a fraction of what you are capable of achieving in the future.
CONCLUSION:
Before we all head off in exactly 284 different directions, I wanted to share one quote that’s stuck with me through these last couple of years, namely from Junior year AP lang class. At the end of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald writes:
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
In the book, it’s about Gatsby’s struggle to move forward while being held back by the past he couldn’t let go of. And I think, in a much more hopeful way, we’ve all experienced something like that. High school is this weird balance between trying to grow into who we want to be, while still being shaped by who we used to be. I know for me, I came into high school right after quarantine, trying to change everything about the awkward version of myself I didn’t want to be anymore. I thought the key to moving forward was rewriting everything behind me - unlearning my self-sufficient tendencies and trying to be better. But what I’ve realized is that we don’t have to erase our pasts to grow. Whether it’s our mistakes, our identities, or just the parts of ourselves we’re still figuring out, they’re not weights holding us back. They’re the current we learn to row with. So, as we head off to the next chapter, let’s keep pushing forward, but let’s also honor how far we’ve come, and the people we’ve become along the way.