The major takeaway of Avery Oertling’s salutatorian speech was simple: Don’t get so caught up in one verse that you forget to hear the whole song.
“Listen to yourself and take time to live in the moment,” Oertling said.
It was a lesson Oertling learned after long hours of studying and balancing a demanding schedule packed with athletics and extracurriculars.
Oertling, a National Merit finalist, graduated with a 4.56 GPA and a 34 ACT score. She was active in Student Council, Beta Club, National Honor Society, Interact Club, National Art Honor Society, and the International Thespian Society. She served as a captain of the girls’ cross-country team, competed in track and field and spent four years on the Hi-Steppers Dance Team.
Her honors included the Dow Scholastic Achievement Award, the Robert C. Menezes Sr. Memorial Community Scholarship, a Dance Team Union Small Varsity National Championship and the girls’ cross-country District 7-5A championship. She also served on the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee and the Student Athletic Advisory Committee.
But behind the accolades was a deeper journey of personal growth. Oertling wrestled with anxiety, self-doubt and intense pressure to figure out exactly who she was.
“The biggest struggle was trying to solve who I am,” she said. “I realized I don’t need to have all the answers right now.”
Her involvement in Louisiana Youth Seminar, a leadership development camp, played a major role in that transformation. The experience taught her more about empathy, confidence and the value of authentic connection.
“It was the first place that I truly felt like I had shown my true self,” Oertling said. “I realized I could find people who truly valued me for who I am.”
The motto of the seminar is “no man is an island” — a sentiment Oertling highlighted in her graduation speech. For Oertling, the seminar’s focus on teaching empathy is what sets it apart.
“We need more empathy in the world,” Oertling said. “We all want connection. We all want to be understood. I realized that if I could find that in another person, I could connect with them. That has shaped me like no other.”
Oertling said she plans to teach her future students those same lessons. At Ole Miss in the fall, she will join a select cohort in the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program on a full scholarship. She plans to pursue a degree in secondary mathematics education.
“I’ve always loved helping people,” Oertling said. “Getting to share my love of math and build relationships with students is something I’m really looking forward to.”
Of her many accomplishments at Hahnville, one stands out: Oertling was named the Educator’s Rising Student of the Year after completing her internship at J.B. Martin Middle School.
“I’m so happy that I got to be even a small part of their year and their growth and development,” Oertling said of the students. “Being able to show students that learning isn’t as hard as they think it is, and watching their expressions when they finally understand something, is so incredible.”
As she prepares for her next chapter, Oertling said the most important lesson she learned as salutatorian is that success should never come at the expense of living in the moment.
For younger students chasing ambitious goals, her advice is simple: Work hard, but do not lose yourself in the process.
“Becoming the person you’re meant to be takes time,” she said. “Take time to slow down and don’t become so focused on the next thing that you lose yourself. Don’t let this moment pass before living in it first.”