As Mt. Hope’s 2022 valedictorian, Eva White, said herself — she is one of the lucky ones. But that statement without context fails to properly carry the weight of those words, delivered at one of the early peaks of what is sure to be a lifetime of accomplishments and achievements for such a promising young woman as White.

In her own words, White explained to the her fellow graduates, faculty members and gathered families how her life could have ended before it began — abandoned as an infant in China, nearly a casualty of their infamous “one-child policy” that was implemented between 1980 and 2015 as a means to control their exploding population. Instead, White was found at the gate of a public park, brought to an orphanage and, ultimately, adopted and brought to America.

“When people ask what motivates me, the answer is always the same: I was gifted opportunities and freedoms which I am now determined to make the best of,” she said. “This origin story may seem unique, but it is not. There were millions of Chinese girls who were abandoned or killed because of the One Child Policy and the culture’s preference towards sons. I consider myself one of the lucky ones.”

Such a harrowing start to life, White said, has given her the opportunity to examine what “family” means, and how such strong relationships do not have to be genetically bound.

“Family is not rooted in blood. Family is connection,” she said. “My family consists of my adoptive family, my foster family, my friends, my teachers, my classmates, my teammates, my coworkers; my family is not my family because of a shared ancestry, it is my family because of shared experiences and support.”

For White, this concept of family was further emboldened by the experience she had at Mt. Hope High School, where she would become a force on the tennis and swimming teams, and most recently became the state’s female 2022 Athlete of the Year for her accomplishments.

“Freshman year, I felt welcomed by the upperclassmen, they took me under their wing and made sure I knew I could look up to them in the school, on the court, or in the pool. From the very beginning I became part of their family,” she said. “In response I returned the favor by welcoming underclassmen and spearheading the new swim and tennis families. My co-captains, coaches, and I, focused on the supportive side of sports, for in the future we will not remember wins versus losses, instead, we will look back on the memories and friendships.”

A star in sports and the classroom
White’s accolades as a Husky are expansive. She became the captain of the swimming and tennis teams and set seven school records in swimming on her way to becoming the 2022 Swimmer of the Year by the swim coaches association. On the court, as a No. 1 singles player, she helped the Huskies win a 2019 Division II championship.

White recalled how the tennis team battled through adversity following the graduation of 13 seniors to get all the way to the championship this year, despite ultimately losing to Prout.

“Together we lost, and that loss stung, but there was no blame, there was only support for one another and pride that we made it so far,” she said. “I will be sad to leave both of these teams, yet it is not much different from leaving home after high school, for I will always be a part of the Mt. Hope Swim family and the Mt. Hope Tennis family, just like I am part of my own family.”

In the classroom, White maintained a near-4.0 GPA while taking as many honors and AP courses as possible. She has won academic excellence awards throughout her tenure at Mt. Hope, and will be attending the U.S. Naval Academy in the fall.

As White described so eloquently, family is composed of not only those you have a direct, related connection with. She pointed out her adoptive mother, father, grandmother and sister, as well as all of those she has met along her journey thus far, as sources of continuing inspiration.

“Over the course of our years here at school we have chosen our friends, our family, and now we move on to continue paving our path and choosing who we surround ourselves with. I can only hope that I will find people just as irreplaceable as the people I have connected with here at Mt. Hope and in Rhode Island,” she said. “I leave here with the wish to preserve my friendships and relationships, but the future is unknown. What is known is the fact that I would not be standing here if it weren’t for my friends.”

She encouraged each of her fellow graduates to embrace that message — to treasure the family you have chosen, and keep them with you through whatever comes next.

“There is one piece of advice I will give you as you step forth into this new chapter,” she said. “Move on, but do not forget the family you formed here.”