I would like to thank all of you for coming on such short notice. After all, 18 years hardly seems like enough time to prepare for graduation. In fact, as I stand up here and looking at all of my classmates, I wonder if I am ready to graduate.
But I know that high school has merely been an appetizer in the seven course meal that we call life.
And for all of you that know me -- family, friends and teachers -- you know that I have a great appreciation for food. Whether it's a juicy slab of prime rib at dinner or just a package of Fruitos during third period, I can never resist. It is so sad, because often times I even think in terms of food.
In fact, as I sat down to write this speech the best form in which I could think of giving it was to compare our lives to a meal. In that meal, high school is merely the first course or an appetizer, a small sample that wets our appetites for the main dish. In the midst of indulging in our appetizers we sometimes forget that there is a main course yet to come.
Some of us have sampled oysters and discovered that we have a hatred for seaf...
To the County High School Class of 2012: As you sit in front of me, I know what most of you are thinking at the moment. There are those who are already pondering about what life without high school will be like; those who are debating whether or not to tell your crush tonight about your whispers of adoration you’ve secretly held for four years; some simply want to get out of that ungodly chair, get that thing that isn’t really a diploma but only tells you when to pick up the thing, and then be the first one on the green bus to the grad party — you know who you are. And the rest, well, the rest aren’t even paying attention, you’re thinking, “Great, here comes one of the valedictorian speakers. Next up: a boring speech straight out of the pits of scholarly hell.” And it’s OK, I don’t mind — that sort of thing comes with the territory. But tonight, I ask that you give me a chance to break that stereotype so that I may address you in the full splendor that you deserve after 13 grueling years of work. I do not want to be known as your “valedictorian” as I stand here, c’mon guys, there is no time left to place labels on people anymore, instead I ask that you accept me as one of your peers — and as a man who will enjoy becoming a graduate alongside you.
South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote, "You are a very special person - become what you are." These words encourage us, the graduating class of 2012, to recognize the goodness and potential in each and every one of us and to go out and excel in the world. We are a diverse group of different aspirations and backgrounds, bound for different corners of the earth to carve out our won individual niches. Before we leave behind Lee Falls High School and each other, we must ask ourselves how we have become who we are.
For most people, life has a seemingly generic series of events. From birth to death, life is often thought to be a string of standard moments, laden together in a string of monotony. For others, on the other hand, each day can be an adventure. The transition from high school to college is one such occasion where one could easily become lost in the sameness of those around them. Yet for those who can see the beauty in the differences and respect the similarities between the two; high school and college can easily be exceptional learning experiences in their own right.
Invited back to my alma mater, Fair Avenue Elementary, I was asked to say a few words, any words, on high school and graduating.
High school has been a journey, it has built a foundation for my future. Through the sleepless nights and early mornings, I have had an opportunity to mature and step out of my comfort zone. The demand of going to school, having a job, involving myself in my community and being in a sport has all worked out for my benefit. Now the time has come to step out into the real world.
I didn’t know what to expect of high school as I sauntered in the doors as an incoming high school freshman. In my first couple of weeks of school, I learned that it was basically like middle school, just a little stricter with different teachers and a different locker. I asked myself “how bad could it be?” Turns out,
Graduates congratulate yourselves on a job well done. Sitting here tonight shows a great deal of work and dedication. Seriously, look back on what you have done in just that last four years, let alone what you have accomplished in all your years of school. It is astounding what we have done. Congratulations, your perseverance has finally paid off. But also, we must remember to thank our parents, for it has been with their help and support that we have achieved our goal.
There is, without a doubt, a certain segment of the adolescent population that feels, for themselves, high school is a waste of time. Many of these students believe that they have already acquired
Let’s flash back in time to before our college days. Back to then we had lunch trays filled with rubbery chicken nuggets, stale pizza, and bags of chocolate milk. A backpack stacked with Lisa Frank note books, flexi rulers, and color changing pencils. The times where we thought we wouldn’t make it out alive, but we did. Through all the trials and tribulations school helped build who I am today and shaped my future. From basic functions all the way to life-long lessons that helped shape my character.
“I can’t believe it’s all going by so fast.” Sitting down in the lunchroom I watched everyone, freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and my fellow classmates, seniors, walk by with their food trays, and sharing laughs with their friends. The three years of high school I have completed so far, were filled with essays, projects, tests, due dates, and headaches. I wouldn’t change anything about the education I have acquired at Santa Cruz Valley Union High School, everything I am learning and have learned will benefit me in college.
Throughout my high school years, my educational experience had its ups and downs. Being in college has given me a lot of flash backs from high school. Some of these flash backs include the challenges, the changes, and the different maturity levels which has had a major impact on my educational experience in life. After realizing that there are differences between high school and college, I began to see that high school was just preparation of being in college.
School plays an important role in our lives. Many people will spend more than fifteen years at school in order to get the qualifications that are required to work in a specific field. Those years are broken down into several levels, some of them being more enjoyable than others. Two very important levels that people go through are high school and college. Even though some think that these levels are almost the same, there are significant differences between them. The cost of high school is not the same as the cost of college. Also, some differences apply from an academic point of view. Typically, the social environment also differs from high school to college, which can be related to the question of freedom versus responsibility.
“It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times.” This is a quote I heard long ago before I had started my four year journey here at Northview. Though I had no idea how accurate and meaningful this quote would be to me back then, it always stood out to me as a something short, sweet, and to the point that sums up what high school is; let me explain. Flashback to when I was 14 and just finished junior high school at Arbor Hills. It was a great three years and I actually learned a lot about people and myself, but I was not prepared for high school courses and the faster more demanding pace of the curriculum. I was very excited however, and became very interested in newer topics and different hobbies. It felt great to be moving on from a stage in life and it felt good to accomplish this, just as it feels now to be moving on from high school.
You know, it is really strange how quickly time passes, after spending my whole childhood wishing I was an adult, now here we are and it's a little hard to grasp. It feels like just yesterday I was standing here in the same position at eighth grade graduation. Ahh, middle school, such a joyous time for all of us, free of maturity and not a care in the world. The biggest decisions I ever had to make then was deciding which group to stand with at passing time and choosing which shirt from my extensive collection of Stussy and No Feat apparel to wear. We were all naive to the danger that lurked just around the corner. We were unaware that the carefree world we lived in was about to come crashing to the ground in a blazing inferno of real school work and responsibility ... otherwise known as high school.
Graduation: the last day that I would unwillingly set foot on the fields of Horizon High School. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest, and tried so hard to keep my feet moving one after the other in order to maintain my perfect stature. After the two hour wait of opening speeches, class songs, and the calling off of the five hundred plus names that were in front of me, it was finally my turn. As my row stood up and we walked towards the stage it had set in at last, this is it, I am done. My high school career ended on that night, but it didn’t close the book that is my life, it only started a new chapter, and with it came a whole slue of uncertainties.