We are to leave here today with a new set of wings. Wings of which we have crafted through our years of attending school. Some will soar high with their strong wings built of good personality and hard work; others will glide through life needing repairs. If we leave here today with one thing, let it be the power to achieve the goals that we’ve set forth for ourselves. Most of us have been helped through our four years at Big Falls, whether it be Bridgette Moore with advice on life, Mr. Bridgett checking if you’re on track to graduate, Mr. Young always letting your flaws stand out, Mr. Nrure pushing you to not make any bad decisions and especially Mr. Floss who taught me that a woman can go beyond the stereotypes and learn how to weld. It’s now time for us all to build our own lives and express our true individuality. Think for a moment about all that we’ve accomplished; we’re a strong group of kids with a world of hope waiting for our true colors to shine through. Together we’re a rainbow in the sky. Life has put in front of us many doors, it is only up to us to build behind those doors. Fellow graduates — let’s show society what can be made out of our time and fly out of here today with your wings spread wide, your head held high and your hopes as bright as sunshine. Let your dreams lead the way, only stopping to make the best of everything. Let’s take what we’ve learned throughout the past 13 years and astound the world with our minds. With all the rivers to choose from, surely one will bring you to an ocean of opportunities. Take time to thank all those who have been there for you and helped your journey run more smoothly. Take time to thank your family for being strong and holding you up, and especially take time to thank yourself for only being the individual you are.
..., your family and your shoulder to cry on. I wanted to tell you that there are hundreds on hundreds of people praying for you’re right now as you’re on this retreat! I will always be here for you no matter what. Make sure you enjoy this retreat; it is such an amazing time that will only happen once. I hope you get everything out of this that you would have wanted to happen! Breathe. There is still more to come so don’t just think that it’s going to be over after this. Live this retreat out to its fullest. The little things in life mean the most; they are the most cherishable. Living the fourth has taught me to live with purpose, to say the courageous thing, to celebrate the simple gift and to always keep my head up high and follow my dreams. Let go and let God. Remember LIVE THE FOURTH!
I would like to thank all of you for coming here today to help us, as a family, to heal, and to celebrate my mother’s life.
Thank you to all of our amazing family and friends for everything you have done. Words aren’t enough to express our love and gratitude we have for you.
Commencement is a critical juncture in our lives; it is a momentous occasion where we believe we are about to start anew. However, graduation is the bittersweet moment where the forces of past and future are simultaneously acting on us. Consequently, the past is not dead. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, suggests that our past experiences will be with us forever as he states, " [we] are a part of all that [we] have met; yet all experience is an arch where through gleams that untraveled world." That is why graduation, similar to other turning points in our lives, possesses two halves, which accentuate each other. We are looking forward, but the "arch" of experience beckons us to remember, value, and learn from our past experiences. Thus, I feel that in order to appreciate commencement fully, we must remember our own past, and in particular, the last four years:
When I was in elementary school, I loved to read. I was a total nerd back then ... okay maybe I still am, but one thing has changed. Now I don't so much like reading. My favorite poet was Shel Silverstein, who wrote "Where the Sidewalk Ends." He seemed like he was a total hippie, but that's cool because I like hippies. My grandma is a recovering hippie. I like her too. Anyway, Shel Silverstein wrote about the coolest things. He wrote about magical erasers, eating whales and a boy with long hair flying away from people who were taunting him. He captured all of the things that I loved without knowing that I actually loved them. Now you may ask, how does this hippie relate to our graduation? Well, he wrote a poem entitled "Traffic Light" and this is how it goes:
Good evening. Some of you out there may not realize this but those of you who attended Suntime Middle School have been with this guy for the last seven years. I would like to ask you all, not just Suntime Middle School grads and who all else, to join me in thanking Mr. Weather for his patience and dedication to the success of our education over the years. We are the Class of 2000. The first graduating class of the new millennium. The past four years have been pretty wild. We started out as a bunch of rats in a small cage, but as time went by we learned and matured and became big rats in a new small cage, but in any case, the cage door is now opening; the handlers turning us wild things loose. As we leave "Where the Wild Things Are," home to some of the best cat fights, fist fights and food fights this side of the Cascades, I have a little surprise for all of you sitting in front of me here tonight in your caps and gowns … we ain’t seen nothing yet!
Being Marefat's first graduating class to complete all four years, one can say we've acquired a higher level of school wisdom than any previous class. We've formed traditions, we've set records, and we've made a lot of friends along the way. I remember our freshman year when we could use the excuse of being a new school for every shortcoming we encountered. I remember our sophomore year, the last time I cleaned my bedroom, when Marefat had its first senior class, and the school seemed to shrink for some reason. Last year we were the juniors, and we conquered the SAT tests: And made it through those busy days where you hadn't quite found room in your schedule to pencil in a bathroom break, dinner or sleep. Well, this year we were the kings and queens, there was Star Wars, Starbucks, and a certain football team lost its winning streak to the mighty Knights. Looking back we can see our accomplishments and the marks we made. Now, we must take all that we have learned in our years at Marefat and apply it to our future. Just as we have set traditions here, we must enter the world ready to tackle new problems and work out new solutions. We are the ones who can break all of those records that have been set, and have our names etched in history. It's our turn -- the world is ours and we just have to decide what we want to do with it.
I would like to thank my family for their love, support, and understanding through this journey. Lily, Addicyn, and Savanah, you are my greatest inspirations in life, as you have truly shown me anything is possible. I would like to thank my loving husband, Jon for his support, compassion, and believing in me. Thank you for pushing me past my own expectations, as I now understand limitations only exist as long as one believes there are limits. Push hard, one foot in front of other, and dare to dream.
I want to first start off by saying that this is a bittersweet moment for me. On one hand, I’m thrilled to be graduating, but on the other hand, I love being a Mariner and I’ve enjoyed my time here so much that I hate that it is coming to an end. These pass four years have been some of the best years of my life. For the past two years I’ve had the privilege of serving as the Vice-President for Student Government Association, and it has shaped me into the person that I am today. I’ve made friends and connections that will last a life time
Today, as we graduate, with degree nearly in hand, I challenge each of you to make a difference in whatever you do. Remember that life didn't end when we re-entered school. Life continued throughout our program. Even when stretched to the limit, life only got more challenging. And now, graduating, life only changes pace. Our degree completion is not really an ending as much as a new beginning as we re-enter our lives of work and home. We thank all of our family, friends, instructors and co-workers who helped see us through this process. Thank you for this opportunity and good luck to you all.
Good evening parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and friends. I would like to thank you all for coming to this very special day. I know how proud you must be. As we have grown over the years, there are many stages we all have gone through. From learning our shapes and colors, to getting our first kiss in middle school, or how about explaining to our parents why we skipped school because the principal called home. As we remember these days, things that we've done will be with us forever. But this is only the start of our journey. The day has come where we say goodbye to the big yellow buses, assemblies, assigned seating, and attendance policies. Are you really gonna miss it? For some of us maybe not right away. But eventually we will so for us to be here it is not necessarily an achievement, but a privilege. All of us have been in school over half our lives. To graduate is one more step we've taken in our lives.
For the class of 2012, this is our night to shine, to pat ourselves on the back, to say "Well done. Good job." And as we take center stage to receive our degrees we are also going to lift the curtain and recognize the people behind the scenes. People like the three individuals I am now going to tell you about. Though you may never have personally met any of them, I am certain you have met people like them in your careers as students. They are the embodiment of why we are here tonight.
For the past 13 years of our education we have been on a journey - a journey full of experiences, challenges and accomplishments. We have made it through elementary, middle and high school. It hasn't always been what we expected and certainly not easy, but as we progressed down the road, we stretched ourselves to reach across barriers and found ourselves in new and expanding roles. We were given the opportunity to explore our interests and discover what really excites us. We have become more independent and complete individuals. Our growth and self-discovery has placed us here tonight.
Let me begin by saying that I am very honored to be addressing the County High School Class of 2012 as students of this institution for the last time. We've spent these last four years creating some serious memories: four years of chieftain power, leaking roofs, questionable Homecoming skits, and musical principals. Four years of good teachers, bad teachers, new teachers, old teachers. Four years of youth, music, growing up and breaking free. Four rubber chickens, four yearbooks, four ASB presidents and four chubby bunnies.
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.