Good evening, fellow graduates, parents, and teachers. I am honored to be here tonight speaking to the Graduating Class of 2018. I would like to begin by asking all the graduates here a simple question. By show of hands, how many of you remember your first day of freshman year?
A few of you. Well, I remember mine fairly clearly. My first day of high school did not take place at Burroughs, but I’m sure we had similar experiences. I remember walking down the halls with my friends that morning. My little fourteen year old self thought I looked so cute with my white shirt tucked into my navy blue uniform shorts, my hair tied up in a ponytail. I had this tigger-like bounce in my step. There was a huge smile plastered on my face as I turned the corner to walk into the high school, and then I froze. I was mor-ti-fied. I had forgotten a pencil.
Four years ago, forgetting to bring a pencil to school seemed like such a big deal. By now, I’m willing to bet many of us did not bring a pencil to our finals and were perfectly fine with that. I mean, What’s the big deal? It’s just a pencil. Maybe, but in this speech, the pencil is a metaphor, a tool you will use to write your core beliefs and strengthen the moral fortitude in your story. So I’d like to urge you, don’t forget to bring your pencil on your journey through life. How else will you write your story?
We all have our own stories. For some of you, the setting of your story has only taken place in Ridgecrest. For others, like myself, Ridgecrest is just one place of many. But one thing all of our stories have in common is that we are all together, right here, right now. Don’t forget your pencil, because this is not the end.
I’ll be honest. High school was rough. I wasn’t the only one to face challenges. Athletes endured injuries, musicians failed to appeal to the audience, and students obtained bad test scores. Consequently, many of us at one time or another told ourselves we weren’t good enough, or worse, someone said it for us. These times were hard, yes, but necessary. All riveting stories must have adversity or times when the hero feels he or she is inadequate. A time of darkness and despair. Consider your favorite action movie. The hero is not the hero until he or she defeats the villain, right? If you think about it, this is what makes the story worth sharing. Without opposition, there is no reward, no triumph, no hero to root on, keeping you on the edge of your seat for the next chapter. I would daresay this is also a truth for life. Would you recognise the good times if you never went through the bad times? This is why high school was so memorable and enjoyable. As a result of our adversities we conquered, persevered, overcame, and most importantly, we found our true friends. Our experiences here HAVE shaped us indefinitely.
Just like any great story, there are characters who play a pivotal role in our lives, who have shaped us as well. I’d like to thank my teachers, those who are here and those who aren’t. Thank you for believing in me, for building me up instead of breaking me down. Thank you for letting me go above and beyond instead of confining me. Mom, dad, thank you for all the opportunities, the travel, and all the experiences you have given me. Like most parents, you have been the voice of reason even when I thought you were being unreasonable. To the students, my friends, thank you for being there for me AND for one another. As a newcomer, I want to thank you for accepting me and welcoming me. You’ve been crazy with me, honest with me, and laughed with me. I couldn’t have asked for better memories with all of you. To Burroughs as a whole, thank you for the sense of community you have shown me. By the end of tonight, I would like to encourage each of you graduates to thank someone in your life. Thank those who have supported you and helped you achieve this accomplishment. Like me, I am certain that each of you has someone who has been there for you. Make sure they know you appreciate all that they did for you.
High school is only a small portion of our stories, and we are all headed down different paths after tonight. Much is still to be written, but now is where the plot thickens. Some of you are going to book it out of Ridgecrest as soon as you can, others will wake up tomorrow morning with no clue as to what to do with your life. And that’s okay. Because right now, really, our story is just beginning. We are all turning the page to a blank slate. It’s a new chapter. Don’t forget your pencil because you will need it as you step towards your future, uninhibited, unlimited, and unbound. And no matter what story you write, make it worth telling.
… Thank you!
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