Graduation Speech

Yes, I ALMOST had the opportunity to speak at graduation. They narrowed it down to 3...I was one of those three. But they had to pick two of those three and I was eliminated. Sad day. :[ But hey, no big deal. Here is my speech (it's much better when I GIVE it out loud though rather than reading it...so cut me some slack!):

There is No One Alive Who is Youer Than You

High school. This is said to be the best time of our lives. Our party days. The only years we can get away with dying our hair hot pink, toilet papering friend’s houses, and staying up until the early hours of morning gossiping about crushes and clothes. But when I look back on my high school experience, I see much more than this. In fact, I see much more than learning how to take the derivative of a function or the in depth process of electing a president. What I see when I look back on my high school experience is the process of learning who I am, and who I hope to become.

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” In the words of Dr. Seuss, we are all individuals. We all have specific characteristics. We all have specific experiences. But in some ways, we are much the same. From our preschool years – where we were learning our ABC’s and buying Power Rangers folders – up until today, we have not only learned algebraic equations and parts of a sentence, but also basic fundamentals of life. And now here we are, at the end of our senior year. Graduating. This is a year we will always remember. It was the year the paparazzi followed Britney Spears, anticipating outrageous behavior. A year of exciting Suns games watching Nash, Stoudemire, and Bell tear up the court. Thursday nights we spent watching episodes of The Office and weekends we filled with dance parties, jersey parties, and concerts. Hungry? Just head to Golden Spoon, Ned’s, or Applebees. It was never unusual to spot a fellow classmate at one of these hot spots. And yes, although in twenty years we might be ashamed to admit it, we all know the Soulja Boy dance. This was the year we finally won all the grade level competitions and our homecoming float took first. It was also a year of talent. We had volleyball, basketball, football, and various other teams who fought until the end of their seasons. We were lucky enough to have choir, band, and orchestra members comprising a large portion of the Regional and All-State groups. Our spiritline brought home state and national trophies. Amidst all these accomplishments, our Academic Decathlon team went beyond expectations, not only winning state this year, but dominating the competition. Senior year brought stresses of taking the SAT’s and sending transcripts to colleges. And to the dismay of our teachers, we all gave up on doing homework and being on time to class due to a toxic and contagious case of senioritis. This last year taught us to let go of past grudges realizing that in just a few short months we would have to say goodbye as people left Mesa, Arizona for college, missions, the military, or other endeavors.

Today, we have reached that day. But as we graduate tonight, let us be happy. Let us celebrate the many memories and friendships we have made throughout our years together. Let us remember Mr. Luketich, who ALWAYS wore a long sleeve button up shirt…even in the hot months of May or August. He began at sophomore orientation by telling us the tradition of excellence that was upheld at Mountain View, and encouraged us to be a part of it. Tonight, we will end our high school experience by keeping that legacy alive. Let us remember Mr. Hines—who was so proud of our collective excellence in class, in the halls, at games, and in the way we lived our everyday lives. Let us remember the wonderful teachers we have been so blessed to have. Mrs. Blackburn taught us to never stop smiling. Coach Swartz taught us the importance of hard work not only in practice or weight training, but in every aspect of our lives. Mrs. Snyder taught us that there is a whole world outside of “the bubble” we live in.

So here is my challenge to you. Let us never forget the wonderful experiences we have had here. We have learned lessons far beyond trigonometry and how to write a research paper. We have learned the lessons of life. Actions speak louder than words and it’s the simple things that really matter. If you have a dream, go after it and don’t let anyone stop you or tell you that you are not good enough. Be true to yourself. Laugh at jokes, during movies, or about memories of your childhood. And always remember that you haven’t lived until you have learned to laugh at yourself. Dr. Seuss once said, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.” Mountain View Toros let us continue on in the tradition of excellence we have learned on this campus. Tonight when we walk off this field, we will begin our first steps to a world beyond high school. We will be given the opportunity to choose for ourselves what we want to do with our lives and who we want to become. It is all up to us. As Seuss would say, “Congratulations Class of 2008! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way.”

Ah. I loved our rainy graduation!