I was puzzled and wasn't sure what to talk about tonight. I had to prepare this speech ahead of time and turn it in for approval. I much prefer doing things spontaneously, using all the skills I have developed over the years, you know, sorta letting people (being the teachers and parents) know that we really were listening! It's much more fun interacting with other people, watching their reactions, and playing along with them. But, I had to do the right thing, So while I was contemplating my topic, it came to me - this is what I want you to take with you as we depart the Bryan Station School District and move on into life. I want you to remember the small, seemingly insignificant things that happened to you while you were growing up. You know, like the simple smile that your best friend gave you when you were really down and needed a boost. Like the many times you walked down the hall, high-fiving your buds, showing you cared without getting all goofy about it. You didn't even realize that they were down and just knowing they had a friend in you boosted them to face the next school challenge. Remember the time you were really thirsty in third grade, and went into the room after recess, only to remember that there was a party today, and there would be cupcakes and Kool-aid served in a matter of minutes? Remember saving a seat for your friend to sit on the bus, knowing that you were gonna share all the cool stuff you did yesterday? And how glad you were to be able to share this? Everyday, everything we do affects someone, somehow. My wish is for all of us to recall a kind gesture, a happy moment that happened unplanned, that really sticks in our minds, that made a big impact on us, and relive those moments in our future. Pass on that joy/hope/support, whatever you got out of it. Remember that you will be making new friends, that those people you have shared every day with for four or maybe 12 years will be going their separate ways. You will have many moments where you won't have anyone around to boost you up, where you won't be told if it is the right thing or the good thing to do.
It was a few days before I left for school and my best friend, Kate, was throwing a good-bye party for our group of friends. I was so excited for this bash seeing that it would be the last time our group would be together for a while. It was a time for all of us to move on and embark upon futures that held so much for all of us, and to say farewell to the people and memories that had shaped us.
Everything I dreamed about for my senior year was taken from me the day that I moved. When I left my old school I not only said goodbye to my friends, but I also said goodbye to an easy senior year. At my new school I am just another body. No one knows who I am. I talk to everyone I meet, trying to make conversation, but yet I still eat alone in the cafeteria every day, listening to everyone laugh while I try to hold back my tears.
I did not want to sound too nostalgic since I’m not the emotional type, but I also did not want to come across as indifferent. It was a difficult task, but I knew I could accomplish it. A week before the banquet, the senior cheerleaders were given the task of writing speeches about their coaches and their teammates. I am not the kind of person to voluntarily put myself in a situation where I have to speak in front of others.
If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you.
Welcome to all of you who have come to share this special evening with us. My name is John and I am a member of the graduating class of 2012. Standing here tonight is a surprise to me and to many who knew me. At one point, after making some mistakes and losing my sense of self, I dropped out of school. With my parents’ urging me, I enrolled at Alternative High School. I came to this school with the hope that I’d graduate on time. I knew that I would have to change, so I set goals to achieve perfection and I achieved it. As many of you may know, I am now perfect in every way, shape, and form...
Two memories stand out from when I was a kid. One was the day the Nintendo Entertainment System hit the shelves. The other was the day “a boy’s best friend” came into my world. Who would have thought that this day would become one of the happiest days of my life?
Each night before I go to sleep, I write my highlight of the day in a little yellow journal. The entries vary from a line to a page, but the question I ask myself at 9:30 remains the same: what was the best part of today? I don’t go to sleep until I can find one. Some days I’m challenged with having to choose between many, like the day of an action-packed sleepover. Other days it’s truly about appreciating the little moments, like April 19th, 2017: “Maybe the conversation with my friend in the locker room.” One that stands out to me is three words that I don’t remember, but they spoke an infinity on January 16th, 2017. “Car ride back.”
Moments in our lives, will often leave a memory, some vivid, others vague. A memory recalls an experience we have had; coming of age opportunities usually are those that become memorable. Hannah Goodwin gives advice to, “Make time to create memories” (2013, para. 1). Goodwin continues to explain that, “Making memories does not require tons of money, or need to be elaborate vacations or expensive gifts.” (2013, Para. 1). I strongly agree with Goodwin’s statements. Some of my most memorable experiences came from simple things I did as a child, such as learning to ride a bike, playing board games with my family, and even playing in the snow. It was those simple, yet fun activities that all created life-long memories for me. Not only did these activities create great memories, but each one taught me something that has helped me become who I am today. From learning good sportsmanship while playing games with my family, to learning how to build a snowman, though simple things to learn, I got to learn them while having fun. I think that creating memories is important because as you reflect upon past experiences it becomes eas...
As a child, the event that I remember most was an evening at the park with my siblings and dad. Although my dad spent numerous days and nights working, he would always find a way to fit in time to spend with his kids. It was a lovely spring evening in Cathedral City when my siblings and I wanted to go to the nearby Panorama Park. My dad didn’t hesitate and the next thing I remember was packing our new bikes into the trunk of his truck. We quickly rushed over as the sun was setting and as soon as we arrived it was nowhere to be seen but we were determined to play for as long as possible. Before we left, we begged my dad to play one round of hide-and-go-seek in the unlit park and soon enough we were running around like chickens without their heads. Many rounds passed and my dad found each of us every time until he could no longer catch his own breath. As children, most of us don’t want the newest toy or the shiniest jewelry but instead memories like these that will forever stay with us. Not only have events like these brought me joy, but people do as well. About two years ago, I started my first job as a host for a Mexican Restaurant named Pueblo Viejo Grill in Palm Desert. This first job experience made me appreciate people and realized how much joy they bring into my life. Of course, as an employee of a restaurant, there will be those customers that make it their hobby to complain as much as they can just because
One memory that comes to mind belongs to a day of no particular importance. It was late in the fall in Merced, California on the playground of my old elementary school; an overcast day with the wind blowing strong. I stood on the blacktop, pulling my hoodie over my ears. The wind was causing miniature tornados; we called them “dirt devils”, to swarm around me. I stood there, watching the leaves kick up and then settle. My friends called me over to the wooden playground surrounded by a sea of mulch chips. The bridge squeaked furiously under our weight. An unannounced game of tag started and we found ourselves weaving in and out of the wooden fortress and the trees that surrounded it. My shoe became untied and I took a time out to tie it with a method that no one uses here. We heard an adult voice; it was time to go in. We lined up single file, supposedly in alphabetical order but no one ever does. I liked that, I never liked being in the back. While waiting for everyone to line up, I looked up at the trees that line the walkway.
Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Sitting in the backseat of the car, I used to bombard my family with these questions. On our summer road trips I was so anxious for the destination that I failed to appreciate the journey. However, as time passed and I grew older, I realized that it was the journey that was important and not the destination.
Good afternoon everyone. Friends, family, staff members, honored guests and fellow graduates. On behalf of the Grad Class of 2016, we were selected by our class to give some parting words. Today is our day. After thirteen years of knowing only these walls around us, our time here has come to an end. We are officially stepping forward into our futures. No longer united on one path, as we are now branching off on our own, taking our own paths.
I’m going to write about the day I lost someone most important in my life. John Doe, my dad was a very hardworking person, he never missed a day of work and was always willing to do anything for anyone. He was so energetic always so happy and was rarely mad. I feel blessed that I was raised by a wonderful person like him and hope to follow my dad’s footsteps one day. I would always refer myself as daddy’s girl and for quite a while I don’t know what got into me, but I never seemed to get along with my mom. It was always my dad I wanted to be with. The right words never came across my mind when being around my mom.
It was December 4, 2014 and it was snowing outside. I was sitting at the kitchen table doing homework. All my family was downstairs, so I was all alone. My English teacher told us to write a paper about how I am different from my classmates. I was thinking about what in my life makes me different and slowly my whole life was playing like a movie in my head. The first memory that popped into my head was my fourth birthday party. It was supposed to be the best birthday ever. My dad was going to come. It was February 24, 2002 at my birthday party. There were so many people there, but I was so focused on my dad coming, no one else seemed to matter. My cake was pink and yellow with a bicycle on it. I had a red and blue inflatable that kids were
To begin something new, you must sacrifice something old. To enter the real world, you must graduate your childhood.