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Transition from adolescence to adulthood
Transition from adolescence to adulthood
Transition from adolescence to adulthood
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Members of the faculty, parents, guests, and graduates, have no fear. I am well aware that on a day of such high excitement, what you require, first and foremost, of any speaker is brevity. I shall not fail you in this respect.
When we arrived at State College, all was new to us and we walked around looking up at everything in awe. As we have been preparing to leave, we were given the chance to see State College from the top of the tallest building, looking down on everything with nostalgic familiarity—inspecting the tiny people that bring State College to life, trying to imagine the countless buses we squeezed to get on, and the hours spent talking to friends.
State College has meant something different to each of us, the good, the basketball. The thing about State College is that everyone is so excited to be here that the energy is palpable. There is a vibrancy and newness and sense of possibility, that carries us as students, motivates you as teachers and staff, and makes an impression on those watching us—and indeed we know there are many people watching us, looking out for the good, the bad, the basketball.
We are a community diverse in thought and background: the kind of terrain that is never easy to navigate. Take it from my own experience, as I have spent my whole life learning to walk through such terrains—through countries, and communities, and schools that are divided and diverse and marked by difference—so I know how challenging and uncomfortable and sometimes exhausting that process can be—but I also know that it is remarkably rewarding, and powerful, but most of all, necessary.
I know that graduation speeches are notorious for trying to impart grand messages on a sea of overwhelmed and overheated people, ...
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...moment since we were born. When we left for college, they knew that we were still kids at heart. Now they look at the young men and women we’ve become and find themselves as speechless as we are. For lack of words, just turn around and blow your parents a kiss, give them a wave; it’s Mother’s Day after all, and they know the gratitude and love that these simple gestures mean today.
Our families held us up when we were learning to walk, while we were learning to become adults, and amidst the uncertainties of moving on, they once again become our ground and the arms that keep us steady. The best friends we’ve made have become our family too and they will be with us through this uncertainty and others.
For now, savor the goodbyes and welcome the new beginnings and remember that four years ago, we were doing the same exact thing—and everything has turned out fine.
David McCullough Jr., delivered the commencement at Wellesley High School in Massachusetts on June 1st 2012 to staff, the 2012 graduates, and their family and friends. The speech was straightforward and supplied valuable information for their future. . McCullough’s speech at times felt harsh, offensive, and insulting. His words and examples were given to achieve insight, knowledge, and awareness for each student’s future. The commencement expressed a great deal of achievement, but conveyed that there was more work to be done. His speech was effective and appreciated through humor parallelism, repetition, and anaphora. His point of view has obtained respect and determination by all those that have been challenged and have heard his words.
The essay, “Diversity: The Value of Discomfort” is an argument written by Ronald L Leibowitz in which he addresses a group of graduates about the value of diversity in college. To me, diversity means the unique backgrounds which influence people’s thoughts, ideas, and opinions. Each of the factors in an individual’s background makes them unique, and creates an important facet of our communities. However, we need to recognize and understand diversity, and simply “celebrating” it is not enough—we must embrace it in our colleges, workplaces, neighborhoods, and larger societies.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I start my speech by welcoming the guests. Today, we are surrounded by most of the friends and family that have been important to us during our lives. Some have traveled thousands of miles, just to be here today. We welcome you all and thank you sincerely for sharing this special day with us.
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.
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:
The start if college is like the end of one’s childhood. Yet I had no intension of letting that go when I woke up yesterday at 7:00 am. Still, like high school, my mom dropped me off and picked me up; copping almost the exact same routine from the four years I spent in high school. Just as I thought this ought to be the easiest way of transportation, my mom proved me wrong once we reached the University of Washington’s parking lot.
(Man/Woman): Hey everyone, I’m going to talk about something that most American colleges have: “Fraternities and Sororities”. “Fraternities and Sororities” are groups of students that usually live together in a house. Members are usually called “brothers” or “sisters”. These social groups often throw parties. They also host events where they raise money to help people. “Fraternities and Sororities” are a huge part of American college culture. (65 words)
Reich, R. (2012b, May 18). The commencement address that won’t be given [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://robertreich.org/post/23301640941
In conclusion, throughout the heartbreaks and suffering I have been through I have attempted to stand strong and persevere in life even if life is not perfect I can still succeed. Throughout the years I've learned that I don’t need a mother in my life to make me feel special and loved, I could do anything and be successful even if I grew up without no mother
We as parents have become older, and we lived our lives. It is now our Children’s turn to live theirs and hope, as parents, we did most of what we had to do as God had wished us.
Diversity in classrooms can open student’s minds to all the world has to offer. At times diversity and understanding of culture, deviant experiences and perspectives can be difficult to fulfill, but with appropriate strategies and resources, it can lead students to gain a high level of respect for those unlike them, preferably from a judgmental and prejudiced view. Diversity has a broad range of spectrums. Students from all across the continent; students from political refugees, indigenous Americans, and immigrants bring their cultural and linguistic skills to American classrooms. Students not only bring their cultural and linguistic skills, but they bring their ethnicity, talents, and skills.
We got to the convention center where the ceremony was being held and the parking garage was so full we had to park three blocks away. As I walked through the doors of the convention center I found my to the sea of purple and yellow caps and gowns that were already forming a line. I quickly threw on my gown and walked into the back to find out where I was supposed to be and instead found my English teacher frantically running around trying to get everyone in place. I was pushed into my row and told not to talk, that’s not easy when you have to sit through 400 other people’s names getting called before yours does but I muscled through
The shrill cries of my alarm echo across vermilion painted walls, stirring my consciousness into an aware state. It is precisely eight o’clock on a warm summer Monday; the distant cries of mockingbirds can be heard above the soft whirring of cars passing our genteel residential street. My ears scan the house; it is quiet – barely a sound other than the tinkling of tags as our pets navigate the living room. The still morning air brought realization, with no children running around Mother must have already left for work. Never leaving my lax position I stretch and sigh, it is nice to not have to baby-sit my sister’s kids – my nieces and nephew – but I do miss the mornings where my mother would still kiss me goodbye.
Now that we have explored my past, present, and future experiences with diversity, it is time to see how they are present within and effect each other. Firstly, let’s look into how my future is present in my past. The most obvious portion of my future that is in my past is my willingness and efforts to love and include everyone and to spread this world view. It took a fellow classmate of mine to demonstrate to my third grade self that we are all human beings and we all deserve to be treated as such. In my future, I aspire to demonstrate this world view to my students and inspire them to treat each other accordingly. This aspiration directly reflects my world view struggles I went through in third grade, for I want to help my students come to
They will hold our hands on our first days of new adventures, and wipe our tears when our delicate worlds are rocked. Some will be our friends of the moment, and some will stand by our side, on our sports teams, on our graduations, at our weddings, and during our retirements. While our parents help and support us while growing, our friends will grow with us. These valuable attachments are cherished and needed, and their emotional embrace will always comfort us. With these friends we enter the world of education, our basis to survive in the outside world.