The end of the school year is always a busy time for me. Between graduations and the ends of seasons, the days fly. It's a time of year you'd like to stop and savor, but my schedule doesn't always allow that.
I've been formatting graduation speeches for our annual academic achievement section. Almost every one follows the same theme - I can't believe we're graduating, high school was awesome but college will be awesomer, thanks to everyone who helped us get here and good luck to everyone. Of course, the speakers say that much better than my summary.
I don't remember what I said in my speech. I was the valedictorian of my class (barely), but I was only at Kensington for two years. I didn't have the elementary school anecdotes I often see in graduation speeches because I didn't know my classmates then. I didn't know them well enough to tell tales in my speech. I think I basically said congratulations and good luck.
Some people say high school was/is the best time of your life. It may be for some, but I wouldn't want to go back. This year marks 25 since I graduated from high school. I've been out of school now longer than I was in school. That's a scary and sobering thought. In considering that, I wonder if I'm where my 18-year-old self thought I'd be. I'm sure I thought I'd be rich and famous by now - I think all of us do when we're on the cusp of adulthood. I still want to be an author when I grow up. I still want to see Europe and Australia. My list of things to do is still mostly not checked off.
So in thinking about all the graduation speeches and the graduates who won't remember a word of them, I would offer this advice. Find a career you love. Sometimes it takes longer than your collegiate career to decide what you want to do. But no matter what you choose to do, whether it's college, work, the military or whatever, do your best. Give 100 percent, and leave it all on the field, as they say. No one can ask for more than that.
Congratulations, class of 2014, and good luck.
