Good evening, and welcome to the graduation ceremony of the class of 2014. Thank you all for being here.
When I look at these graduates, I see so much potential, it’s amazing! But how did we acquire this potential? By our actions? Choices? Yes and yes; but what pushed us to do those actions? Who helped- nay, inspired us to make those choices? The important people in our lives, that’s who. Teachers, parents, coaches; they helped us realize our dreams for our future. Tonight, I’d like to thank those people for all that they’ve done for us.
Teachers: You’ve helped us expand our knowledge these last thirteen years. You helped us realize what we want to do with our lives. There are no words to express our gratitude but thank you. You’ll always have an important spot in our lives and our hearts.
Coaches: You helped build our character; pushed us to do our best, even when the going got tough. And we thank you for that. Without you, we wouldn’t have as much drive or ambition that we have now. Thank you.
Last but certainly not least, parents and family: You’ve been by our sides since day one. You are our greatest support system, and we commend you for that. You molded us to be the successful young men and women we are today. No words can describe how grateful we are to have you in our lives. We never could’ve gotten to where we are today without you. So, thank you parents, for all that you’ve ever done.
Graduates, take a look around and let out that sigh of relief. We’ve done it! We’re one step closer to the rest of our lives. We may have had our ups and downs, but we made it. I would like to thank you, graduates, for being there. We’ve formed bonds that can last a lifetime these years. What’s next? I will be going to college, as will many of my classmates. More of us yet will go to various branches of the armed forces to help keep our country safe home and abroad. Others may get right to work, or even take a year or more off to decide what they want to do. Leaving high school is such a brutal transition that I don’t know what the world has in store for any of us. Some of us may get our dream jobs, some may take up odd jobs. Who knows? I know one thing for sure, that bond that we’ve formed will always have that special place in our hearts. As you can see, behind each graduate there must have been at least a dozen people providing support in at least a dozen ways. The best way we graduates can show our gratitude is to make the most of the opportunity we've been given, and go forward into the world with the intention of making it a better place for the generations that follow us. We'll pay that debt of gratitude forward. I’d just like to say, for one, congratulations, and to wish you the best for years to come. Thank you.