Before I begin I want to give a big thank you to all of the school administrators, faculty, staff, district officials, school board members, and to parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, other relatives and friends of graduates. Without all of you, none of us would be here today.
Class of 2012, it is my extreme honor to be giving one of the many commencement addresses tonight. I am proud to have known all of you, and to hopefully continue to know you throughout the next stage of our lives. I'll be honest with you, I've written, edited, deleted, and rewritten this speech about 15 to 20 times over the last week. None of it seemed to work. I kept fussing over how do I to write a speech to a class of people that I haven't really been with for two years. I realized, that I just needed to write it by being myself and saying what I felt about my fellow graduates. I hope you find it applicable to this life-altering ceremony. Oh, and just as a precaution, if my speech does cause your life to crash, please note that the emergency exits are located to the left and right of the auditorium; keeping in mind, they may be behind you.
I want to start off tonight by giving all the graduates a small piece of advice: “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” That's a quote by one of my favorite American authors, Theodore Geisel, or as many of you know him, Dr. Seuss.
Now I could go on from here to reminisce about my time at Ludlow High School, however short in comparison to many of you it may have been. I could talk about the fun and tasty fiestas in Ms. Jordan's Spanish class, the innumerable number of times we watched Moulin Rouge together in Fine Arts, or the dreaded evils of the KATS and other standardized tests. But I'm not going to do that. I could talk about the spirit, attitude, and pride that Ludlow High School has given all of us. The responsibility to make good choices. The courage to face any obstacle. Or, as we've all learned while attending Ludlow, to not judge something by its size or appearance. But I'm not going to do that. I could talk about the friends that I've made while at Ludlow. The awesome experiences I've had while participating in clubs and teams, or the countless pranks pulled under Ms. Collins' nose at play practices. But I'm not going to do any of that.
What I am going to talk about is the future. Ah yes, the future. That dark, scary place filled with unknown outcomes, important decisions, and intrapersonal discoveries. I have one thing to say to you: “Stop worrying.” Worrying has not, and will never, get anyone anywhere. Worrying is just what we do when we are too scared to do what needs to be done. I'm sure that many people within my class of fellow graduates have imperative decisions running through their heads—worrying—as I speak, what job will I get, where will I live, or who can I trust? I want you to remember, you're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. Yes, after twelve grades of school, from elementary school playground pranks, to middle school drama, to high school angst, I will give my valedictory advice to you by quoting Winnie-the-Pooh.
To those of you in the audience who can see a theme forming in my quotes, kudos. Yes, we all have important things coming up in our lives. Some of us will go on to become scholars and academics, others will go on to become businessmen and entrepreneurs, still others will go on to save lives in a myriad of medical professions, and a few are even going on to become teachers and educators to help the next generation accomplish even greater things. But I think it is important to not only work hard for the future, but to not lose yourself while doing it. Speaking from first-hand experience, I can tell you that in order to stay sane in a world after high school, a world filled with freedom, independence, and responsibility—you can't forget who you are inside.
We've all been given the tools to do just that since we were little kids. Did your parents ever remind you not to give into peer pressure, not to do things just because everyone else was doing them, and let’s not forget the ever-recurring metaphor of mass suicide over an unnamed bridge. I never took that to its full sincerity until I had moved away from home out into the 'real' world. I realized that when I was doing what everyone else was doing, I was losing a small piece of myself.
While I was here at Ludlow, I was never scared to be myself. Maybe it was just because I was too young to think any differently, but I recount many a time in which I came to school dressed in something 'different' from the norm. Whether that was a clown costume, apparently scaring everyone from here to Sunday, a 1980s rock'n'roll costume with real guitar, or a full on panther mask with complete face paint and fangs, who cares. The point is, I was able to be myself, smiling and happy with who I was on the inside. I will tell you this, its not always easy to keep that with you after high school. I know many of you will take what I've said to heart, just be yourself.
Now, that my mini-sermon is over, and my time is about up, I just want everyone here, right now, in the graduating class of 2012 at Ludlow High School to remember. It's you that has gotten yourself here, everyone in your life has helped you and supported you, but it is you who's taken the tests, you who's gotten the scholarships, you who will go on to lead the world of tomorrow as businessmen, scientists, politicians, and innovators. And you right now sitting down in those chairs, who in less than an hour from now, will sit, stand, clap, and cry as high school graduates. To end my speech, I want to share with you a poem that I've composed summarizing my advice and emotions regarding the end of high school.
In my opinion, the world is not an oyster
Ready to be explored by impulse or whim
But yet, it’s an unknown labyrinth
With Mysteries and delights within
It calls to each of us, in our own special way
So don't be cruel to others, let them be as they may
For I know that I am not perfect
And I doubt that you are too
So don't judge me, just be my friend
And I'll do the same for you.
Thank you, and congratulations to the Ludlow High School Class of 2012.