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Speech

So.. I always wanted to be Valedictorian but I ended up being Salutatorian only by .1 separating our GPA's. With that being said, we both had to prepare a speech and this was mine. Our prompt was "I know not what the future holds but I know who holds the future" I've wanted to post it for a long while now but finally decided to just go ahead and do it. Hope it inspires you so enjoy.

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Good evening teachers, staff, parents, friends, and last but certainly not least the marvelous class of 20xx. Today is the day we've all been waiting for and doesn't it feel good now that it's finally here.

Today is the day where we get to look back on our past achievements and declare victory. It's our turn now to shine and show the other classes, past, present and future, that we are a force to be reckoned with and not only do we have the athleticism but the brains to back up what we speak. We've watched many classes before us walk across this stage and we've put in the work to actually show them how it's done. They always say that the class of 20xx left some big shoes for us to fill. Well yeah, but those were about a size 7 compared to the coustum size we're leaving behind cause our foot print is massive, good luck 20xx.

This school year...better, this Senior year has been one tough ride and I think we can all agree that it was anything but predictable, far from the easy year our predecessors said it woud be, and it definitely had a lot of unknown changes made. Taking a bit from our lovely class President Miss Rice. We didn't know about a lot of things that occured to us this year. We didn't know about the change in administration, the strike, and over all the lack of some of our favorite teachers, and some of us may have been mad about that(raises hand), but there was nothing we could do about it to change that so we have to take things like this with a grain of salt, adapt, and make the best of the situations that are presented to us. Judging by the people sitting in front of me though, I'd say we did a pretty good job.

Change is scary, I'm pretty sure we all know that, but this next change, though it may be the most scary and the most unknown, will be the most exciting change we ever make. We constantly heard "we're just getting you prepared for the next step in life" over and over again as we were coming up in school and that step is waiting for us after this event and I don't know about you all but I'm nervous and excited to make that step, just don't trip.

Jokes aside for right now, I want you guys to repeat after me. I know not, what the future holds. But I know , who holds the future. And I, hold my own future. (yes you guys do). It will be the choices we make from the moments we step off of this field- after the tasels are turned- that determine what our futures hold, and it's our job to go out there and chase it, discover it, make the best of it, and have a bit of fun while doing so. Jon Bon Jovi once said, "Map out your future- but do it in pencil. The road ahead is what you make it. Make it worth the trip." So yeah, make a plan for yourself but we also need to be prepared to face a few bumps in the road and take a few detours along the way.

High school was a fun time and I'm proud to say that I was a part of this class. To some it may just seem like a bunch of kids sitting in seats right now, but I'm sure, to some we're all friends but I really feel like we're one big, sometimes dysfunctional family, but what family isn't a bit dysfunctional.. We still managed to have one of the most enjoyable senior years out there.... Well if you looked passed all our set backs.

Throughout high school i'm pretty sure we all picked up some skills/ knowledge that we're going to take with us on this next step, what ever that may be. Amongst them I personally learned that the work isn't going to be easy, no one is going to baby us and shelter us anymore, don't procrastinate cause it will so back fire, I'm going to cry in all my math classes and lastly that we have to get out there and work for everything we want because life isn't easy and success doesn't happen over night.

I picked up some valuable things that I think I will remember for the rest of my life due to our amazing band director Mr. B, they are two little sayings that I repeat alot and it gives me the extra boost to push myself so I would like to share them with you all, and band kids if you want you can help me out a bit.

The first one goes something like this. You gotta have some PRIDE. and what is pride? Pride, to put it simply is "taking Personal Responsibility In Developing Excellence".... Cause we all know it can't develop any other way. But on a serious note, I say this as a reminder to myself that things are not going to be handed to us. If we really want to be great we have to get out there and put in the blood sweet and tears if we want to bask in the benefits.

The second one, and I think is my favorite starts a little something like this. "Dicipline is, The refining fire, that turns my talent, into ability." Can we all say that one together.(repeat it) What this means to me is that we have to have some sort of structure in our lives, some sort of confinds on what we will do but enough flexibility to constantly change ourselfs for our better self. Every single one of us here has the potential to be something great. Each of us has the power to become something spectacular and we need to know that there IS that person burried underneath this image we all portray to other people.

There IS that person inside of us, that we can craft into the person that we want to become. And no one is going to hand it to us, no one is going to give it to us, we have to work at it ourselves. Whether it's an artist under there or an engineer under there or an inventor under there or whatever is under there we craft that person into the person we want to be.

The key to the future is all of us and we are the future of this country. I know it sounds cliche and you have probably heard it a thousand times but in the years to come we will realize just how true this statement is. Yes the future is unpredictable. And yes it isn't going to be easy, but it's what we make of what's given to us that determines what our future holds. I would like to end my speech with this qoute by Pope John Paul the Second, "The future starts today, not tomorrow." Thank you.