I hated my first day as a Timber wolf, not knowing anyone, having to memorize new names and a new schedule, and, of course, uncertain—and alone. I was in tears. But life works in funny ways. Here I am, again in tears, but not because I hate Northwood but because I am in love with it and all the people who make it so extraordinary and who grace the halls with their amazing talent and compassion. What I've learned from this is that you can't have the rainbow without the rain, and that with every closed door, another opens. — Altaf Saadi, 18, Irvine, CA
In this, the third year What Kids Can Do has invited graduation speeches from students all across the country (and world!), we received speeches with such a wide range of themes and tones that they defy easy description. Some, like Altaf, stress the transition from the familiar to the unknown. Others, like Fatima from Mauritania, focus on the empowerment and responsibility that this rite of passage carries in a world scarred by political strife and in need of life support. This school has the distinctive gift of encouraging the student to ask "now what," instead of "so what." And as Jonathan Swift has said, "You can't change the direction of the wind but you can adjust the sail." Even if we cannot control the wind, it is in our power to make the wind favorable to our journey. —Fatima Mohammed Mussa, 18, Nauakchott, Mauritania
Some speeches were vehicles for graduates to explore the
continuities that traveled with them throughout the thirteen-year
"chapter" of their pre-commencement lives:
And there was certainly no shortage of speeches acknowledging those people who made thirteen years of growth and enrichment possible—teachers. As Lucy Zaryova from the Vilseck American School in Germany writes: "You gave us something that no other people can—you fed us with education and knowledge. You taught us something new every day. And everyday, we became more knowledgeable and the understanding of the meaning of our lives grew in us even faster." But perhaps Michael Noveck's final remarks best sum up the sentiments of our 2004 graduates: never forget that so much of life is about persistence, optimism, and civility. "Life is five percent what happens to you and 95 percent how you deal with it. Fellow graduates, remember those words as you journey through life. Never let a tough loss keep you down. And, above all, be good and be nice." Click below for WKCD's collection of 2004 graduation speeches. See also graduation speeches
from the class of 2003
Twenty years from now, remember this day, and remember your feeling of pride, accomplishment and relief. Click here for the full speech.
Even though you cannot see them yet, the fireworks will begin tonight. In bright stunning colors, they will paint over the black world around them and they will
glow. In all shapes and sizes they will scatter over the stars and the moon.
They will erupt in loud, almost deafening blasts to hushed crackles of soundless
glory. Each diploma received is a lighted match of fire. Each graduate is a
fuse. If you put a lighted match and a fuse together, you make sparks to create
light. If you put a diploma and a graduate together, you have fireworks.
Click
here for the full speech
Education
is, perhaps, the only wealth that cannot be robbed. It is the bridge between cultures. Knowledge transcends education; it
transcends the walls of this school. If you want something to change, you personally have to do something different. You
have to defy your own group. Rebel against yourself. Knock known your walls
and get out of your way. It is you, and only you, who determine who you will
be and what you will do for the rest of your lives. Do not follow where the
path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Click
here for the full speech.
But it's equally important that the dreams we follow are our own. Friends and family want what's best for us, but only we can know what is truly
in our hearts. The best path is not always the one that leads to wealth and
fame, or to someone else's expectations. The best path will lead you to
happiness, and can be taken by working hard at something you enjoy. Do not
strive for success solely for success's sake. Discover what you truly
want to do and then pursue it with all you have, and if your dream changes
then so be it, don't be afraid to change with it. Sometimes life may
force you to take another path, out of necessity, but do not forget your
dreams and don't stop looking for that opportunity to follow them.
Click
here for the full speech.
Mrs. Wabeke told me never to start a paper with a dictionary definition, but it
only seemed fitting to site Merriam Webster today. "Graduation is the act of acceptance of an
academic degree or diploma." Never have Merriam and Webster been more off their mark. Graduation is much more than a simple ceremony; it is the culmination of 12 years of work, friendships, and the little moments that still make us smile.
Click
here for the full speech.
Click
here for the full speech.
|
|
|
|