Graduation Speech Essay

WOW! So much has happened since June. The SV FFA and ag department had a rough start to our year losing three of our students who were on the FFA officer team to other schools. Even with this bump in the road, the four officers that remained visited Mt. Shasta City and had a blast bonding and learning more about each other at their officer retreat in August. Once school started we found three new officers and attended COLC (Chapter Officer Leadership Conference) where the entire team learned about their diverse leadership styles and were able to bond together as the official Surprise Valley FFA Chapter Officer Team for the 2017-2018 school year. If you see them around, congratulate President Cindy Hinze, V.P. Maddison Seely, Secretary Maya

When I was younger, I would often return home to a familiar question: So, what did you learn today? My answer would always be "nothing" or "stuff." As I look back, I never lied, yet, I never told the whole truth. Many people think that you don't know anything with only 18 years of experience; I think they're wrong. I've learned a lot about myself and others from the relationships I have built throughout the years. I believe my most important lessons were "people" lessons. Those are the ones which could never be taught out of a book or in a lecture; you have to go out and experience them for yourself.

It is hard to believe that today is my college graduation. It has been a long journey. My husband Jean and children Sammy and Hanna have made my education a family priority. Classmates Tammy Kheradmand, Dwight Franklin and Scott Napier supported me when I was challenged. My Uncle Lee helped me through accounting. Professor Jim Callan and Dr. Steve Altabef provided me with inspiration. My parents encouraged me. I am fortunate to have many family members and friends here today who helped me in some way. So you see, I did not get to this place on my own. It was the combined effort of many. Universal provided a program that would work for me. I am very grateful for this opportunity. I am grateful that we live in a country where everyone who chooses to go to school can, no matter what their age.

I once read that life is well represented as a pearl deep within an oyster. The pearl symbolizes each person's potential, or the things that are going well for them in life. Just as a mere grain of sand that enters an oyster can grow into something of great worth, there is a fragment of excellency within every one of you that over time can be shape you into an individual who will make a difference in the world.

In previous years, at my high school, we were given the opportunity to be present in an elementary school classroom. For an hour each day, a group of us would ride to the elementary school to help out teachers that needed an extra hand in regards to maintaining their classroom, and allowing them focus more on their lessons instead of housekeeping responsibilities. Being surrounded by elementary age students for these few years really helped me develop deep love and passion for teaching young children. Life set me on a different career path as I attended Georgia Tech last year in pursue of a Business Degree. Throughout the year, as I sat in my business classes, doing my best to pay attention, but I could just tell that my heart was not into all that the business world had to offer. All along, I knew that my heart belonged in the classroom, and after careful consideration, I decided to transfer to the University of North Georgia at Dahlonega. Education 2130, was the first education class I had the opportunity to take, and it required 20 hours of field experience. My first collegiate field experience was nothing short of enlightening, and allowed me to immerse and expand my knowledge in the education world.

I would like to thank all of you for coming on such short notice. After all, 18 years hardly seems like enough time to prepare for graduation. In fact, as I stand up here and looking at all of my classmates, I wonder if I am ready to graduate.

It is with great pride and honor that I represent the class of 2012 of County High School. I do not want to brag or boast, but in my opinion, this class is just awesome! What do you guy's think? Our class has many amazing athletes and scholars who excel in their own capacities and musicians and artists who paint our world with their own language. The class of 2012, you should stand tall and be proud to sit here and be a part of such a talented and unique class. You cannot get an Annie Everett who has lettered 12 times from her athletics in just any typical class of seniors. You cannot find a more spirited guy with the skinniest and longest legs than Beau Hannifious, and you definitely cannot find a nicer, peppier person than Katie Burns in

I like that word, graduates. In fact, I like that word so much, that I decided to look it up in the dictionary for the heck of it. And beyond the obvious definitions I found, there was one that plainly stuck out. "To change gradually". Now if you think about it, I guess that sums up all our years of schooling right there. I mean, I can still remember back to first grade and racing home to watch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles defeat Shredder and the evil foot soldiers. Of course, Michelangelo was my favorite because he was the care-free surfer turtle that every boy dreamed of being like. Well, cartoons didn't last long in junior high, and my first real change occurred because of the

Well, this is it, the day all of us have been waiting for has finally arrived. It seems like only yesterday we were picking our noses and flicking them at innocent bystanders or yelling childish phrases like, "Liar, liar, pants on fire!" or, wait, that was yesterday. Never mind. Anyways.

Christopher Columbus, reflecting on his voyage which led him to the discovery of America, said, "Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World." I am sure that after four years of high school, we have all formed our own opinion of Christopher Columbus - especially if you had Mrs. Powers - but whether you view him as a genocidal rogue or the first American Hero, I find his quote fitting for where we stand today.

We wrap up the last full week of October, thrilled about this week's highlights! If you haven't heard, our school nurse Caren Etling and our educational technology specialist, Mike McQueen were both recipients of educational grants from the Clayton Education Foundation. With congratulations to them both, submitting creative and innovative proposals which benefit our school as a community, we are even more excited about the start of the work they will be pursuing. Caren Etling will now be able to expand the work of our Garden Club, continuing her partnership and support of Tom Sprengnether and science by ensuring all students have an opportunity to actively engage in gardening. Soon, Meramec will be the recipient of an indoor tower

I want to say CONGRATULATIONS to the class of 2012. I greatly appreciate sharing my journey with you. I believe the greater the difficulty, the greater the glory and the glory is what we celebrate tonight.

We, of Cedar Community College, are many nations. We are men and women, husbands and wives, parents. We are young and not-so-young. Behind the face of every graduate, and just as distinct, is a different story, a different reason, and a different use for the education for which we have assembled this evening to recognize. We serve to enrich the campus community, as we are not just a cross-section of this nation, but of the world. Displayed in the Brier Hall cafeteria are 50 national flags to signify our cultural heritage here at Cedar. Yet regardless of our diverse origins, we come here bound by a

During high school a person typically meets a variety of new people. During my high school experience, I had the chance to meet a guy by the name Justin Okel. I first met Justin in middle school where we remained acquaintances for the next many years. I never really knew him. I had always thought he was the average kid in a happy middle class family. He never really gave anyone a reason not to believe that either. It wasn 't until midway through high school that I realized I didn 't even know him or his family at all. Over the past couple years I have been able to develop a great relationship with him as I began to know the real side of him that no one else really knew until recently. Justin suffered extremely harsh circumstances during the years leading up to graduation. He was mentally abused, put on probation, and kicked out of his house; forced to graduate high school, and start College completely on his own. I had the opportunity to get in touch with him so he could share some of his story.

When I was in high school I had one goal, I would graduate top of my class and go to the University of Florida for pre-medicine, then onto their medical school. I never considered that I would want anything else, so I went to a specialty high school that would allow me to specialize in Biomedical sciences(STEM) and never even thought about the possibility of a life other than the one I had so precisely planned out for myself. When my nephews were born my sophomore year all of my priorities changed. I cared more about hearing their first words than attending my BioMed classes, and more about going to mommy and me days, than spending a day in the clinic working on beat up football players. I became so entranced with their little growing personalities that I shoved my goals to a back burner. By the time graduation rolled around I wasn 't failing by any means but my dreams of being valedictorian were long gone, and I felt like I needed to find a whole new life plan instead of trying to get back to the old one.