Rachel was nervous at the prospect of giving a Valedictorian speech. Her only guideline was that it be under two minutes. Thinking I could help, I wrote a draft to give her some ideas, or she could change it to suit her. This is what I came up with:
We are gathered to celebrate a milestone in our lives. With much gratitude we thank supportive parents, and teachers whose patience wore thin, but not out, and who encouraged us even when they might have been themselves discouraged.
In the past four years we’ve grown together, learned to drive, gotten our first MP3 players and cell phones, gotten first jobs, and taken the first baby steps of independence. We look forward to lives filled with promise, with big steps like college, careers, marriage, and our own children.
Our lives are shaped by our experiences, and our parents and teachers have had major parts in many of them. They’ve affected us. They have enriched us with knowledge and led by example. They have tried to prepare us for our journeys. Our lives are unique, we blaze our own trails, but we have their paths before us for guides. We can rejoice in our youth, but as we blaze our trails we too shall grow older and those following us shall someday see our burning candles as guides
We may eventually forget much of what has happened between these brick walls, but there will be moments we remember, examples that are like rock in the foundations of our lives. We will remember displays of courage, integrity, patience, kindness, self-control and understanding.
Let us go forth and live lives full of moments like that. Let us make a difference in the lives of those around us, and those that follow.
Every dark cloud has its silver lining, and silver clouds can have dark ones. We can rejoice with each other now, knowing that we won’t see some of those classmates again. But no matter what happens in our lives there will be some things we will always have, some things we will always know. We will have the love of our families, and we will always know we are members of the Camanche Class of 2010.
Despite her apprehension, she had too much integrity to work off of somebody else. Her result was as unique as she is:
I second what they said. I don't have much to say that everyone else hasn't already said in this graduation or countless others. But what I do have, I'll keep brief because I realize that the ultimate goal of this day is to graduate before getting heat stroke. Nobody will remember this speech in any number of days. So I will take the liberty of saying any dorky thing that comes to mind.
First off, I would like to thank everyone and their dogs for putting up with me for the last 5 years, and if you don't have a dog you should probably get one. Having allergies is no excuse; you can find a hypoallergenic dog. Either way, a dog should definitely be in your future.
But I digress. To get back to the subject of graduation, I'd like to tell you a story about how this day reminds me of Noah’s ark. The graduates entered the auditorium 2 by 2 like the animals entered the ark, not that I'm calling us graduates livestock or anything of the sort, though we may be perceived as such by the government. I know this analogy isn’t perfect, but you must admit it comes pretty close. The animals arrived to be saved from the impending flood, but what is it we are being saved from? You can have your own interpretation, but some common answers may include: homework, teachers, or just high school in general. After the flood, the animals emerged into their new environment, like we will burst forth from the bowels of Hades into the blinding new world of college or the workforce. But that's where the similarities end, or do they?
Okay, this time I'll really get back on track. To finish up this speech, I'd like to say that high school is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.