Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Parents, friends, staff, and fellow graduates, 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 eventual realization that girls were not brain-sucking aliens and yes, you could talk to them. And Aaron, you can still talk to them. Well, that led to the dances, and let me tell ya, those were some interesting days for me. My first slow dance, consisted of a good 14 inches between me and my unfortunate partner (sorry Michelle). But as we all know, those days didn't last long either and the glory days of high school jumped on us like a varsity sport initiation. From the fire drills in the rain, to those studly guys in cheer skirts, high school was virtually a blur and brought us to the point we are at now. And though all our years of high school flew by with a quiet whisper, there was always this gradual change within us. Every day we developed a clearer picture of who we were and what we wanted to do with our lives. While I guarantee you that most of us won't remember every trigonometric function or who the 11th president was, in the end, it doesn't really matter. This is because the greatness of ... ...ce. Our Football team took 1st in WESCO and went to the playoffs. The Winter Guard took 1st in state with their incredible performance and the Drama department put on two phenomenal plays that drew sellout crowds. Basketball thrilled us all by making it back to the state tournament and the boys soccer team made the playoffs for the first time in over 10 years, just missing a state berth. It's because of our leadership, that the students of Sanders High School now have a renewed sense of pride and spirit. We have brought Sanders back to the top, and blazed a trail for incredible things to come. I love you guys, and from spending four years of high school with ya, I know that each one of us will relentlessly pursue our dreams and stop at nothing to see them become a reality. So look out world, cause the graduating class of 2006, will be a class that you never forget.