Valedictorian Speech

For my English class, our final project was to draft an address to our class, as if we were the valedictorian of our year, addressing the audience at our commencement ceremony. With said ceremony looming so near on the horizon, I thought it'd be appropriate to share what I'd written.

So. Here we are. I’m sure many of you have heard commencement speeches before. They all go something along the lines of: today marks the start of a new chapter, or today is the opening of a new door. And it’s true. Today we embrace beginnings.

At this time, while we stand one step away from the future, we also reflect on our experiences, our memories, our friends. We reflect on the Friday night football games, the relief of submitting final college applications, and what seems like a thousand days in the sun in the quad during lunch. It didn’t take any time for everything to become last: our last year, our last school dance, our last day.

Be understanding. Seek understanding. I think that those two phrases sum up what we have learned, out of all the textbooks and Sparknotes and group-chats that we’ve scoured these past four years.

Be understanding.

Understand that so often we structure our lives around the next deadline or class period or even Instagram post, it becomes easy to forget to enjoy the little things -- like sitting in the sun or enjoying an old song on the radio. We so often anticipate the next moment that we forget about this one.

Understand that while today is the open door, every day is a new day. If you put your hand over your heart and feel that pulse, every beat is a new chapter. An opportunity.

Seek understanding.

Why do so few people walk across the grass of the quad even though it’s the quickest way across campus? Why do we know more about outer space than our oceans? How can you predict that perfect moment at a bonfire where everyone laughs really, really hard at a good joke? How can you balance between living in the moment and planning for the future? Ask yourself questions. Wonder. Maybe you’ll stumble upon an old memory. Or maybe a new opportunity, a new discovery.

We walked from the math building to the bungalows to the parking lot every day for four years. Individually, each day seemed monotonous, and yet -- during our senior year, I found myself lingering in the sun at lunch to watch the freshmen go to class. Thinking that one day, it’d be the last time.

So enjoy the sun. Linger. Wonder about the grass and why no one walks on it. Remember that you only have so many days left.

And if inspiration happens to strike -- whether it be for a song or a science experiment or a new goal -- understand that that is your new door. No matter how high that mountain may seem, no matter how rigorous a course-load may be, embrace that challenge. Seek meaningful work. Take that opportunity to look forward, towards the future.

Thank you, and congratulations!