FYI, my cousin Anthony is their batch's salutatorian. So I helped him write a speech. Here you go.
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For the yearbook.
Stand your ground, let your light shine
“Graduation is the first of those pivotal times in our lives when we look back at our past, turn consciously away from it, and begin to stare our future straight in the face.” Dr. Robert Lynch once said.
Distinguished guests, members of the faculty, proud parents, friends, and above all, my fellow graduates – a pleasant morning to all of you.
Time goes by faster. It has been four extremely great years, not to mention, long challenging years, that I spent here in the academe. Our schooling days, which some of us once hated, are finally over. It seems like we were just Freshmen students who were all skeptical and awe-filled with the new environment that we were trying to adapt with. I am still astonished with the fact that we are finally here. We now have our names written on that piece of parchment paper tucked under our arms. In a while, we may be leaving the portals of our Alma Mater for the final time as high school students, but learning will not stop as it is happening everywhere.
All of us worked hard to get through here. But we didn't do it by ourselves. There were a lot of important people who were on our backs throughout this journey. First of all, to my parents who guided me towards the right track of life. Without the two of you, I would not be able to accomplish these things and would not have come this far. I wish to give my sincere thank you for the trust, support and unconditional love you have for me. I would also like to acknowledge and extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the teachers who have been my second parents for the past four years. Thank you for guiding, inspiring, and making us what we are today. I will always be thankful for all the effort and hard work you have put in. Moreover, I would like to thank my friends who stayed by my side through ups and downs. Thank you for all the beautiful memories that I will surely cherish for a lifetime. Lastly and above all, I would like to thank the Almighty God who have been showering blessings since the day I saw light in this world. I found love, kindness, friendship, and everything in between through You. I am offering these achievements to You.
As I am standing here in front of you, I feel honored not so much in being one of the leads of this graduating class. However, sometime during this ceremony, I have a strong feeling that a bit of sadness will come our way. There might be tears in our eyes that will soon slide down our cheeks, but all things considered, this special occasion is just reminding us that the end of one season is just the beginning of another.
High school is the rite of passage into adulthood. As soon as we reach the end of this day, it would make us look forward into something much better. Remember, every good bye makes the next hello closer. Earth will spin around again and we will face another chapter of our lives. All we need is to pursue our dreams and be stronger on every challenge that this journey will bring.
Let me take this opportunity to encourage each and every graduating student here. For we are the youth, the challenge is bestowed upon us. We have the right to change the world, let alone, to betterment. All of us can be heroes of tomorrow. Let us all make a remarkable difference in our generation.
My dearest friends, we may say our good byes for now, but not to the dreams we made up in our minds, not to the lessons that our Alma Mater has taught us, and most specially, not to the treasured moments we created altogether.
Congratulations graduates of Batch 2012. Keep moving forward and strive to fetch for your star. May God bless us all. Thank you... Till we meet again.
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During the graduation rites
How time flies. Our schooling days, which some of us once hated, are finally over. Mixed emotions are coming on my way. I assume all of us have this too. The bittersweet ending of this journey is quite unexplainable. I'm feeling very nostalgic over what happened in the last four years. But all things considered, this special occasion is just reminding us that the end of one season is just the beginning of another.
We can be the servant in the story that Hans shared to us earlier. Remember? He bought the painting out of gratitude even he had only a dollar left. What the servant did teaches us that we should always remember the people who have been through with us. We must not forget to say thank you to our beloved school, parents, teachers, and above all, our Almighty God. Because at the end of day, those people might be the reason for our sweet success.
My dearest friends, we may say our good byes for now, but not to the dreams we made up in our minds, not to the lessons that our Alma Mater has taught us, and most specially, not to the treasured moments we created altogether.
Congratulations graduates of Batch 2013. Keep moving forward and strive to reach for your star. May God bless us all. Thank you... Till we meet again.
