G.R.A.D.U.A.T.I.O.N.!!!

"This evening as we gather together to celebrate the commencement of high school and take the first step towards new experiences and new challenges, I would like to leave behind for awhile the A's we have worked to earn in class and focus instead on some B's; three small maxims that we might keep in mind as our next journey in life begins.

First, Be Grateful: We are today, officially, recipients of some thirteen years of education. A gift that seems so commonplace at times it may be forgotten. But more than that, this education represents a greater gift we enjoy and that is the gift of freedom, to decide how we want to live our lives.

Second, Be Smart: Today we enter a competitive world. The economy now stretches over continents instead of just countries; long travel and knowing a foreign language have become a necessity, rather than a rarity, for many fields of work. Competition surrounds us, selecting for success only those who are most prepared.

Being smart means getting all the education and experience we can, in whatever field we are interested in. It means being the best carpenter, the best teacher, the best radiologist or engineer that we can be.

It means constantly seeking out knowledge and training even after we leave school. Being smart, too is more than just vocational knowledge, it is the knowledge we will gain through our lives, as parents, as friends, or as members of a community. Being smart means making a commitment to become lifelong learners.

Lastly, Be True: As you leave here today you set foot on a path that is uniquely yours. Only you know where you want to go and what you want to accomplish. Only you can move towards these goals. Many of us are leaving home for the first time, and will be increasingly subjected to the questions of who are we? and what do we want from life?

Shakespeare said, "To thine own self be true; and it must follow, as the night does the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." Now more than any other time before we will have to rely wholly on ourselves. This, then, is my last charge to our class, know who you are, and what you want to accomplish; know where your strengths and weaknesses lie; know how you will use the great gift of freedom and education we have all been given; and if you don't yet know the answers to all of the questions, search until you find them.

Then, when it is clear to yourself who you are and who you want to be, never let anyone take that away from you.

Today as we move forward, let us be thankful for the experiences we have had here in high school. Let us not cease to seek new knowledge and learning. And most of all, let us remember who we are individually, and together, the Class of 2011."

Tanner Schenewark