I would like to begin today by welcoming all the friends and family that were able to come celebrate this day with us; by thanking the administration and faculty for all that you’ve done for us graduates these past four years; and by congratulating the soon-to-be alumni on surviving these past four years. Today – June 6, 2005 – marks a milestone in our lives. We have spent the last thirteen years learning, writing, adding, subtracting, and procrastinating all for this moment. This moment in which each one of us can say, “I made it. I accomplished something great.” Because, in reality, this day, this graduation is more than something great. That diploma that we will receive is our proof that we have the ability to conquer any obstacle, to do more than what is asked of us, and nobody can take that away from us.
High school graduation is an unforgettable event in every man or woman’s life, and the honor of being granted the opportunity to be a leading figure in the momentous event is overwhelming. I am able to speak to you today because I was lucky enough to be this year’s salutatorian, second in the class. Or, as Jerry Seinfeld would say, the number one loser.
But today, we are all winners. Today tells us that each one of us has been blessed with a special ability, which is really what the theme of this graduation is: that these thirteen years of education have armed us for the battle that is life. Thomas H. Huxley, an English biologist, once said, “Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not.”
When it ought to be done… I think, at times, that this aspect of action may go overlooked. We, as a people, tend to focus on what was done, what was not done, and what could have been done, but we fail to appreciate the timing of the moment. We fail to appreciate that a man saw his opportunity and snatched it like his life depended on it.
I, for one, do not believe in fate or destiny. I do, however, believe in chance. Life, in my view, can be broken down into two main categories: choice and chance. For the most part, we choose the path that we walk. We choose to eat eggs or pancakes in the morning. We choose whether or not we the homework assignment. We choose to be a lawyer, teacher, or mechanic. On the other hand, there are forces in life that we cannot control, and it is how we handle these situations that defines us as people.
We have all been there, each and every one of us. We have faced that moment – that critical moment – where we know that we could take a chance and risk great gain or great loss.
Can you remember an evening, maybe recently or years ago, when it seemed like your life was on the line? An evening spent as a young man or woman with someone for whom your feelings ran deep. A first date, perhaps, in which you and that special someone shared a breathtaking evening full of fun, laughter, and emotion. You remember being able to look into his or her eyes and feel something inexplicably astounding. And as the night came to a close and it was time to go, you tried to work yourself up for that first kiss, that first exclamation that you feel something more, that you want something more, but for some unknown reason you could not bring yourself to take advantage of the opportunity. And as you made the long, lonely trip home, all you had to show for all of your internal struggle were the bruises from kicking yourself all night long.
This is my plea to you, my fellow graduates, as you continue on your journey – do not spend your life kicking yourself. When you see opportunity arise, seize it and do not let it escape. Ability is not a question; the fact that you are all here proves that you can do whatever you wish. The question is making the most of it.
Whether you consider him famous or infamous, the most influential pop-culture icon of our generation, Tupac Shakur, once said, “The only thing that comes to a sleeping man is dreams.” Do not sleep on life – live it.
Thank you.
