Speeches / Graduation Speech: "Many People, Many Lives, Many Choices... One School" [3]

This is a rough draft of my graduation speech. Any comments are appreciated. Please point out any mistakes (even grammatical), thanks!

[School Name]... We're meeting here today one final time as a class for the ending of our high school lives, and the beginning our new ones. We walked into this room as the [School Name] Class of 2010, and although we may always remember ourselves as such, tomorrow marks the day when a common bond we all share will be broken. We will be leaving [School Name] for good. We will all be taking different paths, making different choices, and living different lives.

And starting tomorrow, the choices that we make and the paths that we take will have a great impact on our lives. No, I'm not talking about the decision to finally listen to your parents and take out the trash, or mow the grass... although that is important too! I'm referring to the decision to find a job... a career... a life that you will live, and love, and be proud of.

But finding such a thing won't be easy, and I'm sure many of you are somewhat skeptical about the decisions you have already made. You may have declared a major you think you are interested in at a college you think meets your needs. You may have found a job you think you can stick with for awhile. You may have picked up a trade you think will lead to a career you will like. And many of you may truly have found your place in the world.

But I want you all to know-that if you haven't, if you are completely unsure of what it is you will be doing after you leave this room today-that is completely okay. In fact, I may be speaking in front of you with this advice, but I'm in the same situation as everyone else. I may have declared a major but if it turns out the major I liked... the major I thought I liked... the major you thought you liked or, the job you thought you like turn out to be a career we don't want to commit to, that is completely fine too. We will always have the choice to change everything in order to find the right place... the right job... the right life we want to live. It is never too late. If you are 14 and just starting high school, if you are 18 and graduating today, if you are 27 and just starting a family, if you are 45 and your kids are leaving the house, if you are 60 and now a grandparent... the power to change not just your job, but your life is and will always be within your reach. All you need to do is find it.

But why believe me? Sure, I'm just a kid speaking at graduation-what do I know about life and its possibilities anyway... Well I may not know everything, but I do know, that right now somewhere in this auditorium someone who is very close to me is watching me, and that person has truly has changed... no, not changed... truly transformed, their life, and mine too. I can not be any happier to say that in front of you all today. And after seeing it for myself, I know each and everyone of you have the power to change your life and the lives around you.

Choose to live life the way you want to instead of a life defined by what's on TV or how the people around you say you should live. Live the way that makes you truly happy, and make sure you reach for the life you really want and with the right reasons. Life can be tough at times and your parents won't always be there to bail you out. Ultimately how you choose to deal with everything is completely up to you. But live your life, not someone else's.

Undergraduate / "The Statue" - Bucknell Supplement Essay [4]

We're interested in the kind of positive risk-taking energy you would bring to our University. Please describe a time when you found the courage to step outside of your comfort zone to do something unexpected and completely unlike you. Why did you take this risk? What have you learned from the experience? (up to 500 words)

"Dylan McNally," Mrs. Root announced after drawing my name from a hat...

My mind went blank. Suddenly, I saw myself through the dim lights of our auditorium. I stood on the stage, suffocated in its lighting. I could feel the pressure of their stares. The entire school was gazing at me with empty faces. Mr. Irvine, the principle, stood at the center of the stage. He was saying something, but I couldn't focus. It all came out in silence until he looked over to me and extended his arm.

"Now I will be handing the microphone over to Dylan. He will be introducing the homecoming court candidates as well as filling you in on their activities, interests, and school life."

I took a step forward, approaching Mr. Irvine with uncertainty. He met my step with a quiet nod, motioning me to advance. I continued forward as the heel of my sole broke the silence, hitting heavily on the hardwood floor.

Mr. Irvine grabbed my shoulder. "Go get 'em tiger," he whispered with a pat on my back. He handed me the microphone and walked into the darkness, leaving me lost in the ocean of their eyes.

I looked down at my feet, then up at the crowd and smiled...

"Dylan!" Mrs. Root exclaimed. "Do you want to speak at the homecoming assembly?"
My thoughts jumped back to the present. I was standing in lecture hall A, the meeting place of student government officers. Everyone was staring at me, waiting for a response.

"Well, of course!" I replied.

Throughout all of elementary and middle school I was known as the "quiet kid," the "shy one," or "the statue." Although I had progressively worked on my public speaking throughout high school, and have considerably "come out of my shell," to abuse a cliché, there was still a degree of uncertainty in my public speaking. Ultimately, I desired a test of speaking in front of a large audience. The class room discussions and debates simply were not enough. When Mrs. Root, the student government adviser, asked if I wanted to speak in front of the entire school, the opportunity for my test had arrived. I accepted the offer with a smile.

The happenings of the assembly were nothing out of the ordinary for everyone else. Like every past year, a male senior introduced the candidates for the homecoming queen, and gave a little bit of background information on each one. However, for me, this assembly proved to me that I can speak smoothly to any number of people with confidence and composure. I no longer look to public speaking with fear nor do I dwell at the back of the classroom unresponsive. After a long day of receiving praise and compliments, I was proven that I can approach a weakness, something outside of my comfort zone, and make it a success.

Undergraduate / "genetics lab freedom" - Cornell - College of Arts and Sciences Supplement Essay [4]

Prompt: Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. Tell us how you will utilize the academic programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to further explore your interests, intended major, or field of study.

An unknown series of chemical reactions ends with the emission of electromagnetic radiation and various particles in every direction. A small assortment of the radiation speeds outward, past wondering space debris, toward the brilliantly blue planet earth. After its eight minute voyage, the radiation is again broken up as it encounters a series of convenient safeguards, leaving only a small portion to escape through the folds of the atmosphere. It races through the medium of air and reflects itself off the delicately placed mirror of a small child's light microscope. The light bounces upward and produces a visible projection of a Paramecium, which fills the spectating child with joy.

On my fifth birthday I ...

Corrections and suggestions are greatly appreciated and I will try to return the favor. :)