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.
[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.
