Graduation from High School in 2016

Final Commencement Speech

Hello everyone! My name is David Jones and I would first and foremost like to congratulate the class of 2016 on a fantastic four years and for finally graduating high school and also to thank all of you for allowing me to speak up here today.

The last four years with all of you have truly been a pleasure and I will cherish every moment of it for the rest of my life because these four years are quite possibly going to be the most unique four years of our lives. I remember seeing some of you at the freshman orientation. We were all so short (well most of us) and looked so young and were still at that stage where we cracked “yo mama” jokes. Then sophomore year came and things started to get more serious as we started to focus on school a little more, but deep down we were all still our immature selves. Junior year was the real grind and I remember almost everyone stayed up until 2 or 3 every night which was a huge shock coming from 11 o'clock bedtimes in sophomore year. Junior year was also especially important in that all of us found what we were truly passionate about and started to formulate our dreams and ambitions for the future. Finally, we have senior year where everyone matured immensely and started thinking about their time in high school and their futures, including college and career path. I feel honored and blessed looking at such a talented class of students that not only includes engineers and math wizards, but writers, artists, and talented speakers as well. We really are a diverse class and we should be proud of that.

20 years from now, when we all look back at our four years of high school, it will be nothing but memories, memories that we all hope to remember and store in our brains forever. One of my fondest memories of high school has to be spending lunch with squad everyday. We always crack so many jokes and laugh so much that I seemed to always leave the lunch table with my stomach in pain. I hope to remember my memory of lunch with squad forever, my friends, their faces, the jokes, the atmosphere, the food, all of it. Just like me, I’m sure all of you have a memory or memories of high school that you wish to remember forever and that is completely natural because after all, it’s what makes us human. Although many other species on the planet have memories and the capability of retaining them, no other species wishes to store them forever as much as humans do and that is what makes us, us.

Now I want all of you to think of your fondest memory of high school. It doesn’t have to be in school. It can be at home, outside of school, vacation, anything. Think of this memory and immerse yourself in it. Try to remember the smell, the faces, the dialogue, the sights, the sounds, everything. Try to remember as much as you possibly can and become a part of the memory because as sad as it may sound, that memory, 20 years from now, will not be as clear as it is right now. Even though we all strive to remember everything we learn, everyone we meet, and everything we do, unfortunately, it is impossible to do so. Enjoy your memories while you can still fully enjoy them. Enjoy your final two hours of high school while you still can. And finally, enjoy your final moments with all your friends and family before you all go off to do incredible things with your lives.

Thank you and good luck to you all.