Class of 2022, You’ve Officially Seen It All The Way Through

Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen. I stand here today to commemorate all the hard work we put into our education for the past 12-plus years. It’s hard to believe this chapter of our lives is coming to a close. I walk down the halls and ponder “Did I get the most out of my education?” “Did I push myself outside of my comfort zone to benefit my knowledge and life skills?” to which I can confidently say no. 

My school ethic in my previous years of high school  wasn’t anything close to adequate. I had often procrastinated my work until the last week of the semester, which resulted in very upset teachers. Some even revised and sent back my work at 3:00am with a comment saying nothing more than “OK.” Still got that 3. 

Going into my senior year, I turned over a new leaf. I buckled down and focused on my success. I gave my teachers, my education, and myself everything I had which paid off exceptionally well. I started receiving grades I always wanted, but never could achieve with my previous work habits. My fellow procrastinators out there: we all know the feeling of pressing the “Turn In” button after finishing a grueling assignment that’s been haunting your existence for weeks. Who would’ve guessed that feeling is even more exhilarating when you get that assignment in on time. I’ll have to remember that one for college. 

In January is when things started to plummet for me. I started to get really sick and not a single doctor could tell me what it was. I was turned away multiple times and made to feel crazy. It got to the point where I couldn’t push myself to get out of bed. After days of hospital visits, testing, and tears, I finally got diagnosed with mononucleosis(mono.) With the endless feeling of being useless and no antidote to ease the pain, I was left helpless for  6-8 weeks. I was in and out of school for 2 months, always trying my best to stay consistent with my school work, but my grades showed otherwise. I found myself lying awake every night angry at the world for doing this to me. Why did I work as hard as I did just to have nothing to show for it? 

              What I hadn’t realized was this was my big bump in the road. The fundamental “bottom-of-the-barrel” sob story that every person has to experience to achieve their aspirations. As Mr. Zuis has illustrated for me time and time again “Failure is the first step to success.” 

              As I look around, I can’t help but wonder how many of us had a good influence to push us through those difficult times. Whether it was a parent helping you with homework, a fellow peer telling you how proud they are for how far you’ve come, or a teacher who, no matter what, never stopped believing in you; they gave you that motivational push to thrive for success. Who made you realize: failure does not mean defeat? For me it was my dual enrollment English class. As corny as this may sound, it was inspirational to hear each of my peers express how stressed and overworked they feel. The assignments piling up and the urge to just give up was so strong, but not a single one has. Our teacher Mr. Young, despite his callous commentary, has never stopped believing in us as students and for that I am eternally grateful.

 I wouldn’t be standing here today, about to graduate and see my mom with blubbering tears in her eyes, if it wasn’t for the back bone of my graduating class. I want to personally thank all of you for the experiences in these past years. Whether they were good or bad, I am honored to be graduating with you all. I wish you all the best as you start your next chapters. Whether you go into the work field, military, or college, I am confident each and every one you will find your strengths and thrive to the best of your abilities. Keep your heads held high as you march to your diploma because class of 2022, you’ve officially seen it all the way through.

“teen-age-fan-club” by bass_nroll is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.