Pathway to Our Own Life

Hello, my name is agreen24. Thank you family and friends for coming tonight to celebrate our graduation. While I would’ve never thought we’d finally be here, here we are. After a painful 12 years of school, we’re finally moving on with our lives to build our own life. While we may not have noticed it at the time or now, we made memories with the teachers and students, some bad and some good. With the community we have surrounded ourselves with, most of us have known each other since we were very little and it’s been like that as the years go on growing. Watching myself and the others I’ve grown around become their own people is definitely a change, but the change is good. As we grow up, we become someone to ourselves. Letting our mindsets and personalities drift to our liking of someone we wish to become. 

Maturing is something we’ve also been growing in, well at least half of us. But we’ve grown since middle school, but I won’t go down that kind of path. With how much Membean, Get more math, math work in general and about 100 assignments in English, especially junior year, that have been thrown at us, we’ve succeeded to take it all on and win. Standing here, we aren’t just graduates, we are survivors. And while most of us are off to college just to get back in an English class, just know, it won’t have Membean. Our 2024 class is unique in their own way, going away from Oak Hill High School and continuing on what they want to do with their lives. While we are off either in college, starting a career, doing whatever it is, just know we are strong, we are capable, and we are passionate about who we are and what we do. 

A story that I can recall from when we were small was a story from Mrs. Lincoln’s class in the 3rd grade. She was an older lady that always wore a ponytail, but she was passionate about what she taught and she was a character. From jumping over the desks when her phone rang, to making origamis, and having us do activities outdoors, everyone seemed to enjoy her hands-on activities. Reading this out loud in front of the classroom reminds me of Mrs. Ireland’s home classroom. We’d have to write and read a story every week, and not to mention the bidding over a prize that either she or other students would bring in order for tickets. It was definitely interesting to see everyone so determined in bidding their tickets for something like a sticky spider-man. I guess we learned young. From people shouting 20 tickets to a sticky spider-man to all the way up to 50 tickets, raising their hands high up and the voices increasingly getting louder as the prices go up, we were all determined to get it and not face defeat. It was even more crazy in the classroom when she brought out the bubble machine.
 Our class has grown as a whole individually and together. The future will depend on us and what we do with our lives. No matter what part we play, we all have a part that matters to keep the world going on. It can range from building homes, to serving as a waitress. No matter what role, it’s a role that’s necessary for others. The hope I have for our future is to be like a dove. Soaring and flying through anything we please with a breeze of delight and a sense of peace. Up above or down below, whatever way we choose to come. With our decisions being in any direction we want and what we make it to be. And now we leave from the flock to become our own. With all the people we’ve grown around and have seen each other everyday of the week, we won’t be seeing each other anymore as much. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you luck graduating class of 2024, and to be happy and passionate on your journey of creating your own life for you. Thank you for listening.

“The Graduates” by Game of EPL5 & LUMIX G20/F1.7 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.