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**I had the honour of being one of the valedictorians of my middle school and so I had to write a speech. When I set down to write my first draft, this is what resulted. This wasn't the speech I ended up reading because it was a bit lengthy; I was a bit disappointed when I was told I had to rewrite it since these words came from the heart, unedited and sincere.**
Good evening graduates, parents, family members, teachers, and administrators. It is an honour to be standing here today engaging in one of the most important days in the lives of our lives. We have grown from the small children we entered I.S 162 as, and are pursuing bright futures as dedicated and ambitious young adults. The path has not been smooth, we have all borne witness to the trips and falls we have had to surpass, but I believe we can all say it was all worth it.
Graduates, I want you to close your eyes and picture yourself in an empty room. Only you are there, there is no colour, no light, just four walls. Remember how you felt when, dressed in black and white, you entered the schoolyard of Lola Rodriguez de Tio Intermediate School 162. The hallways you self-consciously step through were immense tunnels without end. The world spun faster and more violently than it ever had before. That room is pitch black and your eyes are straining to see, but your heart needs a spark to defy this velvety darkness; your pupils are wide but they are not seeing anything. Months slip by without you knowing while a soft glow starts to seep through the walls of that murky room and comforting warmth tickles your cheek; your lips curl into a smile. Words start appearing on those walls and you no longer feel so alone, the energy of the books that begin to enlighten you, the smiles of those girls and boys which became your refuge, the endless periods of taking notes and cramming your brain with information suddenly start to take form and that room now contains dashes of green, blue, yellow, pink. June 2005 screeched to a sudden halt and your soul has been marked with knowledge you had within your reach but did not have the courage to grasp.
September 2005 and the much anticipated seventh grade year is finally within your reach. That luminous glow is inviting and there is such a soothing essence captured within the walls of that room that you don’t want to move a muscle. You want to remain there for years to come. A world of metaphors, similes, wars, treaties, pacts, exponents, theorems, motion, energy, particles, and melodies start to fill up that wall gently, yet forcefully enough to make it remain there permanently. Then the teenage years start to trickle into that room. The crushes, the senseless rivalries, the heartbeats, the flirting all begin to resonate through your veins. That glow becomes a pulsating light; it beats to the energetic boom of your heart and starts to form the shape of your soul. The walls are no longer the rigid sponges they used to be. They are now able to capture the aura of the spirits around you and repel the venomous attitudes that stain them. Red, teal, orange, and purple swirl through those walls. A recurring film plays on these walls; your friend tripping on her own feet, your teacher making hilarious jokes throughout the class, your entire body shaking as you stand in front of the entire class reciting a poem you wrote from the heart, not the mind. June 2006 and the eyes you see looking back at you from your reflection are the ones that were buried deep under your worries, your fears.
Once again September rolls along and senior year, the most anticipated year of the middle school career, is knocking urgently on the walls of that room. You excitedly allow it to take over your senses. The roller coaster ride kicks off at an incredible speed, your heart beats faster than it ever has but you are too consumed in the excitement to notice all the changes you are undergoing. The look in your eyes has matured, the way you make your decisions and analyze the situation before ramming into it has become more rational, and the way you view others’ character has been moulded into the judgment of a young man or woman. The new path you begin to lay down is more concrete than you ever imagined. You have begun to kick off the ground and fly elegantly through sunshine, clouds, thunderstorms, hail, and gusty winds. The walls turn delicate and charming shades of gold, silver, and bronze. Your middle school character has been formed and it is ready to look the world defiantly in the eye and step down gracefully from the safe haven of your parents and teachers to the thrilling streets of life and opportunity.
We have all experienced situations the past three years that we will never forget. We have been marked by the souls of so many incredible people; we have made memories that cannot be destroyed, for they are the center of our lives. We are confronting gusty winds as we say wave goodbye to all the arms that have become our home. This, however, is not goodbye. It is the beginning of an everlasting relationship that can never be broken. It is the commencement of a journey in which we will reach unbelievable heights. If you have not yet opened your eyes, open them and look into the eyes of your parents, your teachers, your friends and think about how much they taught you and how much this knowledge will help you as you continue marching through life. Our souls have become one today as we proudly call ourselves the graduating class of 2007.
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stephanie lowe | Feb 26th, 2008
amazing
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