Graduation Speech

Congratulations to all of the eighth grade for keeping up their hard work and determination to get to where we are now. We’re ending a new chapter in our lives and moving on to a much bigger one. As much as I’ve looked forward to this day, I hate endings. The last day of summer, or the last chapter in a great book but, endings are unavoidable and you have to say goodbye at one point and today is that point.

It’s time to say goodbye to seeing the smiles of the teachers who once taught you, goodbye to crazy science expos, the enjoyable field trips and running the mile. Even though we are moving on and it hurts, we will always be able to look back and smile on the little things that happened in class and the small memories we’ve each shared with each other.

Being put into a smaller grade in a small school is, in my opinion, an amazing thing since we’ve all had the pleasure to know each other and be friends with each other, even though we weren’t all best friends I feel like we’ve had a special kind of bond only people from a small school would understand. The feeling of acceptance, The outgoing people, The class clowns, The more reserved people have all impacted how we have a forever bond with each other.

I grew up in this school district, kindergarten all the way through eighth grade, I’ve known most of you since I was old enough to remember anything and I was only able to know certain people for a few years yet it feels like a family to me, a school bond that can’t be forgotten. Everyone I have met from this grade has impacted how each of our personalities have molded us into the astounding young adults we are today. Our peers weren’t the only ones who have helped make us who we are today, our teachers, parents, siblings, younger generations of future cardinal graduates have all taught us, helped us through the rough nights of complaining about all the homework we have, helping us to understand a question we can’t quite find a resolution to and taught us to never give up on our dreams.

So I stand in front of you all today, teachers, staff, students, and family members, on behalf of the graduating class of 2016 I thank you for everything you’ve done and I thank all of my classmates for getting me through these past years at Golf and Hynes by using laughs, tears, and smiles. It’s going to be hard for me to say goodbye and leave you all but I know there will be memories I will never be able to forget with each and every one of you, no matter how special or brief they were, but according to Robert Frost, Nothing gold can stay. Congratulations class of 2016, I wish you all the best.