Good evening parents, teachers, graduates, and distinguished
guests. I remember when I was told that I would have to make a
speech it seemed to me a very difficult task. I was very unsure
what message I wanted to put forward to my fellow graduates. As I
was gathering my thoughts I started looking over my experiences at
school over the past 13 years and I was a little overcome by
nostalgia.
Good evening parents, teachers, graduates, and distinguished guests. I remember when I was told that I would have to make a speech it seemed to me a very difficult task. I was very unsure what message I wanted to put forward to my fellow graduates. As I was gathering my thoughts I started looking over my experiences at school over the past 13 years and I was a little overcome by nostalgia.
Time sure does fly. I remember when my only thought at recess was running to play tether ball and having to stop when the freeze bell rang. And ingrained in my mind always is the first day of 10th grade at Live Oak. I remember how afraid I was that I wouldn’t be able to find my next class or have the same lunch as my friends.
As I recall these memories I am struck by the fact that each of my fellow students have had very unique and different memories and experiences. Each one of us has followed different paths socially as well as academically.
But one thing we have all had in common is our dreams. In kindergarten we dreamed of being astronauts, doctors, firefighters and celebrities. Along the way many of our dreams have been misplaced, changed or lost. However, growth and self discovery have since fostered new expectations and aspirations.
But what remains the same is our desire to accomplish all our goals and the desire to live out our dreams. As we look forward, the future can seem new and frightening. But it can also be seen as an exhilarating opportunity to make all our dreams come true. Unlimited challenges and adventures await us. The real world isn’t always fair but we have the choice to make the best of it and live our lives to the fullest.
And as I step forward in life I would like to thank my friends for being so great, warm, and loyal. You guys made high school memorable for me.
I would also like to thank my parents and family for having such an unconditional and unwavering faith in me and for providing me with such great support and love. And finally we all wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of our teachers. I want to thank all my teachers for their knowledgeable insight, hard work, immense effort and inspiration.
In closing I would like to say to my fellow graduates that I know that all of us are not going forward all on the same path but on varying and unique paths all over the country. Yet despite this we will always be bound together by the fact that Live Oak and our experiences have shaped our personalities and taught us a great deal about ourselves and what we hope to become in the future.
I wish you all the best in whatever you wish to do and hope that you all attain personal achievement and a sense of fulfillment. May we all rise up to the challenge of the future and leave our mark onto world. Congratulations Class of 2003 and the best of luck in all your future endeavors.
Raimy Boban was salutatorian for the Live Oak High graduating class of 2003.
