Backstory
She admitted to being nervous in advance. But when she got to the lectern, her voice rang strong with conviction and determination.
Graduation Speech
This speech was given by a delightful 8th grader at her graduation ceremony. It shows maturity and intellect beyond her years. I was so moved by it that I’d like to share it with you.
Christina Rose said, “Most of us started here in kindergarten and it seemed like forever until we would be where the big kids were then.
“Now, we are the big kids and we’ve learned from our teachers but also from each other. We now know how to stand up for our values; how to disagree without bullying. We’ve learned the importance of friends and how to provide support. We’ve been taught how to be helpful and how to serve the community.
“And now, we go on to be early learners again as we enter high school. Each day will require that we make decisions and some of those decisions will be difficult. We will be tempted to take the easy way out or to experiment. We will be rethinking what you taught us and facing challenges.
“What we choose to study and participate in will affect the future education we can access. Rather than luck or chance, the kind of life we have will depend on the quality of decisions we make.
“With the guidance of the values you have taught us, we are equipped to make better decisions every day.”
Christina announced that the class of 2014 plans to make every day count.
P.S.
In the seven years since her speech, Christina Rose has soared through high school with top honors and is about to enter her senior year at University. She has indeed made every day count.
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