Graduation Speech: Importance of Change :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Change is a word that I have constantly heard throughout my high school years. It is a transformation through which everyone goes whether it's for the better or for the worse. For me the meaning and value of change has helped me to focus on the goals I have to accomplish. For others, it is simply just a phase we go through. All of us here have been able to learn and develop from our changes to be come a better and successful person. Motivation is an important source of help towards succeeding. We can receive it from our family, friends, and our teachers. The one thing that I have realized about the alternative school is that the teachers and staff will never give up on you. In most public schools the teachers tend to give up easily on a failing student because they don't have the time and opportunity to get to know you and work with you. It is different here at Rose Alternative High School. The teachers continue to push you to work harder, to never give up. Friends have the biggest impact and influence in our lives. They can lead us to the path of success or path of failure. So everything that our parents have told us about choosing the right friends is absolutely true. As you get older, you realize that everything your parents have said or have taught you starts to make sense. You are more aware about situations and are a lot more careful so that you don't make mistakes like we often did when we were younger. Age is not a factor when it comes to completion. As you can see, many of us are a lot older than others. Most of us took different steps in achieving this goal. Some took a few months while others took a few years. But even though we arrived here with different routes, we will all receive the same prize for finishing, which is a high school diploma. This quote from William Arthur Ward reflects upon me and maybe even others here: "If you can imagine it, you can create it.