Good afternoon Class of 2019! Along with the Board of Directors; I would like to congratulate you. Parents, grandparents and other distinguished guests, welcome to the Hudson Community School District. What an exciting day for our graduating class! This annual rite of passage is a milestone that we are honored to celebrate with these students as they look back with finality on these formative years; and look forward to a future that is yet to be written.
The last couple of weeks have certainly been a whirlwind for all of you. Celebrations of your accomplishment began as early as the first weekend in May and will carry on for the next several weeks. You have experienced your final track meet, music concert, and; a well whole host of finales. Two weeks ago we were thrilled for you during our Senior Awards assembly when you were presented in excess of $600,000 worth of scholarships to begin your post-secondary journey. Then just a few short days ago you experienced a final lunch in our cafeteria.
All of these events, those of the mundane; and those that highlight your experiences here have been done together as a class. Have you contemplated that today, this very event in fact will be the final time you all gather together? Sure there will be reunions, but regardless of the intentions you make here this afternoon not everyone will attend. I’m a little embarrassed to say that I have been out of high school going on thirty years and have not been a faithful attendant at my own high school reunions. Certainly some of you, many in fact will remain close throughout adulthood. And if we are blessed as a community you will soon return home to raise a family right here. But the fact remains: this is it, your final time together. The passage of time is fast—so abrupt in fact that before you know it, you too will have realized thirty years have gone by. There is a saying that ‘although the days may seem long, the years are short’. Think about it. In spite of our efforts to keep this ceremony at no more than an hour, for you sitting there right now it probably seems like an eternity while you wait to cross this stage. I can see it in your eyes: right now all you want is for me to just stop talking and sit down! Just a couple more minutes please!
I know, right now you are eager to get on with it. You have celebrations to attend and plans to execute—for without a doubt those plans have already been made. Always planning ahead, looking forward to the next item to check off the list. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not faulting you for it, because we all do it! This is the world we live in: goal oriented, checking items off the list, planning for the next opportunity or experience. Our ever evolving world is constantly changing and speeding up.
Now don’t get me wrong, we certainly are happy that you have your plans set and are eagerly looking forward to your next challenge. The fact is there is probably no one happier that you have a [plan] than your parents. Frankly, they are probably just happy the plan does not include you sleeping in the basement or on the couch for the foreseeable future! I do think it is important though, to make certain that you aren’t sacrificing the enjoyment of this moment while looking for your next great aspiration. Yes! Set goals and look forward to tomorrow. But get everything you can out of today.
So let’s just pause and savor this time together, this fleeting moment that will be gone in the blink of an eye. Look around at your classmates, your parents and your teachers. Feel the weight of this day, this final time together. Think about the relationships you have formed and the thirteen years that have lapsed. Consider the impact everyone gathered has had on your life. What have they done to help prepare you for this day? Reflect on your time here as a student, the memories of your accomplishments, and those events that filled you with great pride.
I have been giving a similar speech to this one for many years now. Further, I annually attempt to make my remarks unique to the graduating class and tailor my message to those of you (soon to be alumni) sitting directly in front of me. Admittedly this is a challenge because what new advice can I give that I haven’t already? Indeed if you have been a regular attendee at this commencement then you probably hear a regular cadence of phrases and topics. A favorite theme is the idea that we shouldn’t let the past define us, and a cautionary tale that our future employer will care not if we were the lead in the musical or the star on the football team.
So then, perhaps you are wondering why my focus has thus far been on the past? It is because these experiences, while not defining moments in your lives should be viewed as cherished memories of when you showed your teachers, coaches, and parents just what you are capable of.
In a few minutes we will confer upon you a diploma from Hudson High School, signed and sealed with the testament you have met the requirements for graduation as established by this Board of Directors and the State of Iowa. You will no longer be under the tutelage of this institution. Most of you will soon depart home for the world that waits. Believe this: the level of competition you are about to experience will increase exponentially, and the stakes—well the stakes couldn’t be higher. In the coming weeks, months and years you will experience success and failure. In this experience called life you will know happiness, sadness, devastation and joy. When the going gets tough, and it will: remember those cherished memories and lessons learned here as a reminder of your toughness, what you are capable of, and of your perseverance. For certain, what you have thus far experienced has not defined you. But it can serve as your motivation and springboard to the world that is eager to experience your contributions. Let everything to this point serve as a foundation on which to build your future.
And for certain look forward to tomorrow. But at the same time get everything you can out of today. Congratulations!
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