the graduation speech that never was

I remember walking in on the first week of school as a freshman with my white polo Abercrombie t-shirt, bright blue jeans, and red Sperrys. I remember that day; I felt invincible. I was nervous as hell, but I walked around thinking I was all that. I’m pretty sure many of the upperclassmen thought differently.

I remember failing one of my first tests in high school, a math test to be precise. All my friends seemed to get the concepts. They executed flawlessly on their tests. That day, I realized the comfort behind false hope. But the consequences of false hope far outweighed the comfort.

I remember the night when I first pulled an all-nighter. It was 2am, and I had an essay due in six hours. I learned something new that morning: the eminence of coffee.

I remember the first time I caught myself staring at my crush in high school. Everything she did was so distracting. I would constantly daydream about the “if” that could happen if I just had mustered up some courage. Those daydreams would later lead to failed quizzes. But it was definitely worth it.

I remember the day the newly-created Student Council Executive Board was announced. With ten minutes remaining of school, my heart was racing, and my hands were clammy with sweat. When they announced my name for the Vice President position, my AP World History class went insane and cheered for me.

I remember coming into school without having done an APUSH reading assignment. I told myself that I would have finished it by 1am, but then I realized my essay took more time than my expectations had hoped. I expected to fail the reading quiz. Once again, my expectations had exceeded me as the quiz was moved back another day… I still failed it.

I remember asking my close friend to the Homecoming dance. It was during a Beta Club meeting in front of over a hundred members. My hands had never been sweatier. But somehow, the warrior inside me got the best of me that day because I returned with a “Yes.”

I remember the night of the Homecoming game. They announced my name. People started cheering. It took a while for me to process it; somehow, I became the Homecoming King.

I remember attending my last GA Beta Convention. I experienced my first case of food poisoning. It didn’t stop PRHS Beta from returning with a record-high ten awards.

I remember reading my best friend’s acceptance letter to Johns Hopkins. Words could not describe how I felt. I let my tears do the talking.

I remember the last day I had to wake up at 5:50am for high school; it was our Senior Day. I will never forget the bagpipes.

I remember when we walked the arena in our graduation gowns.

 

 

To the PRHS Class of 2017,

High school wasn’t flawless. We all had our fair shares of mistakes, heartbreaks, bad days, and broken promises. But something about these experiences… they made our high school journey an unforgettable one.

This is not a goodbye, but a humble welcome to our future.

Thank you for a memorable four years.