Hello good evening everyone. I am nervous to be speaking in front everyone, but I want to say thank you, Mrs. Krone, for giving me the opportunity to do the graduation speech.

I want to say congratulations to all of the seniors graduating.  We’ve taken a big step and have become adults moving into our future. But now, as seniors, we realize that although this day marks an end it also marks a beginning. So, it is with education. We cannot expect to keep our minds alive forever with the diplomas we will be given here today. For what we have learned in school, valuable as it is, it is only a beginning of the lifelong education process built on experience.

I want to say thank you so much to Gateway and some of the best teachers: Ms. Murchie, Mrs. Thomas, Mrs. Ricketts, Mrs. Hicks, Mrs. Vendemia, Mrs. Flagg, Mrs. Krone, Mrs. Murphy, Mrs. Coale, Mr. Clements, and Mr. Danaher. Thank you all of the Gateway staff, you have all earned my respect.

Today means different things to each of us. To some it comes as a welcome relief: to others it is accompanied with a feeling nostalgia as we look back on good times and friends we’ve made. Most of us are looking into the future with anticipation and perhaps some apprehension.

I want to say thank you to God for helping me to complete the first step of my dream.

We are all concerned about what to do with our lives, whether we go to college, enter a branch of the armed forces, have a career, or take on homemaking duties, we should remember that we are capable of anything we put our minds to and we can do work gratefully.  The satisfaction we derive from the life work we choose depends on our attitude toward it.

Seniors, we know that the pandemic is not going to stop us from graduating as the Class of 2020, nor will it stop our future from unfolding.

All parents have to be proud of their children for achieving this goal.  Tonight is your opportunity to say to your children how much you love them and express how proud you feel.

This night is dedicated to three very important people in my life: my boyfriend, my mom, and my aunt. I want to say “thank you” to them for supporting me through getting a good education and giving good advice. Thank you so much family. I love you all.

Congratulations to all of the seniors graduating. We can say we made it!

This speech was written with the intention of  being delivered in front of all graduating seniors, their families and friends, and the staff at Gateway School/Crossroads Middle.