Commencement Speech

Just a commencement speech I wrote for English class:

Hello, my name is Trent Sudhoff, and I’m your nominated commencement speaker for the 2013 graduating class of Garrett High School and I would like to thank the teachers, staff, and administration for the excellent high school experience they provided

“Education is not preparation for life, it is life itself” The wise words of John Dewey

 I observe nieces and nephews as they grow older, Interview for a career, prepare for graduation, reminisce about worry free days of innocence, and ponder where life has brought me. Then it hits me just how fast life really goes. Today I stand here with 160 other graduated adults, 18 years of age, and starting careers, or pursing further education. Our care free summers have come to and end, no more late nights with failed hopes of dozing in class, finishing homework at 2 A.M. because we procrastinated all weekend and had fun instead, these will all have become distant memories for us. Life has truly begun for us.
Ten years ago, I dreamt that by this time I would be doing something outstanding in life. Standing in front of you today, as I feel a bit of resentment, I have to laugh at the thought. We all can still dream of our unfulfilled goals, but the truth is reality has set in. We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place now. We may choose to go down a path many have chosen with stability, assurance, and simplicity. Or we may pave our own path that could lead through some discomfort, instability, hard times, and maybe eventually FULFILLMENT.
 Today, as we prepare to set out into the world, we have very little, very little to lose, but so much to gain in life. I tell you this because every one of us could change the world, we must pursue our dreams though. Ten years from now, you will have an education, career and family, and because of fear, may never have the chance to achieve a dream. Start today, because life isn’t going to slow down for you, if you want to change the world and pursue a dream you must start now. Before it’s too late and there’s too much to lose, pursue while the pursuit is good. Do what you care about in life, find that drive, you will change the world, and much love and happiness will come.

Regrets could come for dreams aren’t easy to fulfill when you are reaching for the stars. Some dreams may be smaller than others, but all the same do your best to fulfill them. The people that find there passion, there drive, those are the people that change the world. When your old sitting in a rocking chair at the local retirement home and looking back on life. Would you rather regret the food you ate that didn’t agree with you while traveling over seas, saving lives, studying abroad, or doing research, or would you rather regret the path you chose in life? I’m not sure about you, but to me the bad food sounds like it makes for a much more humorous story. However the choice is yours to make, may you choose wisely.