from the archives: high school graduation address

I was going through files and folders this evening and discovered the commencement address I gave at my high school graduation. The paper was a bit discolored, but the text - composed on my Apple IIc and printed by my Imagewriter II - evoked vivid memories of that day.

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Ladies and gentlemen and distinguished guests. On behalf of my classmates, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the commencement exercises for the Robert Louis Stevenson School's Class of 1993. This joyous occasion marks the end of four years that we have spent in this special community. Four years that have been filled with as many trials as triumphs. Four years in which we have matured from insecure adolescents into confident young adults. However, I ask youto think of this graduation ceremony not so much as an ending, but as a beginning.

Stevenson has left a lasting impression on us, and it is now time to move on. While it is difficult to leave the comfort and safety of a place which has become an integral part of our lives, each one of us feels the desire - the need - to meet new people and explore new horizons. How ironic that we leave RLS with the same emotions we entered with four years ago as little freshmen... feelings of apprehension and fear as well as anticipation and excitement.

Next fall, most of us will go on to college, where our beliefs and values will be challenged by our peers and by our professors. Some will find this experience overwhelming and a bit frightening. Others will welcome the opportunity to defend and, in many cases, reevaluate their ideas and opinions. One thing is for certain: it is through this process of reflective and active analysis that each of us will develop into the person he or she want to be. And if we are able to accomplish this, it is because we have established a solid foundation here at Stevenson. It is our responsibility now to build on it. Therefore, let us celebrate this event acknowledging how far we have come... knowing that our task has only begun.