Graduation Speech : Succeeding By Choice

A higher education has been an important priority in my life. While I realized a high school education was important, my parents expected more. They said if I wanted to succeed in life, a college education was something that I could not live without. What they don’t tell you is how exhausting and confusing the process is to get even into.

How are you doing? This is Will, the tall black guy you would sometimes see in service. I'm writing to say goodbye. My project in Carson City came to an end and I've moved back to Texas. Thank you so much for making me feel at home at Hope. Your messages kept me going while I was in Reno. God used your words to truly bless me and also show me where I need to improve. Sorry I didn't get a chance to say goodbye in person, but everything happened so fast.

Congratulations on graduating from Cathedral High School! You have been put in so much effort, determination, and hard work into school these past four years. You are graduating with an excellent GPA while at the same time participating in many activities, church, and working your job at Target. Your demonstration of priorities has been very impressive to me and you certainly have found a good balance!

I don’t even know where to start with this State of the Union Speech. I thought it was incredible. It was well written and wasn’t full of bogus. As a kid who is confused, and sometimes even scared of politics, I could understand it. One major thing that stood out to me was the talk about America’s strength. My fellow students at school have no faith in our country, and always go around saying, “Obama sucks!” I always knew that they were wrong, but sometimes watching the news, I worried. It seems nothing good is ever happening. Reading the President's speech, I now know some of the truth, and it has calmed my worries. Another thing that stood out to me was the climate change stuff, that is a big worry of mine. Yes, it has been proven true

Good Morning. Hope your Friday 2/10/2017 finds you well today. So Terry, I believe it almost 3 weeks casting and I try sending to the web week ago, I sent a letter in answer for Hope and Naomi. Even fought whether send the letter to find someone would respond probably and because no one got back to me could you please answer... Then when we got home last night 2/10/17from practice Naomi asking again did someone call, did we receive message it would ok that no call ,if no every said that everyone would receive word. No tears, this week like last week or; they said would call everyone, and even If they did not get in. Hope Elizabeth has slightly autism so she’d believed people when they have said something is going to happen like calling, they

Christopher Columbus, reflecting on his voyage which led him to the discovery of America, said, "Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World." I am sure that after four years of high school, we have all formed our own opinion of Christopher Columbus - especially if you had Mrs. Powers - but whether you view him as a genocidal rogue or the first American Hero, I find his quote fitting for where we stand today.

It has been nearly four centuries since the first higher education institution in America, Harvard University, was founded in 1636. Ever since, one of the most critical facets in the ideal of upward mobility, in the United States and around the globe, remains the college degree. However, with the rising costs of obtaining a degree, many students have been challenged with the question of whether attending university and/or obtaining a degree is even worth the financial investment. Former CBS anchor Dan Rather answers it best, “A college degree is the key to realizing the American dream, well worth the financial sacrifice because it is supposed to open the door to a world of opportunity.” So, yes, despite the high and rising costs of obtaining a university degree, it is very much worth the expense as it prepares a more highly skilled workforce for post-collegiate careers, it promotes the betterment and advancement of society, and the value of a degree creates monetary opportunities and benefits later on.

A decade or two ago, a college education was considered more so a privilege rather than a choice. Today, our society takes education for granted by opting out of it because of the expenses, the stress and many other reasons that comes with going to school. Is a college education still worth having? Arguments will continually arise that it is no longer needed to be successful in today’s world. However, research and statistics continually prove that having one will remain far more beneficial than not earning one. Your time in college is the prime time for you to explore your options, make lifelong connections, and discover your strengths and weaknesses while working to earn something that will give you the feeling of pride. Life after college is significantly better for college graduates because they attract high paying employers which in turn will help earn a higher income, not to mention the added perks that will provide security and satisfaction in life. Above all those reasons, getting an education is an example and a legacy you can pass on to your children.

Good evening and welcome to the commencement ceremonies of the class of 2006. It has been a long journey, somewhere around 18 years, but we've finally reached the piece de resistance of our high school years.

I think this question begs to realize why “success” and retention are issues in the first place, and that that realization is different for faculty than it is for the administration. I’ve been present at numerous faculty meetings outlining why these two things are at odds, and how we can unite them. I’ve read multiple studies on why students drop out, and heard anecdotes about what colleges and faculty do to keep community college students in school. “Success” is much more subjective than retention, which is a numbers game. Retention also provides a measurement for something as abstract as success. Ultimately, I often feel at a loss as to how to define success or bridge the college’s goals with the student’s goals, and my lack of experience shows up most conspicuously here. Over my four years at this college, I have learned to deal with this issue in two ways, and both directly deal with the students: one is to approach the issue through providing outside support, and the other is by providing inside support. This means something particular to me and there are numerous strategies I employ for each.

Students go to college in search of knowledge, a new lifestyle, and the hope of a job after graduation. For many young adults, college is a rite of passage into an independent, mature new lifestyle. Not only is higher education a rite of passage, for some, it is also an opportunity to have a better life. Overall, college is a wonderful part of many people’s lives, yet the way the college education system is conducted wastes students time and money. College is basically composed of two parts: general education classes and major specific classes. General education courses are the source of wasted time and money, and should not be required of students. A few of the problems associated with general education classes are that they are basically

I would like to commence this speech by saying that we have all been truly blessed in being given the opportunity to celebrate our graduation with each other in such a manner. Being able to spend our final moments as a class in such an important place is wonderful, and before I delve further into this speech, I want to thank the man who allowed us to graduate from the church, Father Jenik. He’s a great preacher, a charitable bishop, and most importantly, he is a great man.

According to the 2015 National College Health Assessment, over 85% of college students have felt stressed or overwhelmed in the last year. As an undergraduate, I am fully aware of the pressure we, as students, feel. We are a machines, constantly trying to balance studying, our classes, working, having a social life, and preparing for our future. And we are still expected to get eight hours of sleep every night? I know first hand how this feels. I wake up early every morning, go to class, spend countless hours studying and doing homework between classes, attend more classes, come home, clean, go to work, and study some more. Every day is a work in progress of what I will become in the future. What will be my occupation? How much money will I make per year? How am I going to pay off my student loans? These are all questions college students ask themselves everyday. William Zinsser reflects on his own college experience in his article “College Pressures” and discusses why college students feel such an intense load of pressure these days.

Throughout my sixteen years in the military, I grew very committed to my position and job in the Army, so my college education suffered gravely and took a very low priority in my life. Fortunately during my time in the military I have been able to take some college courses and slowly work on my degree, but now as my time in the Army is coming to an end my goal is to earn my college degree before retiring to make myself more marketable in civilian sector once I am out. Luckily, many of the courses I have attended in the Army have been transferable into college credits, leaving me with only having to take 12 courses to earn my Bachelor’s Degree and making it a very realistic goal of obtaining my degree before retiring. Since

Friends that we make from our high school years are the ones that we will have for a lifetime. And I am glad I made some friends during the course of my high school years. Those friendships, hopefully, would travel with me until I enter college, the world of adulthood, and the very last stage of my life—death. One of those friendships, one of my treasures, is between Ryan and me. He and I first met in a math class back in freshman year. It was the first day of school, and everything—classmates, teachers, and even the classrooms—were all new to me. Sitting down and looking around, I saw some familiar faces from middle school, but, overall, I was basically a duck in a flock of chickens.