Maya Angelou's Farewell Essay

The Salutatorian Addresses, given by Emily Nortnik, Shelbi Ledesma, and Hannah Branson, took the class of 2017 back through the last 13 years of their lives. There were good times and there were challenges, but together they faced life’s ups and downs while unknowingly making cherishable memories. Valedictorians, Lily Lockhart and Elizabeth Ward, graduated with GPAs above 4.3.

Annie was very successful in her life. The story, "New Directions", by Maya Angelou, it states that Annie did many things for her family. She was successful by working hard at night, walked everywhere so she could sell pies and earn money, and making a store where people could buy her items.

High school and college graduations, best known for their length, and infamous cap, tend to give a “farewell in good luck speech” to the graduates. These speeches can be mundane for the spectators, yet captivating for the participants. Rita Dove’s speech to the UVA graduating class of 2006 is different. She captures the attention of all her listeners. She delivers a unique speech that shares her hopes for the students’ futures.

High school and college graduations, best known for their length, and infamous cap, tend to give a “farewell in good luck speech” to the graduates. These speeches can be mundane for the spectators, yet captivating for the participants. Rita Dove’s speech to the UVA graduating class of 2006 is different. She captures the attention of all her listeners. She delivers a unique speech that shares her hopes for the students’ futures.

Good morning Principle Boyd, proud parents, faculty, and fellow graduates, to this extraordinary celebration breakfast, in honor of Our Lady of Grace Catholic School Class of 2017. Yes, I am graduating 8th grade, but I still have to make my bed, be nice to my siblings, do my chores, I cannot drive a car, I must continue putting my Iphone into my locker every night, so that I will not be grounded!  Nevertheless, I am graduating from Our Lady of Grace Catholic School, and I feel like I found a pot-of-gold at the end of the rainbow.

Maya Angelou was born April 4, 1928. Her real name is Marguerite Johnson, but she later changed it to Maya. She was born in St. Louis, shortly after her birth her family up and move to Arkansaw. Maya grew up there in the rural parts of Arkansaw, and later married to a South African Freedom Fighter. She lived in Cairo with him, there she began her career as editor of the Arab Observer.

This year, June, I will become the first person in my family to graduate with an academic honors diploma. In June I will attend one of the best schools nationwide, Seton Hall University. Despite these accomplishments, I’m proud of the time I’ve dedicated to my community and extracurricular events. I’m proud of the placements and the letter I've received for Speech and Debate, the influential positions I’ve gained in Student Council, and my presidency of BPA. Ultimately, I’m proud that I destroyed the barriers of statistics and the perception that an apple doesn’t fall too far from a tree.

On this most auspicious of occasions, it is with a sincere sense of gratitude that I embark on sharing some thoughts regarding graduation and the Yucaipa High School Class of 2017. Seated amongst us here tonight are members of the Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District Board of Education, the administrative staff of YHS, the teachers, friends, family, and most importantly, the graduates of the class of 2017. Fellow graduates, we did it! "Prestige, world wide!" (Step Brothers). While ruminating on my subject matter for this address, I decided to regale you with tales from my life, anecdotes that will hopefully entertain, enlighten, and inspire. So without further ado, my commencement address begins.

As this tale of survival is my happy ending, for all of us, this commencement ceremony must also foretell a new beginning. We must today come to terms with the fact that we all have faced – and survived – one of the most difficult and comprehensive curriculums this nation has to offer. As our reflections of this past prepare us to face the future, whispers of success inevitably break the silent moment of contemplation. For indeed, it is all too easy to be swept away in the seductions of a golden tomorrow; now is our brief opportunity to survey the landscape and see just how high our mountains will rise.

Wow. We finally made it. For some, it has been a year, three years, six years, or maybe even ten years in McGivney. Throughout these years, we have created many special moments together as a family. Good morning/afternoon/evening to all parents, teachers, priests and of course, the graduating class of 2017. Today, we celebrate our successes and lessons learned which have brought us to this very moment. I would like to take the time to appreciate the people who have helped to get us into places where we all are today as individuals, filled with wisdom, strength, and pride.

The power of language and its ability to deconstruct and reconstruct not only the individual’s identity but also a community’s identity is the overall main point in Maya Angelou’s “Graduation” piece. Angelou is able to capture this in her writing through her personal experience, and also simultaneously by using the example of American society’s social infrastructure which can limit opportunities for people of color, specifically the black community. After Edward Donleavy, a white politician during the late 30’s/ early 40’s, had spoken down on the students from Lafayette Country Training School, down on their black community, a sense of defeat filled the auditorium. Angelou’s simile, “the man’s dead words fell like bricks around the auditorium and too many settled in my belly.” (Language Acts,

The life experiences of the late Maya Angelou —author, poet, actress, singer, dancer, playwright, director, producer — became the key element of her most prominent work, a lyrical poet telling the stories of what it means to be an African American; having a wide range, multi-series autobiographies that lays the foundation of her identity as a American black woman. The acclaimed Maya Angelou’s legacy not only impacted American culture that will resonate with people through history, but create insight to a whole new world.

Good evening to everyone gathered here today. I am honored to be here representing the East Ascension Class of 2016. Our time spent in East Ascension’s halls has flown by, yet this day seemed never to come any closer. I am reluctant to leave the sense of community I have come to know as I have walked these halls, but also excited to see what life has in store for me. Today is a bittersweet moment for each of us. While it is a scary yet thrilling moment, we are finally leaving our comforting nest to spread our wings and take flight. Although, I will say that I am thankful for the unfortunate events that have landed me in this graduating class.

Remember our friendships and good times together as the class of 2016. Our work here at school is now done, but in reality our work in the world is just now beginning as individuals or as a group. We all have the ability to make a difference going forward. We must take this challenge seriously. I look forward to meeting back here at our reunion in 2026, to see what impact each and every one of us has made on the world that we live in. May the Lord be with each and every one of

Good evening fellow classmates and community. Isn’t it crazy how in a few short minutes we will walk up to the stage and receive our diplomas? We have spent approximately 14 long years in school for this moment and it all went by so quickly. I remember how just yesterday I walked into my kindergarten class that smelled like hand sanitizer and crayons. But here we are… time flew by so quickly and we accomplished many and these accomplishments would have not been possible without the help of many.