Graduation Speech

Class of 2013
By: Noel Angelo Centeno
Good Morning administration teachers fello! graduates parents and guests" #han$ you for attending the graduation ceremony of the Class of 2013" After eight years of grade school and middle school !e are finally here ready to graduate and start a !hole ne! chapter of our li%es" #en months ago !e arri%ed in our eight grade classrooms ready to &egin our last school year !e ha%e here in S!ift" By o%ercoming o&stacles and reaching our destination !e managed to get to the top and &e here !al$ing across this stage to recei%e our diplomas" #his year !e ha%e the largest graduating class in total of all the past eight grade classes that S!ift had" #o accomplish this achie%ement !e had to con'uer many o&stacles that !as on our !ay" (e !ere determined !e controlled !here !e)re going and most important of all !e did all our &est to o%ercome those road&loc$s !e)%e passed" As Chuc$ Norris once said *"""anything !orth achie%ing !ill al!ays ha%e o&stacles in the !ay and you+%e got to ha%e that dri%e and determination to o%ercome those o&stacles on route to !hate%er it is that you !ant to accomplish", #hat is !hy !e are here right no! and it sho!s you ho! hard !or$ really does pay off" Although it)s time for us to &ecome more independent and focused on our school !or$ as !e approach high school &ut - $no! !e can deal !ith more years &ecause $no! each and one of us are determined and hard !or$ers" Being in a school that has a culturally di%erse community is something that - cherish a&out S!ift. that is rare to &e seen in other schools here in Chicago and &eing in this community is ama/ing0 Also &eing e1posed to a school !ith a fine arts program including music theater and %isual arts is astounding" -t)s a chance !here !e can sho!case our talents in these areas" Not to mention that 2oom 312 had !or$ed so hard on their monologues - didn)t $no! that there !ere many great actors here in eighth grade" Not e%ery school has this program !hich ma$es S!ift such a uni'ue en%ironment" Not e%eryone might feel the same a&out these features &ut

personally reali/ing ho! uni'ue this school is is &e!ildering &ecause it is incredi&le and that is !hat ma$es S!ift a mar%elous school" Many hilarious and memora&le moments !ere made here in S!ift" Starting from !hen !e did the monologues in 2oom 312" - remem&er !hen Medin did that ama/ing (alt 3isney monologue and 4ictor)s prop !here he printed fa$e hundred dollar &ills !ith his face on it as Ben5amin 6ran$lin" -f you)re in 312 you also $no! ho! Camille and 7arina do their random laughs e%eryday in each class" 8ast &ut not the least lets not forget the eight grade odyssey &oat trip and other cele&rations !e !ent on" #hese are the moments !e !ill ne%er forget and !e)ll $eep them fore%er" - !ould li$e to ac$no!ledge the people !ho made our attendance here in S!ift memora&le" 6irst - !ould li$e to than$ our eighth grade teachers Ms" 8erner Mrs" Baime Mr" -ri/arry and Mr" 9ull for all their hard !or$ creating such interesting lessons and helping us understand the information" - also admire the sense of humor that these teachers &rought to us li$e Mr" -)s 5o$es e%ery morning !hen !e start our day" - !ould also li$e to than$ our principal Ms" #ill our assistant principal Mr" Cannella and the other teachers - had in the past for helping us and supporting us on our school !or$" - !ill ne%er forger ho! Ms" Maniaci and Ms" Gam&le taught me a&out music and encouraging me to pursue my musical talent" Mrs" 9olman :e%en though she is not present at this time; for directing most of the musicals -)%e &een in and coaching me to ma$e sure - can &e a good Beast Mad 9atter Genie and 9arold 9ill" 8ast &ut not the least -)d li$e to than$ all my friends and fello! classmates !ho helped me academically and socially throughout the years" As !e continue on !ith our ne1t step in our li%es e%eryone)s high school plans !ill differ from each other" Most of us !ill separate as !e go to our o!n high school" Some of us !ill &e going to 8incoln <ar$ Senn Amundsen other high schools and - $no! one student here that !ill ha%e to continue on his studies in another country" (e still ha%e the ne1t four to eight years of school to decide !hat !e)re going to do in our future" My ad%ice to all graduates is to stay determined and $eep !or$ing hard" 2emem&er that grades are only one measure of your $no!ledge and success" =ou must !or$ hard to get to the point !here you !ant to &e" 6rom

!here - stand &eing a %aledictorian too$ many challenges and hard !or$" - &elie%e that each of the graduates can reach a similar goal since each and one of you are all determined to pursue a &ig accomplishment" As !e progress throughout our li%es !e !ill come across more challenges more ad%entures and ne! chapters &ut !e must $eep in mind to stay determined no matter !hat o&stacles you face" (hate%er happens -)m sure that most of us !ill miss our friends here and especially this school" -t has &een delightful attending this school for the past si1 years and - !ill remem&er this place fore%er" #han$ you all for coming and congratulations to the Class of 20130