Class of 2002…
Our time has finally come to graduate from Duluth High School, at today’s commencement.
On the surface, we are here to celebrate the accomplishments we have made in the past, and the promise we hold for the future. The diploma you will receive before we leave today signifies all those achievements.
Yet we are also here to celebrate the path each of us has taken to make it this far. We’ve all heard quotes that sound something like, “It’s not important where we go, but how we get there.” And while most of us would agree that it is true, it is important to stop and realize what that really means.
We meet today at a crossroads. Think about it – we’ve all taken a different path to arrive on stage today. We’ve come from too many diverse backgrounds to count. Some of us have lived in this town our entire lives. Others may have arrived only a year ago, from thousands of miles away.
Yet we’ve all shared in the experience that is Duluth High. The football games, the swim meets, the band concerts…There were classes we enjoyed, and there were classes we liked.
I came to Duluth four years ago not really knowing what to expect. I knew it would be unlike anything I’d ever done before – and it was. I knew it would change my life – and it has. It’s been a long, hard path, and through all the successes and the challenges we have triumphed. We’ve made friends we’ll never forget, learn things we’ll always remember, and had experiences we’ll never have again. Yet so many things have happened that no one could have ever expected.
Most of us can still remember what we were doing the morning of September 11th, last year. I was in Ms. Nicholson’s room, 3rd period. Many will remember the year that has passed for that day, but you know what I will remember? The way we responded. The flags lining cars in the parking lot. The countless hours people spent raising money and giving blood for the people of New York. The pride we had not just as Americans, but as people. That is what I’ll remember about the Class of 2002.
What are we to do when this ceremony ends today? Go home, go out into the world, and forget it ever happened? No…a part of the accomplishments our class has made lies in each of us. We have an important responsibility.
Hundreds of paths through life have met in this room, at this time. As we recess from the room, those paths will diverge again, spreading through countless places and lives. We have the responsibility of going out into the world, and representing Duluth High School.