Good morning, Father Lorenzo, Mr. Kristoff, teachers, parents, friends, and the graduating class of 2003. Today is a special day. As you all know, we are graduating from the eighth grade; not only that, but we are graduating from our childhoods. We are heading into our teenage years, where we will truly grow up. The other day I looked around the classroom and smiled. Memories of our years together here at St. Louis rushed to my mind, and in that moment, I realized how much I am genuinely going to miss this class.

I’m going to miss all the times we’ve spent together, from the most embarrassing times to the most exciting; from the pats on the head to the tickles in the tummies; from the playful skits to the May Crowning rehearsals; from the teasing and the jokes to the tears and the fights; from the morning assemblies to the field trips; from the times of capture-the-flag to the times of fundraising and prizes; from the nerve-wrecking week of finals to the days of fun and laughter following soon after. As we graduate this afternoon, let us keep in mind the memories we have made growing up at St. Louis of France. When each of you are old and gray, look back and remember the good times that we have shared. Whether we acknowledge it or not, the things we have experienced during our time together has shaped the people we are today and the people we will become in the future.

I would like to express, on behalf of the entire graduating class, our deep gratitude and appreciation to the people who have supported us throughout the years. First off, I’d like to thank God, because without his love none of us would be here today. Thank you to our family members for being here to support us as we finish this chapter in our lives. Thank you to the secretaries, the librarians, the aides, the lunch ladies, the lunch gentlemen, and the custodians for putting up with us all these years. Thank you to the priests and sisters for encouraging us to embrace God and all that He has given us. You have been such great examples of Catholic people. Thank you, Mr. Kristoff, for the times you’d fly into our classroom, truly caring if we were learning or not. You have instilled in us a desire to know what God has given us, and a desire to be all that we can be. Thank you to our teachers for guiding and preparing us for this day that we have anticipated for so long. Thanks especially to Mrs. Markley for believing we could succeed. You have made our eighth grade year absolutely the best year ever. Because of you, our class has grown to become so much closer than we could ever have imagined without your help. We truly appreciate everything that all of you have done for us.

Cicero once said, “Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself,” but if I could give you any it would be to find yourself. Find out who you are and stay true to what you discover. You’ve got to find the force inside you that will help you succeed. Be the master of your own life, and the author of your life's story.

We, the graduating class of 2003, have the power to change the world. A young man named Joquim Morales told his class at their graduation, “Every one of us has our own glow; we are comedians, actors, doctors, nurses, musicians, designers, hairdressers, the list goes on. Whether we grow up to be like Martin Luther King or Martin Lawrence, like Dr. Phil or Dr. Dre, like Bill Gates or Bill Clinton, we are going to give the best we can, and that’s all anyone can expect.”

The last days of school at St. Louis have passed. In just minutes, we will be starting a new phase of our lives and we’ll be moving on to high school, changing into different people, better people. While we have learned a great deal during our time here, we are still far from knowing it all. At St. Louis of France School, we have built a foundation for all that we need to know to make it in this world, and I know that we are all sincerely grateful. I really hope that we will keep in touch. Before we leave let us swap our screen names and email addresses and hopefully, our friendships will stay as close as they are right now. Don’t say goodbye to the past, my fellow graduates. Rather, say hello to future, because this is not the end; it is only the beginning. Thank you and good luck to the obviously awesome class of 2003!