Schools
Graduation Speech: Valedictorian Danielle Kerr
'Remember that it's okay to color outside the lines, and to do things a little differently'
Good evening fellow graduates, parents, teachers, administrators, and friends, and welcome to Canton High School's Class of 2011 graduation!
The day we thought could not get here any slower has finally arrived. We're about to move on, go to new places, and do new and exciting things. As our high school and childhood years come to a close, it's time to think about how far we've come as well as what's ahead of us.
When we were younger, people would ask us what we wanted to be when we grew up. The answers would usually be things like princesses, kings, ballerinas, or rock stars. Each time someone asked we'd have a different answer.
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Looking back now, most of us really had no idea what we wanted out of life. But that's okay. Even now, we don't have to know exactly what we want to do or who we want to be. Now is the time to be unsure. We may go off to school with an idea in mind of what we want to do and have a completely different idea within the first month, and we may change our minds a dozen times over the next few years.
We may go out and get jobs that have nothing to do with what we think we want. As Mark Twain once said, "truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't." We can make our lives into anything we want. The point is, we don't have to know exactly what we want right now. There's time to figure that out later.
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Nothing is set in stone; we can be whomever we choose. The next few years are going to bring new experiences and challenges, but remember that there's always more than one way to approach a situation. Even if something seems impossible, there's a way to get it done.
We're going to make mistakes; there's no way around it. We're going to make the wrong decision every once in a while, but that's the only way we'll learn the right decision. It's the only way we'll learn what we really want to do with our lives.
Don't be afraid to do things that scare you because they may end up being some of the best experiences you'll have. Don't compare yourself to anyone else; only you know what you're capable of. Do your best because when you look back in 10, 15 or 20 years, that's what will matter.
It's not going to matter what clothes you wore or what grades you got in high school, as long as you are happy. Don't be afraid to speak your mind; it could make the difference between doing the right thing and wishing you had.
Remember that it's okay to be confused and ask questions- that's part of learning. It's okay to admit that you're wrong or that you have no idea what's going on. You don't have to have all the answers; you don't have to have any of the answers. Just be willing to go out there and look for them.
We may not know exactly where we're going, but once we get there we'll know that's where we are supposed to be. Remember that it's okay to color outside the lines, and to do things a little differently. Best of luck to the class of 2011.
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