Graduation advice still valid

Kaity Holtman

With everyone talking about graduation, I decided to pull out the address I delivered in my graduation speech — a few years ago.

I found that most of it is still relevant, though a few points could be changed or elaborated a bit. Either way, it gave me a good chance to reflect on how far I’ve come since I left Stanberry High School.

What follows is that salutatorian address with some current edits in italics.

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According to Edward Koch, “The fireworks begin today. Each diploma is a lighted match. Each one of us is a fuse.”

We are closing this door only to burst through a new one. As you step through the new door to see a room unlike any other you’ve ever been in, here is some advice to remember wherever you go.

Life seems to be a series of doors opening. And while many close, it seems that many stay open and the rooms we enter become a home with many rooms. Our opportunities, blessings, and even challenges layer upon one another over time.

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” — Confucius

We are all going different directions. Some are furthering their education, some are joining the armed forces, and some are entering the work field.

But eventually we’re all in the work field. Learning to work hard and work well with others are keys to success. Having a passion for the work we do may increase our stress levels a little, but it also makes the reward of accomplishment that much sweeter.

No matter where you are headed, you must never stop living life to the fullest.

Live life. Don’t let it pass you by.

I encourage you to leave your mark on the world. Don’t ever slip by unnoticed. Life is too short to sit around.

Always take the risk, and refuse to regret.

“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo, author of The College Blue Book

There will be snowy days, rainy days, and worst of all, days when the sun will refuse to shine. We will face hard times over and over and challenges that will seem impossible to bounce back from.

We must persevere to find the sunshine in our own lives, to find the positive aspects of each and every situation.

Whether it be your faith, your family or your friends, always have a source of support where you can go to find happiness.

You’ll have people depending on you every day, and keeping the sunshine in your life will undoubtedly brighten the life of someone else.

I’m still a huge proponent of this one.

Every single one of us will face challenges throughout our lives. Our challenge is different from our neighbor’s, whose is different than the person down the street.

Everybody we meet is going through their own set of challenges, and being kind and generous can make all the difference in that moment.

“Never alone, never alone. I’ll be in every beat of your heart when you face the unknown. Wherever you fly, this isn’t goodbye. My love will follow you, stay with you. Remember, you’re never alone.” – Sarah Evans

Don’t forget what we have learned from each other while we’ve been here. Some of the greatest knowledge we have acquired has not been from the textbooks, lectures or experiments, but the examples of teachers, the mistakes we’ve made, and the experiences that have shaped our character.

This is true of my college experience as well.

We have become the people we are through seeing the people we don’t want to be and finding good character in others.

Never forget what you’ve learned so far, and always remember the friends you’ve made along the way.

When you face good times and bad, keep your classmates with you. We won’t be together physically anymore, but we will always be tied in a way more powerful that we can explain. By holding the other 30 in your heart, we will never have to say a final goodbye, and we will stay with each other forever.

This is true of not just classmates, but of all we meet throughout life. Not everyone stays close as life moves along, but we learn something from everyone we meet, if we pay attention and are willing.

We’ve made it thus far with huge success in everything we’ve attempted.

Outdoing ourselves year after year, we have proven that we will never give up on what we believe and that we will challenge ourselves to break records and leave our marks. This makes me very excited for the future.

I am reminded of how eager and enthusiastic our class was to make a difference in the world. We had a class full of go-getters, and we’ve already accomplished a lot we can be proud of.

Many become jaded and cynical over time, but recalling the naïve enthusiasm we have at 18 can be both comical and refreshing in the same thought.

I look forward to seeing how we will influence every aspect of our lives and every life we touch.

Don’t stop following your dreams and stay dedicated to everything you stand for.

Congratulations on everything you’ve done to get here. It doesn’t stop here, though, so keep on keeping on!

Shouldn’t we tell ourselves this regularly?

“Hey, self, you did it! Keep going, you can do this”