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Waiting on the World to Change
Topics: graduation, speech, class of 2007, East High School
Posted by citizenjournalist Fri Jun 1, 2007 13:12:57 PDT
Viewed 1146 times
0 responses 0 comments Graduation Speech 2007

Good evening parents, teachers, and fellow students and welcome to the East Bakersfield High School class of 2007 graduation. My name is Alexandra Maxwell and I stand before you today as a member of this diverse, aspiring, and all around outstanding class.

As I began to think of the many ways the 2007 graduates mold to the theme of “Waiting on the World to Change” I found that Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States, best described the power our class holds when he said, “We have become not a melting pot, but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different dreams.” East High has come to represent a beautiful mosaic in that we have diverse students that culminate into a beautiful piece of art, which glorifies our differences.

While some may question the term mosaic, I think it exemplifies the distinct benefit of acquiring an education at such a diverse high school in that we are able to create an environment that welcomes students from all different backgrounds, with different beliefs, while not attempting to mold them to one standard, but rather accenting their diversity. This capacity has impressed us with the importance of tolerance within our society.

Furthermore, as a generation that has experienced the technology age, the largest government surplus yet largest deficit, and times of peace and times of war, we have developed an agility to adapt to situations easily, allowing us to not just take life as it comes but recognize the abilities we have been endowed with to overcome challenges.
In the future we will be put in situations where these two abilities will be called upon and although it may seem trivial to experience diversity in high school; these experiences will affect decisions that may forever change the world.

So today, class of 2007, I encourage you to not only recognize these unique traits you have been entrusted with, but to reflect upon them in your future choices. We have had the opportunity to experience diversity as never seen before in the United States, establishing us as one of the most powerful generations to come, and this experience has not come without sacrifice, hard work, and understanding. For this reason we will be the generation to change the world.

I would like to leave you with a quote from Paul McCartney’s song, written for the 8th 007 movie, Live and Let Die. “When you were young and your heart was an open book you used to say live and let live, but in this ever changing world in which we live in, makes you give in and cry, Say live and let die,” I take these lyrics to mean that you must be alive to change, and leave the past as a positive memory. I urge you to remember this line in your daily life for it represents the underpinnings of our total educational experiences here at East High. We will shape the future of the America in which we live.

I can confidently say that this shape of America will be strongly influenced by this mosaic of different backgrounds, resulting in a tolerance of each other and our cultures, alive to change and united in the goal of freedom and justice. Thank you.

This summer, Alexandra will be traveling through Europe. In the fall she will be attending Wellesley College in Boston, MA, with an emphasis on Philosophy. In high school, she participated in Forensic, School Site Council, Cheerleading and was an elected officer of the student body all 4 years. In our community, she was part of the Mayors Youth Council, Jim Burke Ford Dreambuilders, Junior Achievement, Great American Clean-up and many others.

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