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What are you going to do to improve our future?
Topics: graduation, speech, class of 2007, West High School
Posted by citizenjournalist Fri Jun 1, 2007 13:12:24 PDT
Viewed 1085 times
0 responses 0 comments  Well, here we are.  Congratulations Class of ’07, you’ve made it through high school.  Now it’s time for phase two.  You see, high school is like the hill before the mountain.  Once you get over it, you feel great.  But then you see that mountain, looming in your path.  It’s bigger, the paths are rockier, and everything becomes more intimidating.  It’s incredibly daunting, and it’s okay to be scared, but don’t let it stop you because there are many challenges that you will have to confront.
 
           There’s the challenge of furthering your education.  Whether you choose to attend a college or university or a vocational or technical school, there will be bumps in the road either way.  There’s the challenge of deciding on a career path.  There are those like my sister who have known since the fourth grade what they want to do for a living.  There are those who think they know, but will end up changing their mind.  Then there is the majority, completely and utterly undecided about what they are going to choose.  Whichever category you fall under, you are likely to run into plenty of obstacles.  Then there’s the challenge of the future.  46 years ago, John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”  In the near future, we will no longer be students; we will be the leaders of America.  How will we address problems such as an increasing national deficit, global warming, and stem cell research?  It will be up to us to tackle these issues and face them head on.
 
           So how do you want to be remembered?  Are we going to go down in the history books, or will we simply be a footnote?  Are we going to be the ones to decrease the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels, the ones to design solutions for social security and universal healthcare, the ones to find cures for juvenile diabetes, cancer, and AIDS?  Or will we be known for apathy and total self-indulgence?  These issues are not going away.  It isn’t a question of whether we will have to deal with them or not; it’s a question of when and how.  I know that I want to help change the world, even the smallest piece at a time.  For me, that probably means volunteering my time and money to various charitable organizations.  But what does it mean for you?  What are you going to do to improve our future?  It’s a question only you can answer, and I challenge you to think about it.
 
           To reach distant places, you have to take the first step.  Once again, congratulations class of 2007 for getting this far.  Just remember that a challenging journey lies before you, but never be afraid to keep moving forward.

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