I promised everyone I would keep this speech short. And I tend to talk pretty fast, so hopefully I’ll have little problem sticking to that.

From the beginning of our education we are taught to follow rules. And memorize. And do well on standardized testing. The three most important things. And now we’ve graduated that’s finally over. We’ve gotten to wherever we want to be — be that post secondary education or directly into the workforce. And now the focus can change from what other people expect from you to what you want from yourself. Do not allow others to dictate your future. Find your passions and hold onto them.

Work hard at something you’re passionate about, work hard to be happy — not for money or prestige. True success comes in happiness.

Make taking care of yourself a priority. Nothing is worth sacrificing your mental health over. No class, no career, no amount of money. And no one is worth sacrificing the things you are passionate about. Living your life for other people is a sure way to see that it’s wasted.

The future is determined by thousands of tiny choices every day, and now is the time to start making them for yourself. Don’t make a choice because it is what is expected of you, or what someone else wants, but choose what you're passionate about.

Here I speak to the underclassmen and urge you not to choose classes you think will look good, but rather those that interest you. The best choice I made in my academic career was to not take another AP class, but rather pursue a Classics course simply because I was interested in it. If college’s opinions hold you back from this: it is far more impressive to be able to passionately speak about one class than rattle off ten you remember nothing from. Rather than focusing so much on grades, I can only hope you all focus on your passions and make your time left here count.

The future is the great unknown, yet it is written in the present. The main goal we all have is to have a better tomorrow. And the changes we make today are the only way to achieve this. Changes by all members of the school community. A shift away from obsession with GPAs and towards following your passion. It should be reinforced, by teachers and the administration. Change must start somewhere, why not here?

Thank you.