Sample 1 Life Lessons by XXXXX
If we are an average class, in fifty years we could possibly be sitting at the eighth grade graduation of our grandchildren. At that time, we will probably not remember many of the details of our junior high experience. We may not remember that Drew Kluemke made it to the National Spelling Bee. We may not remember begin loyalists and patriots in history class with King Ibbotson. We probably won’t remember Mrs. Thomas’s earthquake enthusiasm that sent our third hour class under our desks. We are not likely to remember all of the times that our class made it to state in sports or that Mrs. Henderson and Mr. Farley almost led our scholastic bowl team to victory at regionals. But we should.
There are also many aspects from pop culture that we also may not remember. Are we really going to remember our Taylor Swift ring tones or our addictions to My Space and text messaging? Do you think we will remember the “Fans vs. Favorites” season on Survivor , the Soulja Boy dance, or watching The Notebook and crying with our friends? We are not going to remember voting for Kevin Covais on American Idol during our sixth grade year or Sanjaya Malakar in seventh grade; and we might not even remember voting for David Archuleta this year. But there are some memorable life lessons we can take from American Idol .
Four of these American Idol lessons illustrate what we have learned from Williamsville Junior High – lessons we should never forget.
Lesson One : Just because your mama tells you that you can sing, it doesn’t mean that you can. We have watched as hundreds of people made fools of themselves on national television, and most thought that they were the next big thing. The truth is that few people will ever get that big break. One hundred thousand high school seniors play football every year; only 215 will ever make it on an NFL roster. Of the 215, only a few will ever have pictures hanging in our lockers. Success only comes from hard work and education. So dream your dreams, but at the same time, do you homework.
Lesson Two : Choose the right song. We are always tempted to sing the song that is more popular or acceptable. But I have learned that you must sing the song that is right for you. I have learned from my time at WJHS that you have to know who you are and what you can do. Don’t try to be someone you are not.
Lesson Three : Listen to the right critic. Paula will always tell you that you are great and she’s your fan; Simon will always tell you that you are forgettable and destined to work on a cruise ship. You have to listen to the right voice. When your friends are telling you one thing, your parents are telling you another thing, and teachers are telling you something else, you have to hear what they all say and follow the truth.
Lesson Four : Sing like you are singing your last song. It may seem like we are all still warming up, but we are only guaranteed the opportunities we have today. Live like you are going home tomorrow.
If we do have the opportunity to attend the 8 th grade graduations of our grandchildren, we may not remember everything that happened in junior high, but we will definitely remember the life lessons that were learned during our time here. Thank you classmates, friends, and parents for the lasting memories we have made together at WJHS. (596 words)
Sample 2 Now Is the Time by XXXXX
Now is the time for us to have courage as we leave Williamsville Junior High School and move on to a bigger, different, and more challenging environment in high school. I recognize that we are all vulnerable individuals who are still developing into the kind of person we will be as an adult. A favorite quote of mine, that I hope we will all remember, is stated frequently by Mr. Pruitt. “It’s not IF we will be remembered. It’s HOW we will be remembered.” My challenge to all of us is to respect our differences and help each other develop so that we can be proud of HOW WE will be remembered. While I watched the popular musical Wicked, I found some of the main characters resemble people we will meet throughout our lifetime. Through life, and high school, I expect we will always know of Glenda’s, The Good Witch of the North. These people might not always travel in a bubble (they’ll probably drive a cool car). They will appear to “have it all.” They’ll appear beautiful, smart, popular, and seemingly untouchable. We will also come across individuals who, on the outside, appear less attractive and look different. They might not dress very nice. They might display evil behaviors, and generally, won’t be viewed very positively. Similar to Elfaba, The Wicked Witch of the West. We’ll find ourselves among people who have special needs, or handicaps that unfortunately might lead people to hold minimal expectations for their potential, like Nessa Rose, The Witch of the East. Let’s not leave out Fiyero, the Scare Crow, who is good looking, popular, but brainless. Lastly, there was Boq, the Tin Man. He lacks a heart and he uses people to get what he wants. In our future, I expect we will always know Glenda’s, Elfaba’s, and the others. I believe it is important for us to recognize and respect that we ALL have strengths and positive things about ourselves that need shared and supported. Together, I believe we can create a fantastic story in high school if we remain understanding, courageous, and determined. When I was ten years old, I earned my license to scuba dive. As a ten year old, or even an adult, some would think it is absolutely insane to strap heavy weights on your body and plunge fifty feet in an ocean, relying on air contained in a big tank strapped to your back. Courage and an open mind have allowed me to explore the beautiful and amazing underwater world that most people will only view on television or in pictures. My courage and attitude has allowed me to enjoy adventures such as seeking and finding enormous eels and morays, as they hide in beautiful coral and reef systems. I’ve swum along side of sea turtles, sting rays, lobster, and bigger than eight foot long tarpon fish in their natural habitats. Through perseverance, I’ve been able to find and watch amazing octopi as they hover and transform their beautiful pastel colors underwater. Achieving meaningful goals will take perseverance, a good attitude, and determination. I recognize that we WILL experience disappointments in our future (I’ve certainly had plenty so far). I KNOW that our hard work and efforts won’t always get us what we want. WE WILL face let downs and adversity. I believe champions in life are defined by HOW they respond to their disappointments, their losses, and their set backs. True champions will continue to seek their dreams. They won’t quit when things get tough, or don’t go their way. They will look at what can be done to improve the outcome. A favorite poster that I’ve seen states it well: “You WILL miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take.” Whether your dream is to plunge fifty feet below sea level, soar the sky to explore the solar system, or simply get your driver’s license and own a car, I challenge each and every one of us to let ourselves continue to develop as persons, so that we can ALL become our own champions. Respect yourself. Respect each person’s individualism. Have the courage to maintain strength and perseverance in the face of adversity. (698 words)
Sample 3
The Era of Discovery by XXXXX
In eighth grade history, we learned about young America and its eras. The Era of Good Feelings and The Era of Reform were just a few of the many different times that mark the changing of our nation. So I decided to give a formal name to my three years at Williamsville Jr. High: The Era of Discovery. The Era of Discovery contains many different things that I learned about life in junior high. It truly surprises me. Jr. High is supposed to be the time that your acne is uncontrollable, drama becomes a way of life, and boys don’t look icky to you anymore. Besides the traditional teenage worries, I’ve tried to make sense out of things that sometimes remain unexplainable. I took the cliché “everything happens for a reason” to the next level.
In The Era of Discovery, I found out things I didn’t expect. You’d assume that something that had to do with discovery would be more scientific in the modern day. New life on other planets or cleaner ways to burn fuel are common applications for the word discovery. We often overlook the fact that every day we can discover something new about ourselves. Discoveries can be found anywhere. Sometimes they’re within us; sometimes they’re far away. Sometimes they’re right under our noses, and we haven’t noticed them before.
A few weeks ago, I stayed after school for an extra-curricular activity. Nobody was left in the school, and I was the last person here. I was running something down to the new gym before I left. Upon entering the gym. I stopped cold in my tracks and saw something I’d never noticed before. Suddenly every game I’d played there, every conversation I’d had there, every time I’d laughed there, and any other memory that had taken place in that historical spot played in my head. I slowly walked to the center of the floor. I looked up at the sports banners my class had fought hard for in the past three years. I looked down at the worn floor. I looked to my left to see “Williamsville Jr. High” painted in big purple letters on the wall above the bleachers. A silent tear slid down my cheek. Not because I was sad. But a surge of pride streaked across my heart at that moment. Standing there in the middle of the gym floor crying, I felt like a pretty big idiot, but I ignored my notion to wipe away my tears and to put up my instinctively constructed charade. I discovered my pride that day. This school has shown me the way to discovery.
Class of 2012, this speech is not a request, but a thought that will hopefully reside in your minds. We should travel onto the dark path of discoveries, wanting to light the way to the future. We should choose a path of ascension, eventually building a sturdy foundation for the rest of our lives. The only way to start with that is to discover. Discover what you’re good at. Discover what your favorite color is. Discover why the sky is blue. Discover what makes the grass grow. Discover the things that are mysterious to you, so that you might know how to play the hand that is dealt to you in life. You can discover anything your heart desires, and hopefully we can all do just that. Thank you. (567 words)
Sample 4 Potential by XXXXX
Potential. That is the light that is always shining within the class of 2011. Potential isn’t what has been done, it’s what can be done. Don’t live your life on what happened yesterday or what happened just a few minutes back. My favorite quote is from the eighth grade English teacher Mrs. Henderson. She once told us that, “The past is a forgotten memory, so think about the bright future ahead of each and everyone of you.” When she first told us, it didn’t mean that much. Now it’s a part of the criteria that I follow in order to live my life.
Inspiration is something that has yet to run out in the Williamsville School District, and it’s because of the staff as well as all of the members in the class of 2011. How many points you averaged in your 8 th grade basketball season doesn’t define who you are. How many games your team won throughout the season doesn’t define your team; the sportsmanship that was carried out by the players is what defined your team. Whether you were on the track team, basketball team, softball team, baseball team, volleyball team, a member of jazz band, a member of scholastic bowl, a singer or dancer in chorus and musical theater, or simply a fan, you contributed to your classmates by providing support for each and every one of the students that participated in those activities. Whether you have the brains to outwit everyone in your class, or your passion is to be the manager of the basketball team, you have still inspired all of your classmates in some way. Ideally, all of us have inspired someone to exceed one’s expectations.
Life should be valued, so don’t waste it living on a label that someone gave you. Mr. Ibbotson once said, “Watch what you say to others.” Those words are so simple, but they have so much meaning behind them. The teachers and staff here at WJHS help us get through our everyday struggles and it shows with the examples that they have set for the students. We are transitioning from one chapter in our lives to the next, and it is exciting to think about what’s ahead. As we, the Class of 2011, look to enter Williamsville High School, remember, each of us has potential. We must not let stereotypes limit or prevent us from pursuing our dreams and goals for the future.
(405 words)
Sample 5
This Is Not the End by XXXXX
I once learned something very important from a little movie called Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, “Life goes by pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.” As we graduate from 8th grade, now seems like a good time to stop and take a look around. What I see is a class of students, with hopes and dreams, standing at the edge of a new adventure, eager to take the next big step in their lives. That’s thanks in part to what we have learned and experienced here at WJHS. Being a student at Williamsville Junior High has been one of the most beneficial experiences that I have had so far in my life. I came here in the middle of my 6th grade year, scared and intimidated. I knew only two people, one of which was my cousin, Ben. I’m leaving here a different person, confident in my abilities, and determined to help everyone feel like they are an important part of our class.
Fellow classmates, moving on into high school we will experience many new and different feelings and situations. For example, we’re going into a new building. High School will start out as a foreign land to us. We will have adjustments to make. New classes, new schedule, sports and extra-curriculars will pull us in all directions. Some of us will take drivers’ education next year and many parents may want to stay off of the roads; but that won’t stop us from driving. It’s just another step towards growing up, in which Williamsville Junior High has played a part.
One of the greatest parts of WJHS is the incredible staff that helped us to get to school, kept us safe, educated us, prepared our lunches, cleaned up after us, coached us, and scheduled all of the various extra-curricular activities, and even just made sure there is order instead of chaos. If we had hadn’t had such a great support system, junior high could have been a rather difficult time. Next year, we will be meeting a new support system which will include a new set of staff and teachers to get to know. When I think of my junior high teachers, I think of Mr. Williams “cruising to the library,” Mr. Buttry driving pigs in Barbie cars, Mrs. Cole making us laugh, Mrs. Gudwien’s reading workshops, Mr. Pruitt ever so patiently teaching students to play instruments and cracking jokes, learning things with Ms. Hoffek until we were “blue in the face with it,” Mr. Farley and his hatred of pencils, Mrs. Henderson and all of her favorite things like gerunds and verbals, and finally, Mr. Ibbotson screaming “BAM,” and cracking Chuck Norris jokes out of nowhere. But most of all, I think of how influential they have been in all of our lives. They have taught us so many things. Becky in the front office I know has fielded at least a million phone calls from MY Mom alone. Two more key players in our development are Mrs. Parsons and Mr. McQuality. Without their guidance, leadership and fairness, WJHS would be a very different place. Everyone here has worked hard to help us achieve our goals and graduate to move on to high school with the best possible opportunities and experiences. I think that’s something we need to be grateful for.
To me, some of the most important people in this whole experience are our parents, families, and friends. Our families have helped us so much over the course of these years that it is unimaginable to begin counting the ways they’ve been there for us. They are the biggest and strongest support systems that we all have. Without our parents, we wouldn’t be here today. Sometimes we don’t even realize how much we need them. When you forget something, who is usually one of the first people that you call? Who makes sure that you are ok and takes care of you when you are sick? Your parents. My parents are two of the most important things in my life. I have no idea what I would do without them. Though we’ve had some rough times, they were always there for me. If something important happens, I also know that at least one of my siblings will be there. They’re all great role models; I appreciate that. I’m lucky enough to have aunts, uncles and cousins
Sample 5 continued
who are a part of my everyday life. If I did not have the wonderful family that I have who support me in everything that I do, I don’t know what my life would be like now. Over the past two and a half years, I have lost a few friends but made a lot more. I am so thankful for every single one of them. They help me when I am down. If I need something, they are always there for me. If someone does or says something to hurt or harm me, they are right there sticking up for me. No matter what mood I may be in, I can always count on my friends. Thick or thin, through it all. They are right next to me. I’m so thankful to have them in my life.
In the next years, things may change a little between parents and children. We will probably want a little more freedom and responsibility. Parents, you may want to keep us close for just a little while longer. Things will definitely change.
One very important thing that we must learn in the next four years is to work together as a team to get through high school. High school can be a very tough time, that’s why we need to keep together to help one another out when times get rough. We need to keep friendly towards one another and stop bullying. If we don’t try to get along and don’t treat each other the way we would want to be treated, it definitely will effect how we experience our high school years. We really need to cooperate to succeed on our educational path through life.
Though it is a little sad leaving teachers, staff, and this building behind, we are still excited to move on and conquer high school so we can move on further down the road into college and the career force. It was such a great time here at WJHS. We have great memories and skills to take with us, and though we will definitely miss parts of it we are ready to move on. As Winston Churchill once said, “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” Thank you and congratulations class of 2011, we’re in high school now! (1134 words)
Sample 6 The Puzzle By XXXXX
Over the past three years, we have spent 172,800 minutes sitting in classrooms. And, although we have learned many important lessons that we are reassured we will use later in life, such as how to diagram a sentence, how to measure the epicenter of an earthquake, and how to solve a Polynomial; perhaps, just as important is the journey we have taken as a class through junior high. We have dealt with pain, new beginnings, and triumph. Together we are one united group of people. Nevertheless, many times we have turned against one another. We have said nasty remarks, and been spiteful. We are all guilty of this, including me. Now, as we are about to venture on to high school, we must stop trying to act like the coolest, the most popular, and the most liked. Instead, we must strive to work together as one class and one body of people. I am not saying we should be carbon copies of each other; I am saying that although none of us are the same we are all a small part of a bigger picture.
We, the class of 2013, are a puzzle -- intricate, fun, and at times, without a doubt, confusing. Each and every one of us is a piece of that puzzle. We are all different shapes, sizes, and colors; yet we all fit together to form a single picture of hope, triumph, and courage. And, as we all know, one of the most frustrating things is when you are doing a puzzle and you realize that you are missing a piece. A puzzle is never complete if one piece is missing or broken. That is why we must stay unified, so that our puzzle is not lacking an important piece. Every single one of you is a vital piece of our puzzle. Even those of you changing schools, you will always be a piece of our puzzle. The puzzle can grow, and stretch, change shape, and change form, but if even one piece is lost, the puzzle is no longer whole.
As we leave junior high and move on to high school, we are no longer going to be the top dogs. We are going to be teased, we will be pressured to do things we shouldn't, and we will be treated like far less then each and every one of us is worth. However, the pain always stings less when you have a group of friends and a loving family to support you. If we stay united, we will also have the chance to share in each other's joy, success, and love.
So when you sit in this gym for the last time tonight as an 8 th grader, I hope you realize your and your classmate's value. The next time you see one of your classmates down, don't join in and laugh at their pain. Help them up. The next time you see one of your classmates miserable don't walk away. Help them find the good. And the next time you see one of your classmates jumping for joy. Jump with them. Thank you!
(519 words)
Sample 7 Inbox by XXXXX
There are approximately 4.1 billion text messages sent every day in the Untied States. This ultimately means that there are 2,847,222 messages sent every minute of every day. As these statistics show, texting plays a very large role in the lives of Americans. Although not everyone has a cell phone, every single one of us has an inbox. However, it is not an inbox that we are familiar with; it is not on your phone or in your email. This inbox lies deep within us and acquires the messages we hold close to our hearts and minds.
Throughout our lives, we make mistakes and learn lessons. Yet, we also receive messages. Some of these messages may be insignificant; but others may change our lives forever. When we receive a message, a ringtone plays; which helps the message convey its meaning. There are certain messages that I have decoded in the short amount of time I’ve been alive; certain messages that I believe everyone should discover. (Your momma’s calling back. For no real reason but just to chat .) Message one, received from your mother. “Hey honey! What are your plans for tonight? What time are you going? Who’s going to be there? What will you guys be doing? When will you be home? Text me back, love you!” I am very certain that many of us sitting in this gym tonight have received a message like this from at least one of our parents. Right now, we think it is completely unnecessary and extremely annoying that they ask questions that we find unimportant. We believe that they’re asking “for no real reason but just to chat”. What we do not understand is that the reason they ask is because they care. They love us more than is even comprehendible. They love us enough to help us find a adjective prepositional phrase within a sentence of one of Mrs. Henderson’s homework assignments, enough to assist us in building a diorama for Mr. Farley’s book reports, enough to help us understand what exactly Mrs. Thomas means by dimensional analysis. The love and support of our parents is one of the many reasons why we are sitting in this gym that was built seven years ago, on the verge of graduating the eighth grade. Our parents will witness us develop as we move on into high school. There are certain people that we meet in our lives that assist us in growing into the adults we slowly become everyday. Two of those people are your mother and father.
(When everything is wrong I come to talk to you. You make things alright when I’m feeling blue. ) Message two received from your best friend. “Sup dude? How ya been?” Although some of us despise education and everything it requires us to do, it has brought us one of the most wonderful gifts in the world. Friends. Most of us can say that we met a great number of our friends at school. Here, within the walls of Williamsville Junior High School, I met my best friends. My friends have been here to laugh with me, to help me with an assignment that makes absolutely no sense and to guide me through all of my troubled times. I would do anything for one of my best friends and I know that they would do the same for me. Earlier this year, I was dealing with a decision that had me very torn. Abby Deutsch, as you may all know as the short brunette who doesn’t care what people think, stepped in and told me something I will never forget. “Whatever you decide to do, I’ll stand by you. If you decide not to, I’ll be here. If you decide to, I’ll fight to the death with anyone who tries to harm you.” She told me this because she cares. She cares about me and what happens to me. She wants me to “feel alright” rather than “feeling blue”. Within the message above, your friend asks how you’re doing because they care. Friends are there to support you, or at least they should be. We may not realize it now, but there are some people that influence us in negative ways. Sadly, some of those people are our friends. Although we may love them, we have to know when to let go. Often, we think with our hearts and not our minds. Throughout our lives, we must think with both. Having someone in your life that tears you down or takes away from your greatness is not healthy. To be truly happy with yourself, you must surround yourself with people who are there for you when you need assistance and those who do not break you down. Some friends are meant
Sample 7 continued to come and go. Others are meant to stand by your side forever. Our friends should shape us into better people than we were before we knew them. Our friends should love us, as we love them.
(I can live without you; but without you I’ll be miserable at best. ) Message three, received from your significant other. “Hey, I don’t really think it’s working out. We should break up. Sorry.” You feel like your world’s coming to an end, like everything is awful and all you want to do is cry. You may feel that you can’t be happy and for awhile, that might be the case. I am aware that I don’t know everything about life, but if I know one thing, it’s that life goes on . When you feel heartbroken and sad, life is not going to stop and wait for you to feel better. Being upset only causes you to miss out on the beauty of this short time we have on this earth. It’s hard to move on from something that you wanted so much, but it’s in the past for a reason. It happened to help you; and you must let it do that. Forgiving and forgetting is the key to a happy life. Grudges and anger only hold you down. Our friends and our parents are here to help us through times like these. Life moves entirely too fast and spending just sixty seconds of that time upset is a minute of happiness you will never get back. People will love you, hurt you, stay with you and leave you; but they all shape you. Living in the past and wishing it would come back will cause you to be only “miserable at best”. Sometimes moving on is the best option.
These messages are only a few of the many important ones that you will receive throughout your life. Be open to everything that comes your way, because it could change your life. The secret to life lies in the following lines: smile and don’t frown. Laugh and don’t cry. Spread peace and not hate. Love and be loved. And most importantly, always read your messages. Congratulations, Class of 2014 and thank you. (1163 words)
Sample 8
We Are the Future by XXXXX
Over the past few years, we have all struggled to achieve to our maximum standards; late nights and aching wrists were a routine of the day. Day after day, we lived our personal lives at home doing chores and jobs around the house. Day after day, we all went about our business in our social school lives filling out our tasks to achieve good grades for a good progress report. I could stand here for three years to tell you how things were in the past, but I’m here to tell you about our future. Unlike the past, the future is something you can change if you prepare to accomplish certain goals. It is very delicate, really, and is something to look forward to and look to accomplish our life goals. One of my most important is to live a successful life where there are no limits.
One way to carry on to the future is to bring light and depth to it. Only the courageous can do this. We all need courage in our lives, and all of us have it in our own kind of ways, whether it’s to play in a brutal match against other teams in sports, or the bravery to present a piece of artwork, project, or speech to a great crowd. Even more courage is needed to think about what we want to do in life and how we expect to achieve that. In order to succeed, I know I will have to take stands to new measures, step to the front, and be relentless to take risks to make sure I make through the journey to my destination. Valor can take us from there; if we have true valor, we will not fret or frighten over what must be done.
Most of all, the key to our careers is inspiration and a strong bond with our talents. We each have talents that make us unique in a way; if we use them, there is no doubt of what our job in life is. All around the school, you see the same colors: purple and gold. Diverse colors; they are nothing alike; they have nothing to do with each other. But they compliment each other. All together, each and every one of us, we each have unique personalities and stand out on our own even when we are together. After high school, we will all head in separate directions, but all to the best we can do for a bright and successful future.
In school, we have learned to work on our own to achieve what we must accomplish. But we have also learned to work with one another and cooperate. I have been with many of these same students for at least eight years, and even more in the past three, and these friends have pulled through with me. In every class, they have gone through what I have. Every assignment, every project, every test, and every speech, we have made it through together and can say we were on top before we continue to high school. When one of us falls, there is always another to help us back onto our feet and get back on track. A strong bond has been made between each and every one of us to where we can reach unexpected heights. We’ve made it this far; why not go further?
I will come to a close, letting you all know what graduating means to me. It isn’t all about finishing school as fast as we can so we don’t have any more assignments. It’s about moving up in our lives to prepare for the real world and our careers. People always wish they were young again; we are all young, and we only live it once. Before I’m ready for an adult life, I plan to make the best of these years as a youth. We’ve made it this far; why not make it to the end? Thank you (663 words)
Sample 9
Journey to Our Greatness by XXXXX
As we stand here today, we honor our accomplishments, and we begin a new path towards our own greatness. As we start moving forward, we look back and see all of those people who have helped us get to where we are today. Those great people, whether we like it or not, have helped each of us become a better person. We will remember the good times, the bad, the funny, but we will probably forget the little unnoticeable things that could change our lives forever. The people whose wisdom and experience who have taught us so much, the people who spend hours on end dedicated to us, the people who have changed our lives for the better will probably go unappreciated. To prevent any possibility of this happening, I would like to thank, on behalf of the class of 2014, the teachers and staff of WJHS, friends, family, and parents for changing us from who we were yesterday, to who we are today, to who we will be tomorrow.
From the very day we were born, the only thing that was essential to us growing up was guidance. Without guidance from family, friends, or parents – the people who have impacted our lives – our journeys could have very well ended sooner that expected. Our teachers, family, friends, and parents will always be there to guide us on the right path towards our own greatness. They continue to guide us as much as they can, but as we get older, new opportunities and challenges rise up before us. Even though we are older, we will still have those who are there for us to hold on to or help us when we fall or the path gets rocky. As we finally are old enough to leave school, we are on our own. No matter how much our friends, family, or parents help or guide us, it will be up to us to choose the right paths and to make the right decisions. We can only use the guidance given to us when we were young to set a foundation for us. It is up to us whether we decide to destroy it or continue to build off of it. It will be up to us where we continue on our path to greatness, start families, or decide to travel the world. It will be up to us to make something of ourselves. It will be up to us whether we choose the right paths, so that we can become the best we can be.
There are key things that each of us need to know before we open the door to our greatness. Determination and hard work is part of the key. When we were small sixth graders I remember we were all being put down and told that we couldn’t do anything just because we were smaller than everyone else. We might not have been bigger on the outside, but I believe we were bigger on the inside. What we had on the inside was so much more powerful and bigger than those words that were put upon us. I remember in our reading class we read the book, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Reading that book inspired us to take up the challenge of making a thousand paper cranes. Even throughout this time, we were constantly being put down and being told we couldn’t do this. We did it. The class of 2014 went through with it and did not give up.
The second part of the key is perseverance. If the class of 2014 fights through and continues on their path no matter what anyone says, we will shine in the end. To persevere is to keep at something in spite of difficulty. We must persevere if we are to open the door to our greatness. We cannot just give up and stop just because we are let down by the people around us. We proved that by making the thousand paper cranes through countless comments telling us that we wouldn’t be able to do it , but we did. We must continue to show perseverance because there are always going to be those in our lives that will tell us “no” or put us down. We can do anything our hearts desire as long as we persevere. No matter how hard it may be, we must persevere. We must prove to everyone what the class of 2014 can do, and the only way to do that is to persevere.
The third and perhaps the most important part of our key is brotherhood. The only way we can prosper and improve is through each other. Brotherhood is the most unique thing that the class of 2014 has earned. Without brotherhood, everyone would be out on our own and we wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything. Brotherhood helps us unite
Sample 9 continued together as a class, as friends. We use each other’s experiences to evolve and learn from them as if they were our own. Brotherhood allows us to come together, not only as the class of 2014, but with everyone around us. Brotherhood lets us shine brighter than ever, not as individual stars. Why should we only have one bright star when two bright stars are brighter? We should all shine together as a class, as friends. If we can accomplish brotherhood, we can accomplish anything. We as the class of 2014 can make changes in our nation and the world. If our class has accomplished brotherhood, who is to say we can’t spread the idea to the world?
If we put the pieces together – determination, perseverance, and brotherhood – we will be able to open the door to our own greatness and perhaps a better world. We are the future and only we can change it. Changing the future starts here, in junior high. It’s what we learn here that will change our lives forever and make us better people. Last year our school adopted the motto “Decide to be Better”. This quote challenges every single one of us to “Decide to be Better”. How many of us have, in fact, decided to be better? I believe that our school has made a gigantic steps forward compared to three years ago. I believe that the class of 2014, the school, has lived up to that motto and in fact decided to be better. “Decide to be Better” means doing something kind for someone without being asked to do it. It means helping someone when they are down or have fallen. It is the small repetitive actions that you do every day that change a person, a nation, the world. People may or may not remember us, but that is not what is important. What is important is what we have done to change everything. “It’s not if, it’s how”, is one of my favorite quotes spoken by Mr. Pruitt, our band director. This means it doesn’t matter if they remember it matters how. How they remember us changing the world. How will you be remembered? (1108 words)