St. Ann 8th grade graduation took place last Wednesday. I was asked by a number of people for a copy of my graduation speech. Figured the easiest thing to do would be to post the speech as my blog, and share it with everyone. So, here it is. Hope you enjoy it.
In the name of our pastor, Fr. Ernie DeBlasio, our associate
pastor, Fr. Bill Parham, and the staff of St. Ann Catholic School, I would like
to welcome you to the graduation ceremony for the St. Ann Class of 2019.
Thank you Fr. Bill for the wonderful invocation and your
participation is this evening’s celebration.
I have a number of thank yous to start off this evening, with the
first thank you going out to the parents and grandparents of these 8th
graders for choosing Catholic education at St. Ann. I’ve been told about how
many families left St. Ann in the past for what they considered to be greener
pastures. You stayed true to the course and made the decision to keep your
child at St. Ann. Thank you for entrusting us to educate your children. Thank
you for making the financial sacrifices you have made in doing the best you can
for your children.
Thank you to the St. Ann faculty and staff. I can tell you this
about the wonderful individuals I get to work with every day; they are some of
the best people I have ever worked with. As a faculty and staff, this is the best group I have ever worked with; hands down the best. To me, each and every
member of the St. Ann faculty and staff hung the moon. To the faculty and staff
of St. Ann Catholic School, I thank you and applaud you.
Thank you to Mr. John Baum and the band minus the 8th
graders for your participation in the graduation ceremony.
Thank you to everyone who helped to make yesterday’s baccalaureate
and today’s graduation possible.
A special thank you to Mrs. Angela de Jong and Mrs. Stacey
Griffith for their work in organizing the 8th grade trip to
Washington DC. That was a fantastic adventure and I was glad to be a part of
the trip.
When I was a high school student at CBHS, most of my classmates
were St. Ann Colts. My classmates took a lot of pride in being Colts. Back then,
St. Ann was the biggest of the Catholic Schools. Times and numbers have changed
but the honor of being a Colt has not.
Even though times have changed, the importance of receiving a
Catholic Education hasn’t changed. Just like then, families today still have to
work hard and sacrifice to be able to afford a Catholic Education for their
children. This is one man’s opinion from having put my children through
Catholic Schools from PK through college; the hard work and sacrifice are well
worth it. And, I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Well eighth graders, tonight is it. In a very short time, you will
all be graduates of St. Ann Catholic School. For the rest of your lives, you
will be a St. Ann Colt. Congratulations!
That is quite an honor.
Just an FYI, I am the new guy. I have nine more days of being the
new guy. I didn’t know much about St.
Ann last June when I started working here. About the only time I had any
interaction with most of you 8th graders was in the cafeteria and
hallways unless one of you was sent to the office for doing something wrong or
because of drama. And, there was definitely no shortage of drama.
I’m thankful for being a part of the 8th grade trip
because it gave me the opportunity to get to know you. And, I had a lot of fun
on that trip.
Having been a high school educator for twenty years, I have some
advice for you as you prepare for your first year of high school.
The first thing is don’t stand on the sidelines watching the world
go by. Get in the game! What I mean by that is don’t be an 8am to 3pm student. Join
clubs, try out for teams, participate, get involved, risk. I had a student one
time tell me that they never tried out for anything because they were afraid
they might not make the team. That student never got in the game because of the
fear of failure. Don’t be afraid to fail.
The second thing is that lessons are learned when you fail. The
first thing you learn when you fail is that it doesn’t feel good, but failing
is a necessary occurrence in order for you to grow. If you never fail, it is
probably because you never stepped outside of your comfort zone. If you never
step out of your comfort zone, you will never change. If you never change, you
will never grow. Change is how you improve on who you are, what you do, and how
you can make a positive change in the world. “Be the change you want to see in
the world.”
Another lesson you learn when you fail, is how to get up, dust
yourself off, and stand on your own two feet. And, every time you get up, you
become better and stronger. If you want to succeed, plan to fail. Success takes
place when you get up and keep moving forward despite failure.
Once again, get involved and your high school years will be much
more enjoyable and something you will always treasure. Don’t be the 8 to 3
student. Get involved and make a difference.
As the great American philosopher Dennis Myers once said, “Do not
deny the world the gift of you.” Give to the world the gift of you. God made
you for a purpose, and I do not believe that purpose is for you to sit back and
watch.
Now for some advice for life:
The dean of students at Helias Catholic
High School in Jefferson City, Missouri would pass along to the seniors what he
called “Advice for Life.” I decided to do the same but to create and share my
own list of Advice for Life.
Dream Big for God created you to do His
work.
Wherever you go, leave it better than
you found it.
When something goes wrong, look for a
solution instead of looking to blame.
Be the first one to greet the new
person in the room or the new kid at school.
Smile! For no reason just smile. And, be
the reason for someone else’s smile.
No matter how bad a dancer you are, be
the first one on the dance floor.
What you think of yourself is much more
important than what people think of you.
You have to love yourself first before
you can love others.
The more you love yourself, the less
nonsense you will tolerate.
Respect the person you see in the mirror.
Don’t play the victim! Stand up and
deal with it.
Also, don’t create the victim. People
have enough problems without you creating more for them.
Be the leader and lead in a positive
light.
Enthusiasm is the key to happiness; stay excited about everything
you do.
Learn to tell clean jokes.
Don’t watch too much TV.
Write thank you notes.
Turn your cell phone off and enjoy the people you are with.
Talk to God every day, even if it is only long enough to say
“thank you.” In other words: Pray!
Volunteer to help.
Saying I love you to your parents is actually pretty cool.
The word “Please” is magical.
Use it.
When you aren’t sure what to wear, remember that it is better to
be overdressed than underdressed.
Sing in church.
Make your bed every morning.
Avoid tobacco.
Tell the truth. Be trustworthy. If you say you are going to do
something, do it. Say what you mean and mean what you say.
Don’t miss a chance to sincerely pay someone a compliment.
Understand that in today’s world nearly anything you do can be Googled
years from now by a prospective employer or a potential mother-in-law.
Before you do anything you know is wrong, think about the possible
consequences and be prepared to accept them.
Don’t make excuses. And, when it is your fault, admit it. I’m sorry
heals a lot of wounds.
Travel. When you have an opportunity to go on vacation, take it.
Learn to laugh at yourself.
If you would not want your parents to read it, don’t post it and
don’t text it.
Act goofy every once in a while! Life is too short to be serious
all the time.
Stay in touch with your classmates. If not, there are some
classmates you will never see again after this graduation ceremony. Sad but
true.
Never get a tattoo on the same day the idea strikes you.
You are a have and not a have not. You have a responsibility to help those most in need. As Jesus said,
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and
sisters of mine, you did for me.”
8th graders, this is a big day for you. The best years of your lives are ahead of
you. In the next four years of high
school, enjoy, work hard, participate, make friends, avoid drama, learn, fail,
succeed, change, grow, be happy, and most importantly remember that God loves
you.
With that being said, let’s move forward with this graduate. Thank you.
God bless you,
Didier Aur, Principal
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