Graduation Speech: Mom and Dad, Your Babies Have Grown Up! :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

The year 2012 is as unique as our class that’s graduating within it. As the Class of 2012, we should be prepared to answer questions about the things that make us unique. Our children will revisit this historic year through their text books, their TV reruns and our own high school keepsakes which we have held on to over the years. With all this attention will come questions from our children, questions like: "Hey dad, what’s an email?" Or, "What's Facebook?" As our yearbooks are taken from our shelves and our photo albums are cracked open once again, our kids will certainly be curious to ask: — Hey dad, was your hair blond all through high school? As our kids rummage through our old boxes of high school stuff there will be questions like: — Weren’t you supposed to return this library book? It looks like you haven’t even cracked the cover." Or, — Where did these 10 parking tickets come from? I thought there was a parking lot at County High." The year 2012 has been anticipated since 1997, when our mothers and fathers looked at us as newborns and said, "Hey, our baby is going to graduate in the year 2012." Well, Mom and Dad, your babies have grown up! This is a special date and an exciting time of our lives, and as we move into this next stage let us never forget the experiences that we have had. I encourage everyone to appreciate not only the uniqueness of our generation but the uniqueness of others. As we go our separate ways, embrace diversity, meet new people, and listen to different perspectives.