Graduation Speech – Sarah Kim

Welcome, Miss Quatrano-

Hatzidimitriou, Miss Marte, Chancellor
Klein, Bell Academy faculty and staff,
fellow graduates, and honored guests.

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We gather here today to celebrate
the graduation of BELL Academy’s
very first eighth grade class. I
congratulate all graduates and their
families and am privileged to speak
for this occasion.
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John F. Kennedy said, “Change is the law of life. And
those who look only to the past or present are certain
to miss the future.” Our former president explains
what we must do to achieve and surpass the
checkpoints of life: graduating from high school and
college, then looking for an occupation. In order to live
life, we must look to the future to pursue our dreams.
For nothing can be accomplished without a dream, a
vision.
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In this process of building our futures step-by-
step, we should also be careful not to look too
far. There must be a balance of past, present,
and future. With every step we take in this
analogical staircase, we will cherish the fond
memories of the past to make sure our footing is
steady. This will sharpen our focus on the
dreams we’ll gradually turn to reality.
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It will be a roller coaster of ups and
downs, but along the process we’ll be
taught by the people we meet. And of
course, we won’t forget the teachers
who have already given us so much to
start with, so much to build upon.
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And so, with this journey ahead of us, I bid all
of you farewell, and I wish you very much luck
in building the future that your dreams will
give you the courage and motivation to create.
In behalf of the whole student body, I thank all
of our exemplary instructors with much
gratitude for all the knowledge and life skills
they have given us.
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Congratulations, class of
2009!