As if I wasn’t nervous enough just graduating, they made me give a speech. Here goes:

     Greetings fellow graduates, students, faculty, and friends. Welcome to the first graduation in GCS history. We are all glad that you came to share this great event with us. Afterwards, you can get autographs from us for a $5.00 donation. Just kidding.
     I’ve gone to Great Commission since the first year it was open. I remember a friend of mine talking about the school and how girls were going to be allowed to wear jeans. At that point in time, it was so strange to think about a dress code allowing girls and guys both to wear blue jeans. I was so used to having to wear skirts all the time. I loved the school from then on.
     Over the years, it’s been so cool to have seen how much the school grows. What started with just one room, now has five rooms and about five times as many kids. This year, I noticed a major change. The hallways seemed smaller. I was constantly bumping into kids trying to get to class…which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just shows how much GCS has grown.
     Now, I’d like to say a few things to my fellow graduates. You guys, these years we’ve been together have been great. It started with just Ashley and I in the third grade. Other people came and went, but we stuck together. Then Deanna came in 10th and then Kali in 11th and here we all are now. We managed to get rid of any guys along the way so that we’d have a perfect senior class. I know all of us acted like we couldn’t wait for school to be out and couldn’t wait for graduation, but deep, deep, deep, down inside, I know we’re all wishing we could have just one more year. Well, guys, here we are. This is it. Now we have to actually do stuff. Like get jobs, decide on a career, make important decisions, and take on lots of responsibility. We have to face the “real world” now. Well, I just hope the “real world” is ready for us!
     GCS wouldn’t be the school it is without the teachers. You guys are the best. What’s school going to be like without us? I just want to thank you so much for all you’ve done. When I needed help, you were there. When I needed to learn a bunch of stuff that I’ll never use, you jumped right on it and taught me. No, I really do appreciate your teaching and I know I’ll grow up to use every bit of it. Thank you again.
     And, for the class of 2002, I have some words for you. Don’t worry guys, Algebra 3 really isn’t at all as bad as we made it out to be. Wink, wink. Just remember, yeah, you’re seniors, and yeah, you get all kinds of special treatment, but you do have to take your senior year seriously. It’ll feel 10 times harder than any other school year you’ve experienced. (That’s why you appreciate the special treatment) Good luck, you guys. 
     At this moment, I want to say some things to certain people. Mom and Dad, thanks for not kicking me out of the house the day I turned 18…or the last day of school. Ashley, we’ve been friends since the 3rd grade. Even though I was a major dork, you still talked to me. I really appreciate your friendship and I’m sure that wherever we are, when one of us starts to laugh, the other one will, too. Deanna, we’ll all miss you when you go off to college. Have a great time and don’t forget us! I’ve known you for three years now and we’ve had some great times. Thanks for being there for me. Kali, who’s down with Algebra 3? I’m so glad you stuck with me in Algebra class! I would have gone crazy if you hadn’t have been there. Even though I’ve known you for about two years, we’ve still got our own little inside jokes. I’m down with Algebra 3! Katie, even though we fight sometimes…well, ok, all the time…I’m still glad you’re my friend. No one else can make me laugh like you can. Becka, you’re the coolest 15-year-old I know. Thanks for your support and friendship. I’m glad that I’ll still get to see you in church. Derek, or anyone here from the youth center, thanks for letting me hang out with you guys. You’re the coolest. 
     Mr. Dellape, you’re the coolest principal ever. You’re the only teacher I know that can make history interesting, which I thought was impossible. Thank you. Dr. Zimmerman, what can I say? You showed me the joy of Algebra 2, biology, geometry, chemistry, physics, and Algebra 3. I was hoping that your teaching would make me a genius like yourself, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. Mrs. Weidemann, thanks for helping me out with my writing and being supportive. Mr. Hildebrand, I enjoyed hearing all your stories. I was also impressed with all the cool tricks you can do. You’re literature class was the best. Thanks again to everyone that I mentioned and anyone I forgot.
     In conclusion, I’d like to say again that it’s a great honor being in the first graduating class of Great Commission. I’ll miss everyone and everything…even the 5 billion steps we have to walk up. Good luck, fellow graduates. And good luck to the second graduating class of GCS. Thank you.

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