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| We made it Gabriel! woo-hoo.... |
― Lori Goodwin
Today is Your Day. No Doubt. You Are a Warrior
Maybe you think it is not a big
deal, but I hope you realize it is not just a party and while the you may
forget the day, you will never forget the moments you lived through together
over the past 4 years.
Many people will say you are a
step closer to becoming a real adult, but the reality is that you already are.
High School is not just Math,
Science, English or memorizing facts for your History test the next day. As a
high school student you have been learning more than simple theories and
formulas, you have been practicing and developing a plan on how to be yourself
in a world that is constantly changing and testing your character.
You may be younger than me and
living in a whole different era where your mind is occupied by social media and
lightning-fast networks of texts and streaming services, but I am sure that we
have all been faced with the same challenges during our high school life.
We both went through the same
daily routine, some of them related to our assignments as students and others
that constantly tested our human capacity.
We all go in as teenagers and
come out as young adults, but the time in between those two is what really
means most to us.
I never thought that many years
after my high school experience I would be relating to your experiences, but
here I am living back memories and recalling how challenging is to be a high
school student: trying to fit in everywhere, stuck between accepting or denying
myself depending on the situation, hiding my fears or feeling embarrassed about
everything and nothing, and at some points, crying uncontrollably to take those
tempestuous theories out of my mind. Falling in love and saying good-bye. Being
afraid when teachers wanted us to work in groups or, even worse, ask us to make
our own because I was never sure if anyone else wanted me in the group. Being
terrified some days because I’d wake up feeling that everybody was observing
and/or disapproving each and every step that I took. Even being involved in
many fake friendships and realizing too late that they were reflections of my
own self-doubts.
High School means growth,
learning and developing new skills, practicing tolerance, making decisions on
your own, being a teenager and an adult at the same time, but above all things
it means being a survivor. You are here
today showing off not just your gown, cap, and tassel. You are showing your courage
and resilience, the new person that you have become and you must feel proud of
it. As evidenced time and time again by
the news this year, no one knows what life will bring to you, but I am sure
that you will continue to build new roads, fulfilling your life of new
experiences, opening new chapters in your life, and overcoming the
unpredictable. So, let us to shout out and clap for you, because you earned it
and deserve being celebrated.
Think big, stay strong, keep smiling, never stop dreaming. We all are so proud of you
Vivimos para soñar, soñamos para vivir.
- Duvraska Mendoza
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| Madison High School Class of 2020 |
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| Congratulations Gabriel! Mami is so proud of you. |
