Good Evening. Fellow classmates, as we all know, today marks a very unusual day. As children, we could blindly follow our every impulse, passing temporarily through many flaws and shortcomings without permanent damage to our identities. The outside understanding of our developmental state prevented these flaws from taking hold; they could not yet become a part of us because we didn’t know any better. I know that on the playgrounds of the Lower School, I often displayed a ridiculous temper, and in middle school, in addition to being the proud owner of some seriously chubby cheeks, I had a bad …

The morning of graduation I wake up, take a shower, put on my clothes and step downstairs to eat a big bowl of cereal, the same breakfast I’ve had for most of the past twelve years.  My grandparents greet me first, congratulating me with some of the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen in my life.  Two tears trickle down my grandmother’s cheeks as she whispers how proud she is.  I finish my cereal, go upstairs and put on my gown. I descend once again to find my parents and sister, as I’m sure many of your parents and siblings were doing, taking pictures of me.  They couldn’t be happier.  As I say …

16,400.  This number represents the number of hours that we, as the Class of 2011, have spent in school since Kindergarten.  In hour one, our parents held our hands as we fearfully entered the halls of a brand new world.  We played name games and moved restlessly during nap time.  As we continued in the process of furthering our education, we struggled with the concepts of addition and multiplication, and we were overjoyed by the achievement of spelling words such as “curtain,” and “macaroni.”  We spent many hours on the swings, sports fields, and sand box – searching for buried treasures.  …

This past December, my optometrist decided my vision had finally deteriorated enough to warrant glasses.  My poor eyesight was becoming an inhibition to my driving ability.  My vision was perfectly adequate during the day thanks to the amply amount of sunlight we’re so fortunate to receive in Athens, but couple my eyesight with heavy rain or dark skies, and I better have my insurance card ready.  My eyes were doing their absolute best, but my eyes alone were simply inadequate.  To perform as they should, my eyes needed help. This year more than ever before I have found myself stressed and …