Good evening family and friends, faculty members, and fellow graduates, I am Johnny Kuang, and I am deeply honored to represent the class of 2008 as the valedictorian. Before I begin, please give a loud round of applause for the graduates here today! Thank you for coming to this very special ceremony to celebrate the wonderful achievements of the class of 2008!
Now as a class, we have come a very long way, and after 13 years in school, this evening, we are congregated here to be initiated into adulthood. However, this moment would not have been possible without the support of parents and teachers, and I would also like to take this moment to applaud them.
Now that we have gotten all that out of the way, Mr. James Maxwell, our principal, called me to say, "Johnny Kuang, you can write your speech on any topic you'd like, just make sure you keep the audience interested." After hearing that, I had no idea what to write about. I mean, all the valedictorians out there have all used the "You are the future" speech, or the "this is not the end, but a new beginning" cliche that you have all heard 20 times over. Instead of any profound messages that I may offer you, to ensure that 75 percent of you won't tune me out and fall asleep, I have decided to talk about the very best of Gilroy High School.
Well, the very best of Gilroy High School has the class of 2008! That's my personal opinion, but I'm sure that each and every one of us has had our very own experiences and memories at this school. Remember the code red drills in which the barricade at the door can always stop someone from coming through the window. Let us always remember the times before the cafeteria, the track, and this field was built. Don't forget however, the wonderful tardy parties that we have all heard about over the intercom, every day, and right before we leave for school. Let us always remember the many homework assignments, the projects, and the tests that we have all endured in order to be here tonight. Cherish the fun times we've had, such as senior dinner dance, prom, and Disneyland. How can we ever forget about all that?
Never forget the people who have helped us along the way. Let us hold in our hearts, the great teachers we have had at Gilroy High School and the all right ones too. Let's take this moment to reflect upon the classes that we have taken, and the friends we have made, that have gotten us through the late nights. Let us appreciate the parents and family members we have sitting in the stands right now, who are all very proud of you and wish you all the very best. In fact, let's take this moment to shake the hands of the people around us, and give each other a pat on the back.
Now, this is the point in the speech when I give some inspirational quote, where most of the guys will space out, and the girls might start crying. Well it took me a while to find the perfect quote, and I found it while I opened up one of Panda Express' fortune cookies. It said, "Today is your lucky day." Just kidding, that wasn't the inspirational quote that I promised. Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous poet, said, "We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities." This quote celebrates the fact that although we all lead different lives, we all have many opportunities and decisions in the future. We are all part of this graduation ceremony. The future is out there, and please do make a positive impact, because there will always be something that you can do to bring a smile to someone's life.
Now before we all graduate, I would like to take this moment to thank some of the most important people I have met, or have been with during these past four years. First off, I want to thank my mom and dad, for being kind and understanding despite whatever I have done. Secondly, I want to thank my sister Connie Kuang for being there, and I wish we had taken a sibling picture for the yearbook. I also want to thank my girlfriend Christine Camacho for helping me along the way. Now, I can't forget about my friends, and from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Amanda Driggs, Henry Phan, Anthony Ualat, Kathleen Miller, Christine Bobula, and all of you out there, for being the greatest friends a dorky 17- year-old guy can ever ask for. I also want to thank all my teachers and faculty members, specifically Mrs. Kuwada, Ms. Frieberg, Mr. Scott, Mrs. Pribyl, Mr. Fortino, and basically everyone whom I met over these past four years.
Lastly, I want to thank all of you for listening to all this speech, and my last words to you are, "Congratulations class of 2008, I'm going to miss you, and let's graduate!"
Johnny Kuang is a graduating senior and valedictorian of the Class of 2008.
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