Go Get Em', Tigers!

This is an inspirational speech that I wrote for my speech class during my senior year of high school. Although it is a graduation speech, it is directed towards the juniors who will soon be seniors! 

Juniors of Okoboji High School, I appreciate you coming out today to support your fellow classmates. Each one of you have made a special bond with an upperclassman that you’ll never forget, and neither will they. So thank you for coming. Now, I know it’s never on the top of anyone’s bucket list to listen to some girl give a speech, but I promise it’ll be over quick, just bare with me.

To start off, we must recognize Okoboji’s class of 2014; they worked their butts off for twelve years in order to graduate with their friends. Some of these friends have been with them since kindergarten, some of them just a few years, but they are all friends none the less. Whether you are graduating as valedictorian or just barely passing government, you did it; congratulations seniors! As many before me have said, the world is your oyster, Carpe Diem, take the road less traveled by, live as if you’ll die today, go get em’ tiger!

Now, as for the juniors… I have a slightly different message for you all today. You have worked your butts off, as well, for eleven years, and although that’s incredible, keep it up… you’re not done. You’ve still got one more year left and you’ve got to make it count! Many students make it to their senior year and believe they can simply coast through their classes and mess around, but that’s not at all the case. In fact, it’s the opposite… no, you don't want to stress yourself out to the point of an “early life crisis”, but you’ve got to work hard and finish out your high school career strong! You should all do this both in your studies and in yourself as a member of Okoboji High School.

Let me explain. First off, your studies are important, so please don’t give up now. Trust me, college’s don’t look at your grades and say, “Well your grades all look good, except for these D’s here… oh wait, I’m sorry, that’s your senior year. Forget about it, here’s a full ride to Harvard!” Sorry, but it doesn’t happen like that. You’ve got to keep working hard. Oh, and for your information, senioritis isn’t a myth; it does happen. It’s a very serious disease and it’s contagious. But don’t panic, there’s medication. It’s called a couple studying pills and a health dose of reality. I know that lectures can be boring sometimes, and your desk looks really comfy for a good nap at 10:30 in the morning… or 2 pm, but you’re gonna need what you learn someday. Simone Elkeles, a young adult author, once said “Problem is, the bathroom pass can't help you escape life. It's still there when you come out. Problems and crap don't go away hiding in the can.” And she’s right! Make the most out of your high school experience, because no matter how much you want it to go away, you need high school; you’ll learn valuable life skills, make friends, and start to find out who you are. Just know that working hard will push you onto bigger and better things!

Second, each of you students represents a part of Okoboji High School, so do it proud! You juniors will soon be seniors, the top dogs, king of the hill. The freshman and the other underclassmen look up to you and they need positive role models. Christopher Reeve, once said, “What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and maturity to use the power wisely…” Follow Superman’s lead and use your power wisely. Forget this seniority thing, yes, it’s nice to eat first at lunch, but if someone needs help, don’t make their situations more difficult by pushing them under the bus because they are younger, help em out! Don’t make enemies by starting drama or talking about others in any negative ways. What’s the point? Just focus on you. Don’t make a fool of yourself for attention so you can get everyone in the school to like you, it’s not worth it! Spend a little more time trying to make something of yourself, and a little less time trying to impress people. Have enough self-respect and confidence that you can be your own person and allow underclassmen to look up to you and your elders to see you as a valued member of society.

What’s popular isn’t always right. What’s right isn’t always popular. You’ve got to decide for yourselves if you’re going to do the right things, make healthy decisions, and move on to endure the rest of your adventurous, fulfilling life, or coast through as the most popular kid at school, with high school as possibly the peak of your life. The second option may seem better right now, but in the long run, doing the right thing will pay off big! When you go to your ten year reunion, no one will look back and define you by what clothes you were wearing, who you were friends, or what you did to be popular; but, they might just define you by what you said to people and how you treated others. Take risks, be nice, and be yourself.

Look at that, just five minutes of your time. That wasn’t so bad, right? So please, just remember, you students have the authority now, use it wisely. Don’t slack off and ruin your senior year by catching senioritis, and don’t ruin the underclassmen high school experiences with poor quality role models. This is your senior year, make the most of it, and go get em, tigers. This is your year!