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Voiced by Samuel Deng
Music by Rikognition - Again & Somewhere Like This
SPEECH:
All of us really haven’t come too far. Literally speaking, we’re all here, sitting in these foldable plastic chairs that are a little too uncomfortable for this little-too-long ceremony. See, I could tell you to take pride in how far you’ve come, but the great mediator here is that humble Rowland Heights is how far we’ve all come. So, should we really take pride in this?
Because no one really knows where Rowland is. It’s that town “40 minutes East of LA” or that town “next to the city that’s next to the city that’s a bit North of Disneyland.” Nobody really knows the searing rage we all get when travelling down Colima, the stunning multicultural mix here (that was sarcasm), or the suspiciously high number of pregnant Asian women near Target. Let’s face it -- we’re unknown.
BUT, nobody also knows the memories we’ve all made in these dusty halls; or in Puente Hills mall, with our AMC movie stubs and Forever 21 bags; or the lessons taught these inspiring teachers (and the less inspiring bike lady).
Nobody knows the perpetual disrepair and convenient final opening of our pool; the tiresome hikes or runs up and down the winding trails of Schabarum Park; the meaning of “Puente Hills” as a mecca for students to destress and forget the complexities and troubles of life and school; those addictive little black balls of boba at the bottom of each drink we had; the nights when, despite the limited area and quaintness of our small town, we managed to have an amazing time.
And, of course, nobody knows that incredible view on the “Top of the World,” at Vantage Pointe, looking out over these thousands of lights of Rowland, each telling a story of ambition, loss, friendship, love, or craziness as vivid and complex as your own. All interconnected in the tapestry that is this town, each functioning as another bright beacon, another lighthouse for the ships and sailors lost at sea. We each glow with welcome, a “Come here, it’s safe!” And, undoubtedly, each lighthouse has found its own ships to harbor, with weclome arms.
But we all know this. What I’m trying to say is, this place where we’ve all come, humble John A. Rowland High School in Rowland Heights, has shaped us. So, yes, do take pride in this town that we very rarely take pride in. This town is our Smallville, where each and every one of us is Superman. It’s our collective little secret. And, YES, do take pride in this school. This Rowland blue and gold will forever be a central part of who we all are.
And we’ve experienced all these things and more. And it’s gone by way too fast. While we’re in it, life here seems epic. Fiery, impassioned, grand. Every smile, every laugh we had gasping for air, every picturesque moment -- those seemed eternal, ubiquitous, neverending. We look back now at the finale of our high school experience, and, suddenly, our memories all cascade one after another like a river that’s flowing a bit too fast to a destination that’s a bit too unknown. Looking back, they all fall messily into place, but, for some reason, we latch onto things as quaint and trivial as late night conversations, car rides, simple little laughs, or flashes of smiles. Don’t you see? These memories are the stuff of life.
So, that’s how far we’ve come. Our collective first chapter, humble beginning, and origin story. But each and every one of us is going some separate way, and I tell you now to have faith in how far you’ll go. Have faith in the fact that all of you WILL transcend this school, that this IS the first chapter to our sprawling lives, a humble introductory note before our endless conquests, losses, failures, and successes. Have faith that the future pro athletes, pastry chefs, business leaders, politicians, presidents, CEO’s, doctors, engineers, and more are in this class. Have faith that all these separate paths we’re taking, though it seems heartbreaking right now, will take us to a place even greater than how far we have come. Even greater than good ol’ John A. Rowland. So my answer is, YES, do take pride in how far you’ve come and have faith in how far you’ll go. Because, in the immortal words of my good friend Wiz Khalifa: “We’ve come a long way from where we’ve began / But I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again.”
Негізгі бет Rowland Heights, California | Graduation Speech 2015
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