My Salutatorian Speech
I came across this as I was reorganizing my room. I don’t even remember writing this, but it’s nice to reread after two and a half-ish years:
SALUTATORIAN SPEECH 2009
To all who are in attendance today, thank you for coming.
To my fellow seniors, congratulations.
To everyone in general, my name is Johann Christine, I am 4’11’’, and I hope you can see me.
It still hasn’t hit me that I’m about to graduate. I mean, I’m wearing all the right stuff, I’m making a speech, but the realization that my high school years are officially over is something that I can’t quite grasp at the moment.
For the past two weeks, I have been constantly contemplating on what to say to this audience tonight. I did what any desperate salutatorian would do: search up salutatorian speeches on Google. With over 71,000 results, nothing inspired me.
That’s when I realized that I have to rely on the one person who stayed by my side all throughout high school, the one person who endured the stress, the pain, and the tears with me, the one person who never gave up on me so that I may never give up on myself.
That’s when I realized that this honor as salutatorian was not by my own might, but by God’s grace. My accomplishments are not for my recognition, but for His glory. He should be my inspiration for tonight.
So first and foremost, I would like to thank my Lord and my God for this opportunity to address the class of 2009.
Fellow graduates, we have spent approximately 2 million minutes at Vallejo High, most of which was probably spent wishing that it would be over. I, for one, have been anticipating this day, this moment, for as long as the word “graduation” has been in my vocabulary. And now that this day has come, and as much as I want to get out of here, I have to admit- I’m scared.
I’m excited, but scared. When I look in the past, I realize how much things are going to change and how much more I should have appreciated what I had. I should have thanked my parents more, I should have recognized my teachers more, I should have this, I should have that.
When I look into the future, I realize the extent of uncertainty that lies ahead. What should I do? Should I do this or should I do that?
But after all those realizations, I realized one more thing: No matter what we have done in the past or what we are going to do in the future, what’s important is this present moment. It is one of the only moments of our lives where each and every one of our paths will converge at a single place.
I encourage you to take it all in. Savor this day, the day of your graduation. Thank your family, your friends, all who have been instrumental in your journey.
With that said, I want to thank my parents for dealing with me, my attitude, my selfishness, etc. I want to thank my teachers for their contributions to my education. I want to thank Mr. Salzman and Ms. Hamlin for constantly supporting and guiding me. I want to thank my boyfriend, Melvin, my best friend, Jyka, her parents, and Earnest Salgado for being an influential part of my growth as a student and a person. And I want to thank and send my best wishes to Mr. Saroyan. Although he mispronounced my name for four years, he has always had my back.
I believe I’ve spoken long enough.
So again to my fellow graduates, savor this day.
May God bless all of you and your future endeavors.
Go out into that world with conviction and passion. Dream big and deliver. You are part of the class of 2009, be proud.
