Speech of the student Cristina Rodríguez

Speech of the student Cristina Rodríguez
año 2005-2006

“CLASS OF 2006”
Wednesday , July 19th, 2006

For many, the school is just an institution where knowledge and values are taught, but for me, it’s also, all my life. I want to say good morning to everybody who accompanied me throughout it: parents, mothers, grandparents, brothers, sisters, professors and students of this graduating class.

I’ll always remember when we met on the first day of class, when we arrived with our big lunchboxes full of food. Some of us crying because we wanted our mothers; others were simply kept quiet with toys. Nonetheless it was our first day of school. After preschool we were dropped off at the main entrance, where Evelio greeted us every morning. I will always stay with the doubt of how he could memorize all of our names and, in many cases, even of our parents. It will be forever in my mind when we learned to read with Ms. Chalin, the Spelling Bees, and our sixth grade dinosaur project, were we all became famous archeologists.

How to forget our first day in High School, were we had eleven different teachers and each one had their own set of roles. But as quick learners, as we are, that was not a problem, we all tried to follow them as best as possible.

For fourteen years we have remained in an atmosphere where everything has been said and advised, where we have been helped and guided, where our only worry was to obtain the grade to exempt or, in some cases, to pass and get the famous 29. Now we have almost become adults and everything that we have learned in this School and in our houses, we will use in that new world that awaits us, and, which new realities we will have to discover. A place, where we will make, under our own responsibility and criteria, many decisions. Surely, we will commit many mistakes, but the important thing is what we learn from them.

That’s why we have to encourage ourselves to continue traveling through the world without stopping. Although we may stumble and fall down, we have to stand up and keep going. As Confucius said: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall”. The triumphs won’t easily fall down from the sky, we have to look and fight for them. I want to see ALL of us as excellent professionals and if it’s possible, the best in the field we have chosen. We must study very hard to stand out in everything we plan to do. It is very pleasant to do nothing, but we must recognize that nothing is better than to see the benefits of the effort and work we have made. Even if our way becomes cloudy, never go blind, because, remember, that everyday the sun comes out and rises to the east. Lets fight for what we want and triumph in life, because like winners we have been formed, and as such we should act. This is our obligation.

Before I leave I want to give thanks for everything we have learned to our parents, professor and, especially, to our school. 

Thank you.