The Seniors in the class of 2015 have came a long way since they've walked through the doors of their respective high school four years ago and now they are less than six months before they sit in front of teachers, friends, and family members on commencement day. Commencement is a interesting word. It's an SAT word. During the last five months I have been assisting with the matriculation of our young people in an effort to prepare them for college and one of those efforts has been preparing for the SAT.... That strange standardized test that is used to determine part of our children's eligibility for acceptance to the college and/or university of their choice. In that work, we have defined words that we may have not seen before. Today's word is commencement. Commencement is a interesting word because it has one feeling yet another meaning. You will be graduating soon, so we may feel like the end of something is near, but in fact Commencement means "the beginning" and a new journey is not far off. Words are fascinating, are they not? So here we are, near the end of a journey but better yet just a little bit closer before the beginning of another. Endings are sad even depressing; beginnings are happy even exciting. Between an ending and a beginning is where we find the true measure of a person. See but here's the reality, many will fail to accept their new journey. The new journey will have unknowns, it will come with pitfalls and unforeseen dangers, mistakes will be made, known and unknown. You will be challenged and you will want to give up and unfortunately some will. But what you decide to do between the ending and the beginning will make you great. Life is about preparing for the endings and the beginnings. Senior projects and college applications. Finals and Financial Aid. Prom and Scholarships. Endings and beginnings practically simultaneously but we're not there yet so soak it in, enjoy the peace of being the most respected in the school, the elder statesman of your peers. Be examples, be responsible, and be free. Your midway to the end.....and the beginning.
Walter DeShields
College Prep Specialist - William Sayre High School
For more information, please contact:
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