?
The following is the text of the speech given by the Kennedale High School 2018 Salutatorian, Christopher Chen.? Christopher graduated with a 4.55 G.P.A and is will attending the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.? He is planning to major in computer science. {{more: continue …}}?*************************?
?
“Thank you Mrs. Hunt for your kind introduction. Like Mrs. Hunt said, my name is Christopher Chen and I am honored to be Kennedale High School?s class of 2018 salutatorian.?First things first, I would like to thank all of the friends, family, teachers, faculty, and everyone else who were able to come to this special occasion. Truth be told, you are part of the reason why we graduates are here right now, and so for that we are extremely grateful for your attendance.
?
Also, I?ve been told to not incorporate things into my speech like cliches and Dr. Seuss quotes, so that?s exactly what I?m going to do real quick. Webster?s dictionary defines graduation as a mark on a container or instrument indicating a degree of quantity. Dr. Seuss once said ?HOP POP, we like to hop. We like to hop on top of pop.? I?ll do what I want.
?
It?s kind of hard to believe that it?s actually over. High school, starting tomorrow, will be a thing of the past. After today, it will all just be memories. It?s kind of hard to believe that it?s actually over because, if you think about it, it?s not. Let me explain.
?
These past four years have been wild to say the least, but within that relatively short period of time the experiences shared here at Kennedale have molded, shaped, sculpted us into the people that we know and love today. All those lunches in the school cafeteria, all those jokes shared with your friends, all those naps taken in the classroom, all of these memories helped us grow. We?ve all had good times, whether it was that time when you were elected for that officer position of that club or that time when they said yes to your homecoming or prom-posal.?However, every up has its down, whether it was that time when you had a late night study cram session for that US history test or that time when you felt like you couldn?t push on any longer. Whether it was a blessing or an ordeal, it?s hard to deny that those times are a big part of why we gather here, as graduates of the class of 2018. It might not have felt like it, but we have grown a lot since freshman year. I don?t know about y?all, but 2014 Christopher Chen, yeah, I do NOT know that guy. Freshman year, I was still wearing Nike elite socks with sperrys and taking pictures like THIS (do crouching and praying pose). But I digress.
?
I guess where I was trying to go with this is that despite the fact that today might be the last time you?ll see some of your peers, despite the fact that we are all different people who came from different backgrounds, despite the fact that high school is over, there will always be a piece of the class of 2018 culture that will carry on within you. So after today, when you go on to pursue your dreams or find out what your dreams are, I hope that you do it with the best of your ability. Because today, and every day for the rest of our lives, is a great day to be a wildcat.?
