WWS Commencement Speech: "With Responsibility Comes Potential"

Wheaton Warrenville South graduate George Doran shared his commencement speech with Patch. Congratulations to the Class of 2011!

Good morning,

I would like to take the opportunity to welcome and thank everybody coming out today: caring teachers, loving grandpas and grandmas, proud parents, our sulking siblings, and, of course, the Class of 2011.  Undoubtedly, it is truly amazing that so many thousands could gather here, all for the same reason: to make me incredibly nervous.  You succeeded.  I guess there’s that whole graduation thing too. 

Graduation.  Good God, it’s the day we’ve all been dreaming about since we entered kindergarten, and it’s finally here.  We made it. 

Now that it’s over, it really doesn’t seem like that long ago that we first stepped inside the halls as tiny little freshman.  Back then high school was awesome.  Everything was so much different and better than middle school.  People here seemed so big and mature. In high school, we finally could be a part of the exclusive world of facebook instead of myspace; we had incredibly long, six minute passing periods; we got two whole assemblies for homecoming; and there were tons of soda vending machines.  Yes, compared to middle school, high school was freedom and bliss. 

At present though, being at the end of our high school careers, it’s funny to look back and see how things have changed…freedom and bliss?  Passing periods are shortened by a minute, there is only one homecoming assembly, all the pop machines are gone, 80-something cameras monitor our every move, and, most tragic of all, middle schoolers, parents, and even grandparents use facebook at present—so much for exclusivity.  All right, maybe our middle school mindset of high school was a bit inaccurate after all. 

In the same breath, such a narrow view would belie the positives of our time at South.  These past four years have provided us with an unprecedented amount of opportunities to pursue and succeed in whatever interest we may have, and succeed we did.  Yes, I stand before this audience as an ambassador of a group of kids that exuded excellence in everything they did.  Just consider the last year alone: in the state we placed 3rd in girls Cross Country, 3rd in Speech, boys gymnastics finished 2nd, dance team was 2nd, football went undefeated and repeated as champions, and our show choir, the Classics, was crowned national champions.  Such a list excludes all our individual medals, academic achievements, conference titles, sectional triumphs, regional plaques, and, less tangible yet more important than any trophy, the numerous friendships and bonds we created while we were here.

In reality, all of this doesn’t just happen by chance, or by us students alone.  Despite this being our day, we didn’t make it here by ourselves.  Teachers, administrators, counselors, siblings, parents and countless others were there every step along the way.  We were all lucky enough to come from a community and a school that always helped us.  Nobody turning their tassel today—even those who loathed and despised every moment of high school—can say that there wasn’t at least one adult in this building who truly cared about them.  And for that, we as a class are forever indebted. 

But from here, we don’t go back to that bubble of security.  After this day, there is the future; that thing people refer to as real life.  Just like high school though, our adult life will have pros and cons.  On the upside, it’s about 15 times longer than high school.  On the downside, it’s about 15 times longer than high school.

I’ll be the first to admit it then, the real world is probably a little bit different than our tiger community.  What will be different?  For starters, there won’t be any teachers tallying tardies or deans doling out detentions.  More importantly, there won’t be anyone around forcing us to do the right thing: no required volunteer hours for Enviromental Biology, National Honors Society, or Key Club.  Will we still volunteer?   Will our morals and values change without parents supervising us?  Will we still be the same people in the future, even if there aren’t superficial rewards to forever guide us in the right direction? What happens after today will no longer be about impressing the college admissions officers or avoiding a grounding from our parents.  From now on, the only person we will be living for is our individual self. 

However, with the responsibility comes the potential.  We proved in high school that we wanted to and were able to succeed.  In the coming years though, what we have done over the past four will only be a cherished memory in our minds.  In the eyes of humanity, we have done nothing.  In no unclear parallel, we are once again freshmen, the tiny little kids who couldn’t even find their way to the right classroom.  Humankind’s problems are vast, ranging from global climate change to local flooding; international terrorism to District 200 school safety; third world poverty to DuPage County homelessness; and myriads of other issues both big and small. And in truth, we have not even begun to be a part of the solution.  But we know that where we are now does not determine where we will be in 4 years, 10 years, or 25 years down the road.  Because we understand the effort, determination, and commitment it takes to achieve, I am confident that in 4, 10, or 25 years out, we won’t still be in the same place as at present. We will be helping the less fortunate, promoting peace, combating climate change, and remedying the other wrongs in the world in our own unique ways.  No matter how big nor how small nor what area, we will be impacting society in a positive way that benefits our surroundings and, most importantly, enriches our own lives.

We haven’t yet though, and that brings us back to the present day, to the here and the now.  Graduation. Where we are going and where we are from are two very different yet vaguely similar places. Many lessons of character, friendship, and hard-work will be with us as we move forward.  Other things, like that bubble of protection, we say goodbye to forever here.  In that sense, graduation is a both a farewell and a welcome.  Today, as we walk across this stage, we end adolescence, and begin adulthood.  Today, as we walk across this stage, we end the story of us, and begin the tale of I.  Today, in the words of Shel Silverstein,

“We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And watch where the chalk-white arrows go,

To the place where the sidewalk ends.” 

To everyone here in the class of 2011, I wish the best of luck in the future.  Thank you very much, and let’s graduate.