Sam Baker

Commencement Speech
Its a typical Sunday during the school year. You go through the normal weekend morning routine, feeling
relaxed as you sip your coffee, whether youre a part of the exclusive club of teenagers who have actually acquired a
taste for it, or you are among the majority of whom pretend to love it, but in actuality drink it to look pretentious and
grown up. Or you could just be like me and sleep until noon because sleeping in is such an amazing opportunity that
only presents itself two-sevenths of the time, so you feel almost obligated to take advantage of it. Regardless, school
is somewhere in the distance, sitting on top of the mountain of homework for which you promised yourself you
wouldnt dare procrastinate on, but it just intimidated you into shrugging and saying, eh, Ill do it tomorrow. So
you go about your Sunday business, selecting arbitrary times to start the homework, but never really getting down to
doing it until about 9pm. I think we all might have experienced this, but if you havent and you have no idea what
Im talking about, Im deeply sorry for wasting your time. But Im up here to be one of the first of many to tell you
that 13 years of these Sundays have finally amounted to something! And that diploma is only a few more very long
speeches away. Class of 2015, we did it. Congratulations.
Wait, wait, wait. Sorry, that was kind of misleading. But similar to the weekend school projects at 9pm on a
Sunday, Ive only just started.
There are so many unsung heroes who stroll through the halls of Lakewood High School, whether theyre
in the newly renovated building, or the makeshift academic trailer park. And although they are fantastic in their own
right, the teachers are not the heroes. In fact, the heroes are each and every hormonal teenager who make of this
2,000 person school. We pride ourselves on graduating, reaching the end, eager to start the next chapter in life,
allowing graduation day to be the culmination of all the happiness, sadness, stress, and anticipation of high school.
We forget, however, to recognize our everyday achievements. These could range from taking out the garbage to
make your parents happy, or acing that test you studied so hard for (or if you didnt study and you feel like you
achieved something even bigger, it works both ways, really.), or you could feel achievement in just brightening a
persons day. Achieving anything you wanted should be thought of as heroic. But recognizing such
accomplishments is entirely up to you. Dont let an awkward walk across a stage, a firm handshake, and a diploma
define your future achievements, nor your not-so-major ones in the past. Learn from what has happened to you,

embrace what is happening at the present moment, and prepare for what may happen. We are a species that innately
notices each other, but not so much ourselves. That includes our own capabilities, so when it comes any kind of
aspirations you may have (within reason), you can virtually achieve anything you set your mind to. I know saying
this sounds clich, especially when most of you have the Im the king of the world! attitude right now since youre
getting your diploma today. But take it from me, a kid born with a mild disability, who for years tried to tell himself
that since he was just a little different, hed never be as good as his peers. But I did what all of you would
probably do if you were in my situation. I learned to compensate and adapt. So just remember, anything I can do,
you can do (probably) better. In essence, it comes down to will power. If you want to run a marathon but you need
to listen to Eye of the Tiger while training to have that extra ounce of determination and will, good for you. Not
one person in the world can take that away from you. I assure you that your dreams matter, and with the right know-
how and a true sense of bravery, youre gonna go far, kid.
As the wise and whimsical Walt Disney once said, All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to
pursue them.
Passion plays a role within every human being. It can course through the veins of someone at a rally, or
coolly be expressed in a piece of writing. Even the most apathetic person in this auditorium can find something that
they care deeply about. In high school, we must search. We search frantically for what we are passionate about. And
the tragic thing is that high school is not the most ideal setting to start, because whether it be in a positive or
negative context, you are judged for your passions. In middle school, it was whether or not you wore Uggs that went
well with your North Face, or if you owned a Vera Bradley to put your ridiculously expensive possessions in. I
should point out now that I have a twin sister, and would have known none of this information if I didnt have to
grow up next to her, but I digress. In an ideal world, high school would not have to be filled with cliques and
stigmas and stereotypes, but it is. And although Im sure the progressive and innovative students of Lakewood High
are capable of creating the first high school that doesnt actually feel like high school, it is our job to make the best
of it. Expression of these passions will help us pave the way. That is why Im so glad to be graduating from a school
with 80 different clubs and so much diversity. It gave us all the opportunity to explore what being zealous really
means. Lakewood has had a profound impact on the graduating class of 2015 in that each and every one of us found
out what we are passionate about. And Im sorry, but knowing what you want to be when you grow up is note the

definition of passion. So if your future may seem a little hazy, or you dont have some family legacy to continue, I
can assure that there is something out there for you, something that will change your life. Today is just the
beginning. Confidence and composure are key, and will ensure that you unlock the door to your true potential,
fellow graduates.
Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.- Dr. Seuss
As you all look up on this stage today, youll see the faces of proud graduates, but it goes without saying
that within the last four years, hardships have been endured, hours of sleep have been lost, couples have broken up,
tests have been failed, names have been called, and problems have gone unsolved. However, everyone knows that
life cannot simply be a rollercoaster that only goes up.
75 years ago, in an address to the whole population of a war-troubled Britain it was a plump, quirky-
looking Winston Churchill that said, If youre going through hell, keep going. Now I know that Churchill was
speaking in regards to World War II, but for the next minute or so, lets pretend he was talking about high school.
High school is like a marathon (except its mandatory and despite what the nurse might say, it may even have a
detrimental effect on your health). And I suppose 4
th
quarter of your senior year is miles 25 and 26, and senioritis is
the equivalent of crawling to the finish line. It is so amazing that all of us kept going and persevered through our
own personal battles. We made it to the finish line, and we get a three month break before having to start a whole
new race called college. Its a marathon through an obstacle course. But the important thing is that we finished this
journey together. Weve evolved from the boy in kindergarten with his lunch box, to the elementary school girl
raising her hand with confidence, to the middle school boy shooting a free throw, to the high school girl playing the
saxophone, all the way to the high school graduate. For those of you looking at me like I have two heads, Im talking
about the school district logo. Anyway, each and every one of you should be immensely proud of yourself. Its so
cool to a part of this.
Im honored to be given the chance to address all of you today at commencement and hope I inspired you
to find your passion, embrace lifes changes, and keep being heroic. If you didnt like my speech, however, then I
apologize, and Im open to criticism, but not on the day of my graduation, because I just feel so great right now, so
in the words of the famous rapper, Kendrick Lamar, Bitch. Dont kill my vibe. Thank you.