Class of 1998 Valedictorian Speech

I came across my valedictorian speech and thought it would be fun to share on my blog.  In 1998, there were several of us Oak Hill High School valedictorians that were allowed to speak to our graduating class.  Here was my contribution:

"As we come here today to celebrate how smart we have become, I have one final exam for the class of '98.  Just four quick questions. For the OHHS class of 1988, that's just 10 years ago, how many games did the football team win?  Who was the captain of the basketball team? Who was Miss OHHS? And lastly, who was the valedictorian?
Does anyone know the answer to all these questions?

I didn't think so.

For the last four years we have defined success by these criteria. What grade did you make? Who's the most popular?

Ten years from today, who will really care if Debbie Bragg was a valedictorian?

If today's successes are forgotten so quickly, were we really successful at all? Instead of striving for things that will soon be forgotten, maybe we should define success by a different standard.

In his poem, Success, Ralph Waldo Emerson said true success means, 'to laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition. To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.'

Jesus Christ put it this way, feeding the hungry, helping the homeless, clothing the poor, nursing the sick, and visiting the lonely--these things will be the things which shall last.

Throughout the past four years, I have gained a great deal of knowledge in the classroom, but the greatest lesson I have learned is this: Jesus Christ gives us the guidance we need to truly be successful. He gives me the ability to overcome all limitations and the courage to stand up for my beliefs even if I'm standing alone.

Ten years from now, I don't want to be remembered for the grades I have earned. It's not the things I've done but who I've encouraged that matters. Therefore, I encourage you, the class of 1998, to blaze your own trail by finding success in things which shall last."


**Thank you to Pastor Steve Willis who was a guide and mentor during the tough high school years**