Ed Porter was honored with the opportunity to give the 2018 VHS Graduation Commencement speech as the Board of Education President.
His speech was as follows:
Greetings to the board of trustees, our Superintendent Larry King, Principal Ty Devoe, teachers and faculty, friends, family and most importantly the students of Vasquez High School…. I want to extend my congratulations to the class of 2018 for how far you have come, and my best wishes for the direction in which, you’re headed...
It’s a great honor to be here, on such a special occasion. I have known so many of you since kindergarten or shortly after, I know about ½ of the graduating class by 1st name… and it has been a privilege to watch all of you grow up. I want you to know how proud of you I am and knowing each and every single one of you, has made me a better person.
It’s at a time like this, that it’s natural to ask yourself what you may want to do in the future… Some of you may know exactly what you want, which is great… Some of you may have no idea at all… and that’s okay too...
What’s important is that you follow your heart to the place that is right for you… but wherever you end up in a career, it’s pivotal to know that your job is not who you are. It is merely what you do… However, having said this, the lack of a healthy career will affect every aspect of your life. It will cause you to feel constrained in various ways and make you dependent on others, which is a position that you never want to be in…
I believe that a person’s life should be focused around health, family and career. Needless to say, your career will play a huge role in your physical health and your family’s life. In fact, you simply cannot have one of these 3 things without the others… Right now, you are all around 18 years old ... You are likely to be blessed with excellent health and while being too young to start a family at this age, the one thing you can do whole-heartedly is to be to focused on your career. I must clearly warn you, if you choose the easy path right now, that is if you choose to concentrate on leisure and take a passive approach in the next 6 or 7 years, as opposed to aggressively pursuing your education and career, then you will certainly pay the price later on in life, through having a very difficult time financially, emotionally and in numerous other ways that need no elaboration. Concentrate now on your education and sharpen your work-ethic, so that later on, you can have a fulfilling and successful career of your choice, one that will allow you the luxury of enjoying a secure life and more importantly the chance to focus -without distraction- on the things that will undoubtedly matter the most to you later: Your family, your home life and hobbies, your health and your community...
Know that there is honor in productive, honest work. Everyone has to provide some kind of service to society, period. We have to contribute to our tribe, our tribe of humanity. We are not where we are today as Americans by accident, so be an asset to our society and not a drain! And in the process you will be greatly rewarded. There was a recent survey of parents in the U.S. that found that the number one advice that they wished to give their children is “hard work pays off”… That survey is very revealing and it says a great deal about the reality of life. Choose to do what others cannot, by educating yourself to the maximum of your potential in order to maximize your worth to society and reap the subsequent rewards that follow.
In your career choice, make sure you follow your heart into a field that feeds your soul and your desires... and trust your inner instincts, by choosing a field that you are passionate about. This will not only greatly increase your chances of success; it will also give you an advantageous edge in a career that will be fulfilling. Only you know your true passions, do not let others alter the path you want to take in your career, because you alone know the true desires of your heart...
But remember that sometimes, things will not go as planned and you may find challenging obstacles on your road… True persistence is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm until one finds success as a direct result of his or her determination, planning and resolve...
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not, nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent... In the same token, education alone won’t ensure that you succeed either; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence, courage and determination are indispensable if you want to succeed in your career, in your education and in your personal life.
Your parents’ assistance - while very helpful - is not a prerequisite of your success. Some of you may have parents who are successful in their lives and careers. Some of you do not. What you all have in common is that neither the success of your parents, nor their failures can be bestowed upon you as individuals. You alone hold the key. You alone carve the path that you will be traveling for the remainder of your days from this point onward…
Like I said earlier, please do not take the easy road in the approaching years ahead of you, for this will only cause you a life of hardship later on!… Pursue the less traveled path, the one that leads to life’s hidden treasures and with an enthusiastic, exited and brave heart, reach for your dreams and goals, now.
The future is promised to no one, you make your own destiny, through your own efforts, education and planning…
A bright future belongs to those who believe in the feasibility of their dreams and are persistently willing to do what it takes to get there…
And IF upon deep reflection, you find that you are not on the right path that makes you proud and happy - and that your passions have shifted - … be brave enough to start over, until you get it right! Which I know, you will.
Class of 2018, I hope that your dreams take you, to the corners of our world, to the highest level of your hopes, to the maximum of your potential and to the doors of your opportunities, and in doing so, to the most special places your heart and your imagination have ever known… Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life that you have imagined… All your goals can be achieved... if you have the courage, character and persistence to pursue them… It’s been a privilege to be here on your special day and Thank YOU for having me…
His speech was as follows:
Greetings to the board of trustees, our Superintendent Larry King, Principal Ty Devoe, teachers and faculty, friends, family and most importantly the students of Vasquez High School…. I want to extend my congratulations to the class of 2018 for how far you have come, and my best wishes for the direction in which, you’re headed...
It’s a great honor to be here, on such a special occasion. I have known so many of you since kindergarten or shortly after, I know about ½ of the graduating class by 1st name… and it has been a privilege to watch all of you grow up. I want you to know how proud of you I am and knowing each and every single one of you, has made me a better person.
It’s at a time like this, that it’s natural to ask yourself what you may want to do in the future… Some of you may know exactly what you want, which is great… Some of you may have no idea at all… and that’s okay too...
What’s important is that you follow your heart to the place that is right for you… but wherever you end up in a career, it’s pivotal to know that your job is not who you are. It is merely what you do… However, having said this, the lack of a healthy career will affect every aspect of your life. It will cause you to feel constrained in various ways and make you dependent on others, which is a position that you never want to be in…
I believe that a person’s life should be focused around health, family and career. Needless to say, your career will play a huge role in your physical health and your family’s life. In fact, you simply cannot have one of these 3 things without the others… Right now, you are all around 18 years old ... You are likely to be blessed with excellent health and while being too young to start a family at this age, the one thing you can do whole-heartedly is to be to focused on your career. I must clearly warn you, if you choose the easy path right now, that is if you choose to concentrate on leisure and take a passive approach in the next 6 or 7 years, as opposed to aggressively pursuing your education and career, then you will certainly pay the price later on in life, through having a very difficult time financially, emotionally and in numerous other ways that need no elaboration. Concentrate now on your education and sharpen your work-ethic, so that later on, you can have a fulfilling and successful career of your choice, one that will allow you the luxury of enjoying a secure life and more importantly the chance to focus -without distraction- on the things that will undoubtedly matter the most to you later: Your family, your home life and hobbies, your health and your community...
Know that there is honor in productive, honest work. Everyone has to provide some kind of service to society, period. We have to contribute to our tribe, our tribe of humanity. We are not where we are today as Americans by accident, so be an asset to our society and not a drain! And in the process you will be greatly rewarded. There was a recent survey of parents in the U.S. that found that the number one advice that they wished to give their children is “hard work pays off”… That survey is very revealing and it says a great deal about the reality of life. Choose to do what others cannot, by educating yourself to the maximum of your potential in order to maximize your worth to society and reap the subsequent rewards that follow.
In your career choice, make sure you follow your heart into a field that feeds your soul and your desires... and trust your inner instincts, by choosing a field that you are passionate about. This will not only greatly increase your chances of success; it will also give you an advantageous edge in a career that will be fulfilling. Only you know your true passions, do not let others alter the path you want to take in your career, because you alone know the true desires of your heart...
But remember that sometimes, things will not go as planned and you may find challenging obstacles on your road… True persistence is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm until one finds success as a direct result of his or her determination, planning and resolve...
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not, nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent... In the same token, education alone won’t ensure that you succeed either; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence, courage and determination are indispensable if you want to succeed in your career, in your education and in your personal life.
Your parents’ assistance - while very helpful - is not a prerequisite of your success. Some of you may have parents who are successful in their lives and careers. Some of you do not. What you all have in common is that neither the success of your parents, nor their failures can be bestowed upon you as individuals. You alone hold the key. You alone carve the path that you will be traveling for the remainder of your days from this point onward…
Like I said earlier, please do not take the easy road in the approaching years ahead of you, for this will only cause you a life of hardship later on!… Pursue the less traveled path, the one that leads to life’s hidden treasures and with an enthusiastic, exited and brave heart, reach for your dreams and goals, now.
The future is promised to no one, you make your own destiny, through your own efforts, education and planning…
A bright future belongs to those who believe in the feasibility of their dreams and are persistently willing to do what it takes to get there…
And IF upon deep reflection, you find that you are not on the right path that makes you proud and happy - and that your passions have shifted - … be brave enough to start over, until you get it right! Which I know, you will.
Class of 2018, I hope that your dreams take you, to the corners of our world, to the highest level of your hopes, to the maximum of your potential and to the doors of your opportunities, and in doing so, to the most special places your heart and your imagination have ever known… Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life that you have imagined… All your goals can be achieved... if you have the courage, character and persistence to pursue them… It’s been a privilege to be here on your special day and Thank YOU for having me…
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