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Before I say anything else, I would like to recognize that this is a special day today
-- Fathers' Day -- and I wish all the fathers in the world a happy day. Although my father
isn't here, my mother is. She has travelled over 12 time zones just to see her son graduate
from high school. 9 years ago, at my 10th birthday party, my
mother told me one thing, she said: "The next 10 years are going to be the most important
years in your life, the knowledge you acquire, the people you meet and the life that you
choose to live in will have great influence on your future." Having absolute no idea of
what America was like, I nodded and believed that I was going pass some tests to become
one of the good students in school in China, nor had I known that I would spend my 18th
and 19th birthday at Granby, under the threat of snowstorm that took out the power of the
area and the hurricane Sandy, and really enjoy a journey of 2 years with all of you.
Although, I haven't accomplished anything in my life, my mother is always so proud of
me, no matter where I go, no matter what I do. I always know that she's got my back,
and support me whenever I need. Therefore I would like to use this opportunity to say
thank you to her: [thank you mother in Chinese]. It was about a month ago when I found out
that I would be giving this speech as the senior speaker of our class. I didn't finish
until last night, more precisely this morning. Naively, I thought, my procrastination would
help me compose this easily because I would be older and therefore wiser. I guess that
explains why I had so many last minute essays in Mr. Saarela's or Ms. O'Brien's classes.
I sat in front of my desk for days, trying to come up with words to describe my feelings
toward this place. MacDuffie isn't exactly the first stop in the U.S. for me. Unlike
many other international students, I have had the experience of being an exchange student
in Ohio for a year. Yet comparing to that, the 2 years I have spent at MacDuffie means
much more to me. Here, is a place that I can call home. Today, I would like to share some
feelings of friendship and love. Time goes by fast, especially for me, one
second you open the app in your phone and it says 60 days till graduation, the next
second it's reaching the single digit. I remember Ms. Lyman said it last year to all the seniors:
"Every day you are saying goodbye to your life at MacDuffie." That's true, the last
time to go to assembly, the last time to turn in an essay, the last time to walk in the
hall way and ask your friend if he has done the homework, and today, is the last time
you march with your friends. But for the first time, I wished the bell would never ring,
our class would never end, so I could see all your faces for one more time, one more
second. It's never easy to say goodbye, especially when you know, sometimes saying see you to
your friend may mean that you will not see your friend for a very very long time.
This is the time in the year when people get emotional, not only for graduation but also
for parting from people that they love. It hit me when everyone was signing on my yearbook.
I went through all the words and realized what really matters to us aren't all the big
things that happen but more or less all those tiny little details that touch us.
Chi -- when I go to college, who will ever take all those awesome pictures for me and
walk all those miles with me after dinner; Seth -- I will never see you sitting in front
of your computer all night long playing video games without moving a bit, or try to stare
at me with your little eyes; Kelly -- it doesn't matter if I'm on the west
coast and you are on the east, I want you to be happy, with or without me, as long as
we know we are there for each other, that are enough;
Jack Li -- when will we ever finish reading that book for English, or restart our workout
plan; Creek -- Bill, we will soon become Californians,
but the time we had together as Mustangs is in my spirit. All the song we sang, all the
jokes we made, I will never forget; Lina -- although it's across the entire Pacific,
my heart will follow you no matter where you go. Though I can't be by your side for the
last 30 seconds of our time at graduation, I'm always the boy who let you draw on his
arm, punch him in his face, who you can talk to, who have had so much fun with you and
will never ever forget about you. Susie, Li, Dela, Celeste, Cherie, Jack Liu,
Jay -- and all of you, my dear friends of class 2013, I might not have mentioned your
names, but I do bear in mind all the details of the appreciation of life that you have
given me. Without you, these 2 years could never have been so amazing and joyful. Because
of you, I have learned and grown. Please remember that you matter to me so much I cannot express
it enough with words. Love, is when you walk by your dearest's room
and realize that chair will be forever empty after today; is when you want to order take
out and you can't find enough people to share that many chicken wings in the dorm; is when
you look at your friends and realize, these won't be the faces you see every day anymore.
Take a moment and look around, this will be the last time that we are ever all together
at the same time at the same place. This is it, this is the end of our high school, the
end of our journey together, and I'm honored, to have walked with you guys together for
over 2 years side by side, you have kept me strong, and I hope I can do the same for you
as well. I would like to quote a line from my best
friend Seth to close this speech, something I found deeply moving. "So what you are afraid
of is not closing your eyes, but the next moment when they are exposed to the world
and lights. With your dreams went blight and sadness left you nowhere to hide. No wonder
the most joyful times of your life will be the time you first open your eyes and the
time you close them with all your tender might." Farewell my friends, treasure the time you
have with the dearest people around you. The speech may end but our friendship never will.
I love you all, and I will miss everything that has happened on this land forever and
ever. Thank you for listening and enjoy the day.