Friends, Relatives, Class of 2023, For those of you who might not know me, I am Mason Lox. Welcome to the graduation ceremony that is about to commence. First off, I would like to congratulate every student that is seated here before me. Twenty-five years ago I was sitting in the same spot pondering what I would do with the rest of my life. I never would have believed anyone if they told me about the things I would encounter after my high school graduation.
Since the day I graduated my life has taken a completely different turn than I had intended. Right after high school I enrolled into college like I had planned. But right after I completed the first year of college my band got signed and I began my life on the road. After a few years in the music business returned to the university where I finished my degree.
Once I returned back to college, I found that it wasn’t very hard to complete my degree. After spending life on the road for those few years, I found that I took college more seriously than I had before. The “real world” seemed to make things actually feel scarier than I had thought they would appear. I was paying for my college out of my pocket, and so its value became very real to me.
The reason I pointed this out to you is not to boast of my accomplishments, but to let you know what may be in store for you. You see, I didn’t have a clue what was really going to happen, the way many of you feel right now. You may choose to pursue a career right after graduation or you might choose to enroll directly into college. I know that Oak Ridge has 80 percent of their students enroll in college, but that is a high percentage for many schools.
Not everyone should feel pressured to try and attend college if you aren’t ready for it. The point I’m trying to make is that for the rest of your life you will be calling most of the shots. I would like to point out the fact that college will always be there, so you can begin at any time. But it is very important to note that the longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to start. I hope that some of this will sink into your mind.
Everyone wants to hear that life will be great after high school, and the truth is that it really does get better! But do not forget that your future is up to you and that from now on no one will be there to make sure you wake up or to make sure you are eating right. You will be making your own decisions and to some of you that is exhilarating and to some that is the most frightening thing you will ever think of. But do not worry at all, because each and every one of you has a specific gift, and you can take that gift and use it to the fullest extent. When you do that, just sit back and watch your life take a turn for the better.
Truthfully, though, neither your parents nor I can even recall one word that was said by a single speaker on that glorious rainy day of our graduation ceremony. You know everyone of you should be thankful for this great weather we have right now. On my graduation day it was raining cats and diplomas. It is hard to believe that it was twenty-five entire years ago that I was sitting on this same field with many of your parents.
I would like to advise all of you to set some goals for yourself and plan on accomplishing them. Without goals there isn’t anything worth trying to obtain. After today you will probably feel a bit different, a little more responsible and older. You will probably lose your feeling of invincibility and life will be more real to you.
Even though this might sound bad it doesn’t have to be negative. Take your graduation as a positive experience and live your life to the fullest. Accomplish the tasks that you feel are important and you will find that you become a happier individual because of it.
I would like to congratulate you all once again on your achievements. Welcome to the rest of your life, Class of 2023!
