WMHS 2011 Graduation: Class President Speech

Woburn Memorial High School 2011 Class President Michael Padulsky provided the text of his graduation speech to Woburn Patch. 

Good afternoon family and friends, teachers and administrators, and most importantly the Class of 2011.  I would first like to congratulate everyone here today. Whether you are a friend, teacher, or family member, you have had a significant impact on the life of each graduate seated before you. These past four years have not been easy for many of us, but with your support, dedication, and devotion to our success, we made it here today, to our graduation from Woburn Memorial High School. Some may view this occasion as a depressing day of saying goodbye, while others may see it as a joyous transition into the next chapter of our lives. However, I see it as an opportunity to reminisce about the lessons we have learned and the people that have influenced us to be who we are today.

Right now I would like each of the graduates to look around, the people sitting near you could be a homeroom buddy, someone who has consistently been in your classes, or simply a person you occasionally saw in the halls. These are the people that you have learned with, grown with, and become friends with, and together we make up the class that had a record number of snow days that we did NOT have to make up, the class that brought the rollercoaster and the wave to Fenway Park, and the class that is full of all-star athletes, Mathletes, and volunteers, but most importantly we will forever be known as the Class of 2011.

When we look back on high school, we will be overwhelmed with memories and stories of our friends dancing or singing during classes to songs like “Tik Tok” or “Milkshake,” or our classmates always breaking the rule of there being no such thing as a stupid question. As the author Tim O’Brien said, “Sometimes remembering will lead to a story, which makes it forever…Stories are for joining the past to the future.” This high school experience has been different for all of us, some of us chose to concentrate on sports or work, others vigorously studied for A.P. classes, while some spent a large majority of their time volunteering with the activities such as the Breast Cancer Walk or Best Buddies. However, regardless of the route you took in high school, these years have created the foundation of our friendships, goals, and characters.

No matter where we all go next year, we will always have the bonds and friendships that we have established over the past four years. The friendships that we have formed during high school have the potential to last a lifetime because if we can survive seeing each other almost every single day for four years, there’s not much we can’t overcome. Your high school friends have seen you on your best days when you broke that school record, when you got accepted into the college of your dreams, and even when you shouted with excitement after finally solving that calculus problem using your TI-83s, but they have also seen you on your worst days when you got into your first accident (and your second) or had to deal with a loss in your family. Our friends have stood by us during these moments in our lives always encouraging us to move forward.

We all have those certain friends that make our days a little better.

To the friend who brightens your day with a sarcastic remark about another friend or a funny impression or facial expression, you have shown us the importance of laughter and how a smile really can be contagious.

To the friend who has always known exactly what you’re thinking and occasionally takes the words right out of your mouth, you have been the friend who has understood us when no one else has had a clue.

To the friend who shares your interests, whether that includes music, scary movies, television shows, or OCD tendencies, you have helped us realize that we are not alone.

And finally to the Best Friends who have gotten lost in Boston with us, laughed with us until we cried, gone to almost every school dance with us, blasted music with us in the car to drown out our frustrations, and most importantly supported us throughout every single stepping stone that has gotten us here today. Thank you for your continued encouragement and friendship during the most important years of our lives.

Although getting to this day, may have seemed like an insurmountable feat, together we have overcome the many obstacles along the way, allowing us to proceed to our next challenge. Many of us may fear leaving our friends and worry about what is to come, but my brother Timothy said it best in his graduation speech in 2005 that “We cannot allow things beyond our control to consume us. We must always live life to its fullest and that means casting our fears aside and greeting each new day with a fervent desire to enjoy everything that life has to offer.”  So as we leave high school, we need to take the lessons that we have learned from friends, teachers, and family members and apply them to our future.

I think that it is important to thank all of the people that have helped us to get to this point in our lives. We need to thank our families for reading and editing important essays, helping us press that submit button for college applications on the common app, teaching us the rules of the road (no matter how nervous we made them or still make them), and for attending many of our games, meets, ceremonies, recitals, and activities while also being our loudest and most dedicated cheerleaders. For this and so much more, I would like to thank the moms, dads, sisters, brothers, as well as other family members who have supported and motivated us to strive for our best each and every day.

We also need to thank our teachers. They have challenged us ever since we were five-years-old and have taught us most of what we know today. Our teachers have been reliable and helpful as well as critical and strict, but only because they wanted to push us to our fullest potential. On behalf of the Class of 2011, I would like to thank our dedicated teachers and administrators here in the Woburn Public School System for their many years of commitment to our education.

Although we are all moving on and away from Woburn Memorial High School and the Class of 2011, we will always have the stories, memories, and friendships that will remind us of the four years that we had here. And just remember that the Woburn Public School System has provided all of us with the tools that we need to succeed in our future endeavors. Harriet Tubman said that, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” We all have the means necessary to make a difference in the world and it is our responsibility to take advantage of the opportunity. It has been a true honor being a part of the Class of 2011 and I wish you all the best in your future paths. Congratulations and Thank you for an amazing four years!