Top 10 Graduation Songs

1. I Believe I Can Fly: R Kelly (1996)2. Graduation Song: Vitamin C (2000)3. We Are the Champions: Queen (1977)4. Don't Stop Believing: Journey (1981)5. Time of Your Life: Green Day (1997)6. I'm Coming Out: Diana Ross (1980)7. School's Out: Alice Cooper (1972)8. Lean on Me: Bill Withers (1972)9. It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine): R.E.M. (1987)10. Breakaway: Kelly Clarkson (2004)

Top Graduation Songs of All Time

With a Little Help from My Friends: The Beatles (1967) Sunscreen: Baz Luhrmann (1999) Do I Make You Proud: Taylor Hicks (2006) The Times They are a-Changin': Bob Dylan (1964) Billionnaire: Travie McCoy (2010) Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (1993) I Made It: Kevin Rudolf (2010) Through the Years: Kenny Rogers (1981) Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own: U2 (2005) Remember Me: Hoobastank (2002) Whenever You Remember: Carrie Underwood (2005) One Step at A Time: Jordin Sparks (2008) Fight for This Love: Chery Cole (2009) Young Forever: Jay-Z (2010) Live like We're Dying: Kris Allen (2009) Fly: Sugar Ray (1997) Arms Wide Open: Creed (2000) End of the Road: Boyz II Men (1992) I'm Moving On: Rascal Flatts (2001) I'll be There for You: The Rembrandts (1995) On My Way: Phil Collins Graduation Day: Chris Isaak Today: Smashing Pumpkins (1993) 100 Years: Five for Fighting (2003) High School Never Ends: Bowling for Soup (2006) Leaving Home Ain't So Easy: Queen (1978) These are the Special Times: Celine Dion (1998) Forever Young: Rod Stewart (1988) Last Goodbye: Jeff Buckley (1994) Don't Look Back: Boston (1978) Goodbye: Spice Girls (1998)

Time after Time: Cyndi Lauper (1984) Pictures of You: The Last Goodnight (2007) Photograph: Nickelback (2005) It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday: Boyz II Men (2001) I Will Remember You: Sarah Mclachlan (1995) Here's To The Night: Eve 6 (2001) Goodbye To You: Michelle Branch (2002) This Is The Time to Remember: Billy Joel You Learn: Alanis Morissette (1996) Firework: Katy Perry (2010) I Gotta Feeling: Black Eyed Peas (2009) The Climb: Miley Cyrus (2009) I Dare You: Shinedown (2005) Born Free: Kid Rock (2010) Learn to Live: Darius Rucker (2008) Not Afraid: Eminem (2010) Throw Your Hands Up: Jump5 Letter to Me: Brad Paisley (2007) Say Goodbye: S Club (2003) Thank You: Dido (2000) There You'll Be: Faith Hill (2001) Unwritten: Natasha Bedingfield (2004)

I Hope You Dance: Leann Womack (2000)

We are gathered here today for Fresh Start Learning Center's Graduation. This is a great occasion in the lives of all the children. It is also due recognition for the outstanding work of the staff and also a pretty emotional day for the parents.

Just looking around, the happy smiling faces says so much about the environment here at the CAP Center. Our children have learned so much. The school places great value on community, learning and fun.

I feel really delighted at the way the children love coming here to school and look forward to what they learn. Seeing the big smiles on their faces in the morning is fantastic. They have learned to love learning and that skill will help them so much as they progress with their education.

Life is not just about learning to read and write. They are important, but just as important is love and friendship. This school places great emphasis on being part of the community. This is a lifelong skill which will help all of us flourish. It may seem slightly old fashioned but a sense of community to me is very important to the future of our nation and our children.

So, thank you to the teachers, the love you have for the children shines through in their results and thank you to all the parents who have willingly given their time.

Looking ahead our children are very well equiped to take on the next part of their educational lives. They have strong foundations and we feel very confident that we have given the children a great start in life. They have learned many priceless lessons. Take on challenges, be loving, love learning, be part of the community, laugh and be all you can be. What parent would not give a million dollars for their children to have that attitude all their lives.

Thank you.

One of the most important days of our life, graduation is a day which marks the commence of a new phase of our life. Graduation paves the way for our career as well for further studies. Graduation is an important event of every individual’s life, who could enjoy the privilege of education, it is a turning point from when it is time to take responsibilities and earn one ‘s own bread ideally. Though there are people who do start taking responsibilities from a very tender age

Graduation can be the second most memorable moment in a person's life (marriage being the first one!). It is a moment when you celebrate your accomplishments with your peers. The graduation ceremony is a melange of emotions, along with pride and satisfaction there is this anxiety about future and a sinking feeling about bidding farewell to friends and alma materThis day marks the years of work that have gone into achieving something you really wanted, making it a day awaited with bated breath.

Thank you very much for your kind introduction. I am very honored to be with you today as you celebrate. Each time you look at your diploma, remember that you are still a student, still learning how to best treasure your connection to others. Pick up the phone. Send an e-mail. Write a letter. Kiss your Mom. Hug your Dad. Get a life in.

I stand here a symbol of what is possible when you believe in the dream of your own life.

Every one of us has a calling. There is a reason why you are here. I know this for sure

our calling isn't something that somebody can tell you about. It's what you feel. It's a part of your life force. It is the thing that gives you juice. The thing that are you supposed to do. And nobody can tell you what that is. You know it inside yourself.

Oh, yes. So have no fear. Have no fear. God has got your back. And sometimes, sometimes you find out what you are supposed to be doing by doing the things you are not supposed to do. So don't expect the perfect job that defines your life's work to come along next week. If that happens, take the blessing and run with it. But, if not, be grateful to be on the path where you eventually want to live.

Abide in the space of gratitude, because this is what I know for sure. That only through being grateful for how far you've come in your past can you leave room for more blessings to flow.

Blessings flow in the space of gratitude. Everything in your life is happening to teach you more about yourself so even in a crisis, be grateful. When disappointed, be grateful. When things aren't going the way you want them to, be grateful that you have sense enough to turn it around.

There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says "Morning, boys. How's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes "What the hell is water?"

... simple awareness; awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us, all the time, that we have to keep reminding ourselves over and over:"This is water." "This is water."...

I'd like to share some of that advice with you. This concludes my offering to you on your big day: the simplest and best advice I could think of… advice that I will continue to follow as my own career continues:

==> Grow your self-confidence… and move quickly to repair it when it is damaged by the setbacks and failures and mistakes that lie ahead for us all.

==> Continue to grow intellectually… and listen to the little alarm inside you that sounds when stagnation or boredom… or becoming a know-it-all… begin to creep up on your.

==> Tackle the toughest jobs and challenges… and watch yourself do more… and learn more… than you ever dreamed possible.

==> Understand the difference between process and purpose… and never begin a day without being able to articulate that purpose… even if it's only to yourself.

==> Know yourself… particularly your weaknesses… and don't let a day pass without moving toward eliminating them.

==> And understand that whatever else may fail you… whatever bad luck or failure may befall you… your personal integrity is always in your own hands and can never be taken from you.

Congratulations to you all… and to the families that love you and have supported you during these important years.

With the self-confidence you have earned, it is time for you to go out and make them even prouder.

I want to leave you with one final thought.

We live in a world where technology has connected us in ways that we could never have imagined even a decade ago.

But the things that really matter still matter most. And I want to give a special thanks to those of you here today who have answered the call to serve in our nation's armed forces or have loved ones overseas fighting to defend our freedom. We're all grateful for your sacrifice.

No matter what you do in life, I want to encourage all of you to find some way to give back. The impact of that choice will not only improve the lives of others, it will enlarge and enrich yours as well.

As I said at the start, we're all lifelong learners. So go forward. Believe in yourself. Never give up. And may today be the beginning of a new journey, a great adventure, a life lived well and with purpose.

Thank you. And congratulations!

Always aim high. Don't settle for what you know you can accomplish. Challenge yourself to pursue the impossible, and you'll go further than you could ever imagine.

First, life has no limits. It's unpredictable, thrilling, awesome. And to live fully, you've got to seize opportunity, roll with the punches, be a little daring, and above all, keep your head in the game!

That's what I tell my girls. To succeed, you've got to have focus—the ability to see the big picture, the courage to dig in and persevere—so that when life throws you a curve, you don't get derailed.

Because life keeps you guessing.

Sometimes the road stretches straight ahead. Sometimes you're stuck in 5 o'clock traffic. Sometimes you're just trying to find the nearest exit.

And one thing you'll discover is that—more often than not—what at first appear to be roadblocks and setbacks are the very things that'll get you where you were meant to be.

We live in a world that is changing faster than ever. And to keep up, we all must adapt and grow. Just think when most of you were in high school, "Googling," "TiVoing," and "blogging" weren't even everyday words. I won't even get into "online dating."

But now more than ever, we can't afford to fall behind the times. That means we all must be lifelong learners. And those of you graduating here today know that better than anyone.

Next year, many of you will head back to school to continue your education. Some of you will return to your careers. And others of you will start entirely new ones. But today my advice to you is the same: Keep learning because you just never know what life has in store for you next.

The way to be happy is to like yourself. That’s the real reason not to lie or cheat or turn away in fear. There’s that old joke, not very funny, that goes "no matter where you go, there you are." That’s true. The person who you’re with most in life is yourself and if you don’t like yourself you’re always with somebody you don’t like.

when you hit a closed door and it doesn't open easily, don't get discouraged. Just remember my Studebaker. When all else fails, just rear back and kick the door open. But don't do it just for yourself -- do it also for those who follow you.

life is a very serious game. When you see a challenge, reach for it, grab it, and do it. And if you don't succeed, pick yourself up and try again.

Keep an open mind, an inquisitive mind. Learn from your successes. Learn from your failures. It's OK to make a mistake, but you are not entitled to make the same mistake twice.

I am touched. I look at you 2,045 graduates who celebrate today. Your families and your parents are so proud of your achievements. I know, because when we walked through for the procession, I saw so many smiling faces, and so many proud faces. You have worked hard, and you're entitled. You have many challenges and triumphs ahead, because your adventure is just beginning. which you are generous.

"Nobody else is paying as much attention to your failures as you are... To everyone else, it's just a blip on the radar screen, so just move on."

TRANSCRIPTThank you Chancellor Wiley, distinguished platform party, friends, guests and the very reason for our presence here today — the members of the class of 2003.

Before I start my remarks, I'd like everyone just to do something for me. Very simply — so everyone can kind of just get to know everyone else — on the count of three, I'd like everyone to turn around and shake the hand of the person sitting right behind you. One, two, three — right now, everybody, please do that.

So, I guess you still have a few things to learn.

My parents cried when I left for California. Not because I was leaving, (but) rather, I think, because they were afraid I'd be coming back. Not one teacher I ever had in grade school, high school or college would've believed that there was even the slightest chance that one day I would be asked to give the commencement address at a major university.

Many, given the opportunity, would've bet large sums of money against it, putting up their homes and children as collateral. Actually, I really like the idea of that, not because I'm vindictive — although in a few minutes I'm going to read the names of all the people in my life who never thought I would amount to anything — but because life should be unpredictable. And I'm very grateful that I never wasted any time trying to become somebody else's image of what I should be.

So, thirty-one years ago today, I drove from Madison, Wisconsin, to Los Angeles, California. On the way, I passed Camp Randall, where my college graduation ceremony was in progress. I thought about going to the ceremony, but it meant I would've arrived in Hollywood one day later, and at the time I just didn't see the point. I wanted to get there.

Gertrude Stein once said about Hollywood, "When you get there, there is no 'there' there." That's true. However, there will be a swimming pool and tennis court. In the end, though, it's probably not enough to justify a life's journey. Getting there, particularly in show business, is tough enough. You need a combination of talent, ambition, luck and a willingness to tell actors how beautiful they look today.

In retrospect, getting there was the easy part. Finding a "there" there is much harder. So today, before you get into your cars and race off to the rest of your lives, I want to give you some advice on how to get there. And I want to help make sure that when you get there, you find a "there" there.

To that end, I will give you my five rules to think about, quickly forget, but years from now kick yourself for not having listened to.

#1. Don't think about your future, especially right now. You'll miss my speech. There will be plenty of time to contemplate your future right after the ceremony, but then you'll miss all the celebrating and adulation. So just wait until you get home and have a good think about something that will happen in the future that will make you happy.

When I graduated from college, I spent a lot of time thinking about how cool it would be to be on the Johnny Carson show. A few years later, it happened. We appeared on the "Tonight" show, Joey Bishop was the guest host. We were dreadful. For years I ran into people who would stop me and say, "Hey, I saw you on the "Tonight" show. Huh... What's Joey Bishop like?" Eventually I got over the embarrassment, but I never got those years back — years I spent waiting for some future event to make me happy. I had tricked myself into thinking, "As soon as I get there, I'll be OK."

I work in a business where almost everyone is waiting for the next big thing. Sometimes it comes, and sometimes it doesn't. But it doesn't matter that your dream came true if you spent your whole life sleeping. So get out there and go for it, but don't be caught waiting. It's great to plan for your future. Just don't live there, because really nothing ever happens in the future. Whatever happens happens now, so live your life where the action is — now. And one more thing: If you're going to be on television, don't call your friends and tell them to watch until after you've seen it.

#2: Don't do anything that 30 years from now you'll look back at and say, "Oh, my God, why the hell did I do that?!" I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard someone start a sentence with, "If only, when I was younger, I would have...." So I did a little informal survey for you, and I found out that, amazingly, all these people had the same regret. When they graduated from college, sadly, they bought furniture.

This probably needs a little explanation. Right at this moment in your life, you are in a unique position that you may never ever be in again. You have nothing to lose. Everything you have acquired of value is locked inside you. If you have a dream, now is the time to pursue it, before you buy furniture.

I was one of the lucky ones. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin with no employable skills, unless you count jury duty. It meant I had to start from scratch and figure out where I fit in. I didn't have money, but I could afford to fail, and there were many failures. But I found out what I was good at. I found something I loved. And now I have furniture — lots of furniture.

#3: Mrs. Zubatsky's law. One day when I was a kid, our house caught on fire in Milwaukee. A large section of the wood shingle roof was burning as the fire trucks pulled up. The firemen ran into the back yard with a large hose and began assembling their metal ladders and positioning them against the house.

Mrs. Zubatsky was our next door neighbor and, at the time, she was standing on her upstairs porch taking in the laundry. She watched anxiously as the firemen struggled with their ladders. Suddenly she leaned over the balcony and shouted down to the professional firefighters, "Forget the ladders! Just point the hose at the fire!" The firemen, to their credit, responded immediately. They dropped their ladders, pointed the hose at the fire and extinguished the blaze in about 40 seconds.

There are two morals to this story. One, never assume that just because it's someone's job, they know how to do it. And two, don't let yourself be intimidated by professionals or their uniforms.

Growing up in Wisconsin, I never knew anyone in the movie business. I never even knew anyone who knew anyone in the movie business. That world had a mystique that made it seem unattainable to me. But, like Mrs. Zubatsky, I sat on my porch and I watched someone else do it, and I said, "I have a better idea." And like her, I seized the moment.

If you have a better idea, if your plan makes more sense, if you have a vision, then put down your laundry and scream a little bit. Throw your hat into the ring and never let professionals or their uniforms prevent you from telling anyone where to point their hose.

#4: If you're going to fail, fail big. If you don't, you're never going to make a difference. Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. Ask yourself one question: If I didn't have to do it perfectly, what would I try? For many of you, the biggest obstacle to getting there will be a fear that you have carried with your since childhood — the fear of humiliation, of embarrassment, of ridicule. That is SO stupid! Oh ... sorry. But really, you have to stop caring about that, which brings me to Travolta's law.

My brother David and Jim Abrahams and I were having pie at Rumpelmeyer's Coffee Shop in New York on the day after our third movie, "Top Secret," opened. The reviews were terrible and it was bombing at the box office. We were really getting into some serious moping and self-flagellation when John Travolta walked in. We knew him from the Paramount lot and he could see right away that we were in a funk. We immediately poured out our heart to him, explaining the pain of our humiliating misfortune.

I'm not sure what we were expecting, but John just smiled and said, "Guys, the thing you have to remember is (that) nobody else is paying as much attention to your failures as you are. You're the only ones who are obsessed with the importance of your own life. To everyone else, it's just a blip on the radar screen, so just move on. By the way, are you going to finish that pie?"

I found that advice very liberating — that the only one who my big failure was truly big for was me. So I thanked him and told him how beautiful he looked today, and now when I fail big, I just go out and have a piece of apple pie and I move on. And I always save a little piece for John Travolta. Amazingly, more often than not he shows up to eat it.

#5: The next time you go into a restaurant, please don't look at the waitress and say, "Can I get some ketchup?" You're supposed to say, "May I please have some ketchup?" Sorry — that doesn't count. Just a personal pet peeve of mine.

The real #5: Don't overuse the word "love." Everyone overuses the word "love." "I love your shoes." "I just love the new Justin Guarini CD." "I really love those little things they put on the chicken sandwiches at Subway." In Hollywood, they say "Love ya, babe!" So, OK, I get it. It's just the way people talk and it's probably harmless, but you shouldn't forget the real thing. The real thing is great. It's just not so easy with actual human beings, but if you work at it and you get it right, it will make you happier than anything else you do in your life.

Think of the world as a big glass of water with some salt in it. You have a choice. You can try to pick out all the salt or you can keep pouring in more water so eventually it gets less bitter. As you begin your new journey, you can try to remove everything that you find distasteful in the world, or you can just pour in more love. It's the only thing that the more you give away, the more you have.

So take all that warm, fuzzy stuff you've been hiding and spread it around a little. And then judge yourself not by your accomplishments, but by the happiness of the people around you. If you do that, you can do anything, you can go anywhere, you can fail at anything, and wherever you are, you will find a "there" there, because you'll bring it with you.

I would like to conclude with a sad, but true, story from my childhood. When I was a young boy of only 7, it was decided that I should take piano lessons. This is a true story, by the way. I swear. I studied piano for three years and learned to play one song poorly, which actually turned out to be an improvement over high school. Nobody was willing to tell me that I had no musical talent whatsoever. Finally, after three years, I was invited by my piano teacher, Mr. Dillman, to play in a recital. I was told recently that Mr. Dillman twitched visibly when my name was mentioned at his funeral.

I can't answer for others, but I was very excited that I was at last going to play my song in front of an audience. The day of the recital arrived. That morning, I got the chicken pox and, tragically, I never got to play my song. But today I've taken the liberty of bringing with me a small keyboard and, with your permission, I will finally get to play my song in front of an audience. I swear to you (that) this is the song that I learned to play after three years — the only song I know how to play on the piano. I think you will see that the lesson is patience. There comes a time for everything.

(Jerry played a flawed version of "On Wisconsin," inviting the audience to sing along, and then concluded his remarks.)

Congratulations! Welcome to real life! You graduated from the University of Wisconsin! You can do anything! Thank you.

Commencements speechThank you, President Payton. I would also like to thank the Board of Trustees, the faculty, administration and graduates for the opportunity to address this historic graduating Class of 2003 of Tuskegee University where the first Ph. D. graduates will receive their degrees in Materials Science and Engineering.…So, graduates just by being here today, you are giving your mother the best gift that she could ever receive--and that is the gift of having earned a University degree. Believe me, "it’s the gift that keeps on giving."

I would like to dedicate this Commencement speech and my honorary degree to the memory of my mother and my father, Itasker Frances and Donald Everett Thornton. For without them, both biologically and philosophically, I would not be standing here before you today. They practiced a work ethic and they instilled in me a work ethic. No, I am not one of those Commencement speakers who went from "jail to Yale" or from being "homeless to Harvard." I believe I was asked to speak to you today on this most auspicious occasion of your Commencement because we have a lot in common. And, that is, be underrated and underestimated.

I graduated almost 35 years ago from a small, private teachers’ college in West Long Branch, N.J., known as Monmouth College and you are graduating from a renowned Historically Black University in Alabama. But, Tuskegee University is not just a Black University, it is an American University, with its traditions, culture and pride.The parcels of land that eventually would become America may have been decreed by noblemen, queens and kings of Europe. But, the strength and true greatness of this country we call America was built on the backs and with the blood and sweat of immigrants, slaves and pioneers — your ancestors and mine.

Tuskegee has experienced both the worst and the best in race relations in this country. The worst being the "Tuskegee experiment" conducted by the United States Public Health Service to study the long-term effects of untreated syphilis on hundreds and hundreds of Black men in Macon County. The best was embodied in the Tuskegee Airmen who performed over 200 bomber escort missions in World War II without losing a single bomber to enemy aircraft. These two disparate chapters in the history of Tuskegee have now come together and have culminated into two great initiatives that I believe will secure the continued excellence at Tuskegee University. The first being the Tuskegee University National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care and the second, the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site. I also understand that there is an on-going Aviation Science program.

The diploma you receive today should not be thought of as a reward, but rather an opportunity, a commitment, an obligation to go forward and continue the life-long process of learning. The elements you have learned at Tuskegee should now be forged into that special compound we call "excellence." Excellence is the antidote to racism, sexism and nepotism. Someone once said, "The key to success is hard work and a little luck." I have found that the harder you work, the luckier you become. What is luck? Luck is when opportunity meets preparation.

For those of you who have read my family biography, entitled, The Ditchdigger’s Daughters, you will recall that I came from a family of six children--all girls and no boys! This was over 50 years ago, over half a century, before affirmative action, Title IX, or equal opportunity. My father was a ditchdigger, a janitor, a laborer. My mother was a cleaning woman who also worked in the factories and sweatshops outside of New York City. Unlike my father, who dropped out of high school in the tenth grade, my mother had three years of college at a former Historically Black University known as Bluefield State Teachers College. However, because she did not complete her four years and did not get her diploma (that "sheepskin" as she would call it), she was consigned to cleaning other peoples’ houses, scrubbing their floors, cooking their meals, and washing their clothes.

However, my parents had a dream for their daughters. They wanted all of us to become doctors (physicians), which was a preposterous idea fifty years ago. Our role models at that time were Ethel Waters with her clothesbasket full of laundry; "Butterfly McQueen" in the movie Gone with the Wind saying, "I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout birthin’ no babies!," Rochester with Jack Benny, and Al Jolson on bended knee singing, in Black-face, of course, "Mammy ." These were our role models. As far as being a woman, they were totally dismissed and were thought of as consolation prizes because the real prize

was having a boy to "carry on the name." My sisters and I did not look like Vanessa Williams, Halle Berry or, in those days, Lena Horne. We looked more like the sisters of Buckwheat, if Buckwheat ever had a sister. We were nappy-headed kids from the projects and no one encouraged us to dream the big dreams. No one had any expectations for us, except our parents who believed in us when no one else did. Most of the teenage Black girls became teenage mothers, high school dropouts and on welfare. I would run crying to my father saying that when I told my classmates that I was going to be a doctor, they all told me that they had never had seen a Black doctor, much less a woman doctor. My father told me, "That’s their problem!" My mother would say, "Don’t let anyone define who you are." "Let your reach exceed your grasp, or what’s a heaven for? Let your aims be high, even though fulfillment may seem impossible." "What you can conceive in your mind, believe in your heart, you can achieve with your efforts! Nothing is impossible! It’s just the degree of difficulty!" But, it was this dream of my parents that hardened into a single-minded determination that fueled our lives for many years to come.

As you heard from Dr. Payton, my mother, sisters and I had an all-girl rhythm-and-blues band in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Before American Idol or Star Search, there was a popular talent show on television known as Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour . My sisters and I performed on that show as "The Thornton Sisters" in 1959. A few years later, we won six consecutive Wednesday "Amateur Night" competitions at the world-famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem, the bastion of Black entertainment. We then went on to sign recording contracts with Roulette records and Atlantic Records, perform in rock concerts with our names in lights on the marquee. We told our father to forget about the doctor dream because we were now making money, people loved us and we were on our way to fame and fortune.

My father sat us down and said, "Girls, people love you today, they’ll love someone else tomorrow. We are here for a reason, not a season and we are not going to sacrifice our long-term goals for short term gains. If you are a musician and you break your fingers, your career is over, if you are a singer and lose your voice, no one knows you, if you are an athlete and you break your knees, they’ll get someone else to replace you. But, if you are educated and have a skill, if you are a doctor, who can heal someone and make someone well, then they will come to you because you are respected and are valued.""You’re 15 or 16 years old now, but if you look to the future when you are 50 or 60 years old, with gray hair, wrinkled skin and arthritic fingers, going up on stage trying to blow a saxophone. Let me tell you something, that ain’t a pretty sight to see! But if you are educated, if you are a doctor with those ‘scripperscraps’ (stethoscopes) hanging around your neck, people may not want to come to see you, but they will have to come to see you because you have a skill and knowledge."

My parents had the wit to value education because they knew that if you are educated, there is no limit to what you can accomplish! Because my parents revered education, we did not become forgotten musicians or faded recording artists, my sisters and I all became well-educated, well-respected, independent, productive women who made that leap up the social mobility ladder from poverty to prosperity in one generation!

What happened to the Ditchdigger’s Daughters, the Thornton Sisters? My oldest sister, Donna, who played tenor saxophone in the band, became a court stenographer; my foster sister became a nurse

specializing in geriatric nursing care; my second oldest sister, Jeanette, who played guitar, has a double-doctorate. An Ed.D. (doctorate of education) in counseling psychology and an M.D. from Boston University School of Medicine and is now a psychiatrist. We all went to Monmouth College. My kid sister, Rita, who played keyboards, is now an attorney having graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law; my other sister, Linda, was the drummer in the band--yes, there were female drummers and she was one of the best --Linda graduated from New York University School of Dentistry and is also a retired from the United States Army as a. lieutenant colonel. She is one of only three Black female prosthodontic oral surgeons in the country and is presently on the faculty at Temple University School of Dentistry. She also has an advanced degree in Hospital Administration. Me, I played alto saxophone in the band. I married my medical school sweetheart, Dr. Shearwood McClelland, who is a graduate of Princeton University and is now chairman of orthopaedic surgery at Harlem Hospital in New York City. As you have heard, I was fortunate enough to become the first woman of color in the United States to be Board-certified in High Risk Obstetrics and to date, I have delivered 5489 babies. Talk about Mother’s Day!

Because education has a "ripple effect" my children have benefited from my parents’— their grandparents’ — belief in the power of education. My daughter is a recent graduate of Stanford University. While at Stanford, she was the musical director for Talisman, a popular a cappella campus group who performed at The White House and at the Olympic Games when they were held in Atlanta. She now wants to trade in her CD for an M.D. and is now pursuing a career in medicine. My son, before he went to college, was the United States Junior Open Chess Champion. He graduated cum laude in Biology from Harvard University and is now entering his fourth year as a medical student at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and aspires to be a neurosurgeon.

Each one of us is born with the seeds of success. Our parents, our environment and colleges and universities, like Monmouth and Tuskegee, plant the seeds, till the soil, nurture and nourish each one of us until we develop into that special someone who can compete with anybody, anywhere, at any level. Never underestimate the power of a small college with dedicated faculty. American universities don’t hand out diplomas to people with limited potential. So, if you haven’t been told this before, let me tell you now--members of the Class of 2003; wherever you want to go in life, you can get there from right here! So, I offer you a personal challenge: a challenge to do something remarkable, something more than the ordinary with your life. If my sisters and I, who were written off because we were dark-skinned Black women, can rise to levels of success against all odds, so can you. The diploma you will receive today is just the beginning. That’s why we call it "Commencement!" It will not guarantee you success. If you have a goal, a dream you must be persistent, remain determined with a laser-like focus on what you want. My father would always say to us, "If the front door is closed to you (and it very well may be because you are a Black woman), go around to the back door and see if that is open. If that is closed, go around to the side of the house to see it they left a window open. If that is closed, jump up on the roof to see if you can get it. Just keep trying! Never give up, never, never give up! Because the only person that can stop you is—YOU!"

You are our link to a new generation. You must reassess, re-examine and clarify your priorities and not

just be satisfied with the status quo. Whether you go into research, business, law, medicine, public service or education, neither you nor society can continue to survive or prosper simply by implementing what is already known. Somebody is going to have to come up with meaningful new ideas, creative new approaches and important new discoveries. Why can’t that "somebody" be you?

In closing, I want to remind you that the worth of any college or University is measured by the achievements and accomplishments of its graduates and by the loyalty of its alumni. Again, I want to congratulate you on your great accomplishment and offer you my best wishes. To Tuskegee University, who has so graciously bestowed this honor upon me--my mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my family thanks you and most of all, I thank you!

I also want to give some words of wisdom to my graduating class. Words that will stick in our memories to help us make better choices. We all know that learning the hard way isn't always the best way to learn.

Don Miguel Ruiz put together some simple advice in his book "The Four Agreements." Following this advice can spare us aches and pain on the road of life.

The first agreement is: Be impeccable with your word..

It's not what you say, it's how you say it.

Always be truthful.

The second agreement is: Don't take anything personally.

If people try to hurt you, ignore them.

They obviously don't care about you.

The third agreement is: Don't make assumptions.

Not everyone is on the same wavelength as you.

Don't be afraid to ask questions or for help.

The fourth agreement is: Always do your best.

This way even if you fail you can always say that you did your best to succeed.

I hope that everyone today walks away with a little of this speech having meant something to them. Best of luck to everyone in the class of 2006. Graduation Speech

I have a poem I'd like to read. I'd like to give the author credit, but they chose to remain anonymous.

I believe in tomorrow. I believe in it because it has not yet come. And I am young, and youth always believes that tomorrow will be better than today. I believe that I will do tomorrow what I failed to do today, and be then what I have not yet been.

I trust the future. Youth is always glorious because it trusts the future. Youth will attempt the impossible, scale the mountain that is supposed to be inaccessible, and dare the thing that age will fear.

I believe in tomorrow because it is unspoiled. I have, nor has anyone, yet written on it with grimy finger or folly or selfishness or sin. No wars have been fought in tomorrow. No lie has been told, or dishonest deed done in tomorrow. No man has treacherously failed a friend in tomorrow.

Tomorrow is one clean, beautiful day, the day on which dreams come true, on which the impossible things will yet be done, on which I shall have the nerve and the will to be and to do that which was too much for me in the grim battle of today.

I believe in tomorrow.

As we graduate from Tates Creek High School, we have a very powerful thing going for us: that is our youth. We have time to make mistakes and follow our dreams. We have time to find ourselves and who we really are. Never underestimate the value of time. It seems like only yesterday I walked through the halls of Tates Creek as a freshman and already four years have passed. Look back, did you live the last four years to their fullest? Did you take risks and make mistakes? Did you learn anything? I'm happy to say that Tates Creek High School has taught me quite a bit about myself and about life, and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow.

Graduation Speech

Have you ever noticed that when you go to a restaurant and order pancakes, the waiter comes walking out with a huge plate stacked with pancakes? No matter how hungry you are, just looking at these pancakes puts you in the mind-set that there is no possible way you are ever going to finish them. But, you start eating, one bite at a time. Well, school has been a lot like those pancakes, only now you are finally taking that last bite. As soon as you walk out of this gym, with diploma in hand, you are officially a high school graduate, which is very exciting.

We, the Class of 2006, have been through many changes and have learned many new things. We have grown up in a world of computers, Internet, space discoveries, cloning and other technological advances. Just think back to when you were in first grade and wanted to call a friend on the phone. First you had to go in search of a phone and the phone number. Once this was accomplished you had to turn the dial, which took forever. And when you finally got the number dialed, you ended up getting a busy signal. Well, times have changed a lot since we were in first grade. Now all you have to do is take out your cell phone, hit speed dial and, thanks to call waiting, can talk with your friend right then. If phones have come this far since we were in first grade, imagine what the phones will be like when this year’s first-graders are graduating.

Our world is rapidly changing and even though we have come a long way, we still have even farther to go. What’s next is up to us. We are the generation and the class that will bring our world farther. This is a new millennium and a new start. Well, you finally just finished that plate of pancakes and now you get a new plate. Remember as you eat those pancakes, one bite at a time, that life is not what you want it to be, it’s what you make it.

At dawn of love, at dawn of life, at dawn of peace that follows strife. At dawn of all we long for so -- the sun is rising, let us go."

Thirteen years of education has passed and it's time for the class of 2006 to accept the change and say farewell to those who have impacted our lives -- to our parents, friends, educators and community.

Thank you for giving us the confidence to move on. Thank you for giving us the ability to accept such a great change. We will forever be grateful. To my friends, the graduating class of 2006, what we are leaving behind we won't realize until we are gone. "People's lives change. To keep all your old friends is like keeping all your old clothes -- pretty soon your closet is so jammed and everything is so crushed you can't find anything to wear." We tend to hold on to our old clothes for comfort and security, but at the same time need new clothes to compensate for your growth. Help these old friends when they need you; bless the years and happy times when you meant a lot to each other, but try not to have the guilts if new people mean more to you now.

Today we say farewell to a tremendous era of our lives. The world we are about to enter may be different for all of us, but at the same time we will all be experiencing the beginning of life. Our time as the graduating class of 2006 will always be lingering through the halls of MPHS. Remember the memories. Accept the change. As we graduate and say farewell to our generation as Tomahawks, remember Shakespeare's quote . . .There are "as many farewells as be stars in heaven." As you look out at the clear night sky during the years to come, think about what was and what became. Think about our world at Douthitt High School, and remember your friends, the class of 2006. It's so hard to say good-bye ... thank you.

Commencement is a critical juncture in our lives; it is a momentous occasion where we believe we are about to start anew. However, graduation is the bittersweet moment where the forces of past and future are simultaneously acting on us. Consequently, the past is not dead. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, suggests that our past experiences will be with us forever as he states, " [we] are a part of all that [we] have met; yet all experience is an arch where through gleams that untraveled world." That is why graduation, similar to other turning points in our lives, possesses two halves, which accentuate each other. We are looking forward, but the "arch" of experience beckons us to remember, value, and learn from our past experiences. Thus, I feel that in order to appreciate commencement fully, we must remember our own past, and in particular, the last four years:

Graduation Speech

Today marks the end of your childhood, while tomorrow we begin our journey into the real world. It was a long difficult quest to get to where we are.

We struggled because of distractions, lack of motivation, or just being lazy. For instance, most of us would not care about school and just have fun, which caused us to get way behind in our work. But now we have finally completed what we set out to do. We stayed away from our distractions, found our motivations with the help of our parents and our beloved teachers. And through it all we accomplished something we thought we never could do.

Now, we have much more to look forward to. Some of us will continue working a full-time job or seek a higher education. Some of us will volunteer our services to the greatest military in the world to protect our freedom. The choice is yours and I hope every single one of you will achieve your future goals.

We have completed the first step for opportunities into the real world. So, when tomorrow comes, don't be afraid. Show the world the dedication and intelligence you possess inside. And I guarantee you will be on top.

Good luck to all of you and I will miss you all.

We the Class of 2006, on this day, would like to thank all of those who have helped us overcome one of the obstacles in our path. We would like to thank all of the teachers, and all other staff that have made an impact on our lives and have put us on the path to our hopes and dreams for the near future, especially Ms. Gooles and Mr. Yates. We would also like to recognize the three secretaries Gale Chew, Debbie Lindahl, and Faye Gemkow. Faye, as our Senior Class adviser, has worked beside us and has helped us make this day possible. My class would also like to thank all the parents that have made us who we are, and let us blossom into our own person. They have given us so much there is no way to

repay them. But for now we would just like to send our gratitude to them for all their help and inspiration that they have given to us throughout our lives.

Well, it's finally here - the moment we've all been waiting for. I don't know about you, but I'm awfully excited. It's almost unbearable, but for some reason there is a part of you and me that doesn't want to let go. We're extremely jubilant because we're finally moving on, but we can't help ourselves from reminiscing about the good times with our friends and thinking about how much we'll miss everything we had at M-P now that it's gone. And maybe you're having some regrets too. Perhaps you could have tried a little harder or been a little friendlier, then high school would have been that much better. As we look back on our past experiences we will often have these thoughts, but we must not dwell on them. We must learn from our mistakes and apply what we've learned. There are an infinite amount of opportunities in life, and our lives have just begun. We've had some great times at M-P, but let's not let them be the best times of our lives.

Eliot once wrote, "What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." Every landmark in our lives will end but there is always a beginning to an end. As each new path ends a new one begins. Graduation marks the end of a path but as it ends a new path begins.

Life is an adventure. We started out by walking on a winding path as we entered the destination of kindergarten. As our lives ventured on down the winding path, we met new friends and new life experiences along the way. As the path widens, we see ourselves on a country road. We started elementary school and we constantly gained new knowledge to help us progress in our journey. As we continued along in our journey we entered a paved pat.Graduation Speech

Parents, teachers, families and friends, welcome and thank you for joining us tonight at the Shelton High School graduation ceremony for the Class of 2006! Graduation is a time to look fondly upon memories which have been made over the past three years. I am sure all of us have our own memories which we hold close to our hearts and make us grin when we think of them. Events which become very vivid in my mind are football and basketball games, dances, pep assemblies, at least the ones from our sophomore and junior years, and especially time spent with a group of friends just doing whatever. It hurts to think of all these memories and then realize this time period in our lives is coming to an end.

From the lyrics of Dave Mathews, "So why would you care, to get out of this place, you and me and all our friends, such a happy human race ... As we all go our separate ways ... I will remember."

Graduation is also time to look at what the future has in store for each of us. It is a very serious time, a time to take a look at what path our lives are going to take once the caps and gowns are taken off and we are thrust into a world which is not so well known to most of us. Will you be successful? Will you be unsuccessful? This success I am speaking of has nothing to do with monetary gains but is measured

solely by happiness. Are you truly happy? Will you be five or ten years down the road? Begin planning for your future tonight, set goals. Figure out ways to achieve these goals and fulfill your dreams. If you do not like the path your life has taken thus far, if it does not make you happy, re-route yourself, blaze your own trail if need be. Tonight is the beginning of the rest of our lives, graduates. Please grasp it firmly and head down a path leading to eternal success, which I repeat is measured by your happiness. Parents, teachers and friends, thank you for helping us to come this far. All of us appreciate the love and support immensely.

To the graduating class of the year nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, thank you for everything and congratulations. Graduation Speech

My Dad told me recently that the best thing I could do for my school upon graduation is to be able to share who I am. He said, "Only you can determine who you are, so don't look to me for help."

Mom, I'm the fruit of your hands, good and bad. I'm the fruit of your hands. My hope for my future is to grow to have your diligence, faithfulness, wisdom and love. Mom, you're my model of excellence. You are my hero!

As I observe the world, Christian and non-Christian, I've determined the only kind of women who can survive is one like you. My greatest desire is to have a marriage like yours and to carry myself like you do. You are the most Christ-like woman I've ever seen. My prayer is to love the way you love, and then submit to my spiritual head the way you do. A woman's joy doesn't come from being strong, independent or full of bitterness. It comes from her dependence on Jesus Christ.

I would like to read (Proverbs 31:10-31) as a tribute to you and grandma, the greatest grandma ever! whose love gave you the ability to love me