The Chronicles of The Trinity on Earth-10: Part One - Superman

Side Story Six - Elli Kal-El: Growing Pains

Metropolis Horizons Academy | Metropolis, New York
Friday, June 12, 2037 | 10:27 EDT

We're about to graduate! Jon, Aurora, Landon, Jenny, K'hymm, Don, Dawn, and I, among others, are about to graduate with honors from Metropolis Horizons.

After we ready ourselves for the ceremony, Jon drives us to the ceremony venue in Mom's 2034 Chevy Traverse. When we get there, we make our way to the ready room for the graduating seniors, and we greet our friends and classmates with hugs and whatnots.

And remember how I said that we were graduating with honors? Well even more than that, Landon is our salutatorian, and Jon is our valedictorian. And even more than that, we're also graduating with our bachelor's and master's degrees. Magna and Summa Cum Laude, too. I'm really thrilled about the prospect of us not having to go to school anymore, unless we choose to.

11:00 EDT

At eleven on-the-dot, the ceremony begins. After we file into the auditorium and onto the stage while "Pomp And Circumstance" plays, and our headmaster gives his opening speech, Landon is called up to give his salutatorian speech.

"Greetings and salutations to all who are in attendance, this fine morning," Landon starts. "We are here, today, having achieved what some would consider to be magic, or impossible. We have done our very best, and because of that fact, we are being rewarded with being officially permitted to move on to the next part of our lives, as fully functioning members of our society.

"This is nothing new, and we know that this is expected of us. But when we receive our diplomas, today, they will symbolize something. They will symbolize that we can, in fact, be trusted with our own lives, from this point, on. That we can, in fact, be trusted to influence and impact the lives of those around us in a positive way. And that we can, in fact, be trusted to take our futures and the tools of the future that we were given through and by our education, use them to the very best of our abilities, and live up to our fullest potential.

"By no definition of the term are we fully mature adults. We are not perfect. We will not have all of the answers. We will make mistakes. We will stumble, we will fall. But we are also no longer children. So we must also be trusted to pick ourselves back up, and learn from our shortcomings. Then, and only then, will we truly be able to fully allow the education we have been given to help us to live our lives, to their fullest and most maximum potential. Thank you."

We all applaud Landon's eloquent speech, and next up, we have a scientist by the name of Dr. Riley Miles-Davis come up and give her speech. Once that's said and done, my twin gets up to deliver his speech before we finally receive our diplomas.

"Hello, everyone," Jon begins. "We stand here, on the precipice of the rest of our lives. We have done all that was required of us to do, and then some, all for a legally certified piece of paper that says we know what we know, that we know what we're talking about, and that we're ready to continue onto the next part of our lives. But I want to take a minute to explore what that means.

"The diploma is a legally certified document that is earned by merit of academia. It certifies that the recipient has learned that which they are required to know to maintain a reputable profession, as well as properly sustain a stable family situation, and is thus qualified to live their life on their own, on their own terms, whatever that may mean for the recipient in question. But, I contend that the diploma does not define one's knowledge base and/or ability level.