Worth The Risk

28

I had always wondered what graduation would be like for me if I hadn't gone to school. I suppose my parents would have made a whole thing out of it and invited my friends and family to make it special like they did at the end of every school year when I got an award for doing well.

After the welcoming speech, awards and speech from the guest speaker, it was finally time for us to receive our high school diplomas. Dinah and I sat next together since our names where next to each other alphabetically and I felt her squeeze my hand just before Principal Montgomery called my name.

'Normani Hamilton, Columbia University.'

I smiled when I saw that Choie and Zendaya were clearly competing to see who could cheer the loudest while Principal Montgomery and I took our pictures. I stood at the bottom of the stage and took a video of Dinah while she walked across stage to get her diploma then I went back to my seat.

When it was finally Choie's turn to walk across stage, I decided to embarrass her. 'That's my best friend!'

'I love you too best friend!' She shouted back as she walked up to Principal Montgomery.

Afterwards, Dylan the class valedictorian stood up to give his commencement speech.

'Who are we? That is a great question. We've spent the last 18 years of our lives trying to prepare to answer that question, but it isn't something that you can Google. Well, you can Google it, but make sure that you turn on the safe search first. Because there's really no telling what your results might be.'

The whole auditorium laughed at the corny joke and someone shouted, 'go Dylan!'

'Thank you George. Anyway Google won't tell us where our passion lies. It won't tell us who we are. And while some of us know, there are those of us here thar don't, sorry Mom and Dad.' Dylan smiled when his parents laughed. 'We don't know what we want to be when we grow up yet, and that's okay. Well, your parents might not think so when you are on your fourth major and they're paying your tuition, but it is still okay.'

'High school was fun, but we have turned a page in our life. We have moved from childhood into adulthood and now is the time to find our passion. It's time to learn what we want to be if we haven't figured it out, or follow our dream if we have. Keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. So parents, open up your wallets because studying philosophy isn't cheap.'

'Teachers, your passion and dedication has helped us to realize that being first in line isn't a life or death situation. And thank you for being understanding when our dogs ate our homework three weeks in a row and our gym clothes every other week. Thank you for putting up with us from our spit ball days to our raging hormonal breakdowns. Miss Eden probably comforted at least half the senior class during breakups, you're the best. Through it all, you have been our rocks. So as we take this final walk out of this school, we thank you all for helping us to eliminate a plethora of options as we figure out who we are.'

'To my classmates what would you do if you woke up and found out that you only had three months to live. What would you do? Would you be happy with the choices that you had made. What if today were your last day? Who would you spend the day with, would you continue with the plan that you had in mind for the day? As we go forward, we need to wake up and live each day unapologetically and to the fullest. When life sucks you under, you can kick against the bottom, find the surface, take a deep breath and keep swimming.'

I hugged Dinah right after the ceremony ended, and then I went to find Choie and the rest of my family. Grandma engulfed me in a hug.

'My baby graduated and got an award! I'm so proud of you, and you look so beautiful.'