SD
Chosen to Speak
Excerpts from the Class of 2014 student commencement speeches The following are excerpts of three graduation speeches given during the 2014 commencement ceremony this past June.
Jordan Selep—Tomorrow, we are propelled into the unknown and whatever path life may lead us. We are only at the beginning of our journey and there are endless great things to come. While we reflect upon yesterday, appreciate today, and anticipate tomorrow, it’s also important to recognize that for those who are given much, much is expected. We can no longer be self-focused, but must strive to make the world a better place for those around us. If we can achieve that, it’s not only yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but it’s also forever. weeks after entering the college they so desperately wanted to attend, found themselves unhappy with the reality of difficult classes, new social arrangements, and a significant life change. In fact, he observed that students in small villages in rural South Africa tended to be happier than students at Harvard. So, if success won’t necessarily make you happy, what will? Achor has several books, a popular TED Talk video, and numerous research articles that suggest there are intentional actions you can take to make happiness become the center of your emotional personal universe, just like Copernicus declared the sun to be at the center of our physical universe. I have selected one of Achor’s suggestions to intentionally engage in brief positive exercises each day, such as reaching out to others in your social network to thank them. What better way to conclude my remarks tonight than by engaging in my personal positive exercise by reaching out to you, the Class of 2014, to extend my personal gratitude, best wishes, and happiness before success. On behalf of the School District of the Township of Upper St. Clair, I offer you good fortune, both happiness and success, and the best wishes of your alma mater, now and forever. n
George Sun—Eventually we learn that there are limitations to what we can do. Although we are surrounded by so much, we realize that we live in a beautiful, cruel world where childhood dreams will only ever be childish dreams. Those childish dreams may be nothing but fantasy, but we must do everything reasonable and possible to push onward. Even if our childhood dreams are gone, we will replace them with new ones grounded in reality. Still, this world is unforgiving and even brilliant lights will cease to burn. Passion alone is not enough. If above all else we are true to ourselves, then we will be able to find a place in this world.
Kyle Austin—When I first entered into the high school I was a child. Now I leave here a slightly larger child. I have refrained from nuggeting and zip-tying people’s backpacks, but I still devote a significant amount of time to pickleball. I feel pretty certain that we will be able to take the lessons that we have learned and use them in the future. I am not really sure what is going to happen, but I am sure that everyone here is going to make something of their future. So, here I stand before you—student, graduate, that kid you would see in the hallway. Make whatever happened in the high school building for the last four years a jumping block for whatever you really want to do with your life. High school is over; it’s time to get started.
USCHS Class of 2014 Academic Achievers
Valedictorians (pictured above, listed alphabetically): Matthew Becker, Grace Chen, Brinda Doshi, Kylie Fultineer, Haylee Gans, Shushma Gudla, Christian Heil, Madison Lindsay, Connor McCormick, Nicole Nyman, William Petley, Jordan Selep, Bhanu Sharma, Benjamin Stalnaker, George Sun, Sydney Turnwald, Nathalie Unico
Graduation photos curtesy of M&M Photography Fall 2014
S u p e r i n t e n d e n t ’s A c a d e m i c Achievement Award: Ryan Betzold, John King, Lyndsey Nagy, Corey Wilding IB Diploma Candidates: Nolan Ardolino, Kyle Austin, Marissa Behun, Brinda Doshi, Gaurav Gupte, Sonja Kretschmar, Jane Lippencott, Sarah Meiman, Lauren Montgomery, Tejas Patel, Eva Roy, Jordan Ryan, Mary Sanner, Sydney Turnwald, Safiye Unlu, Robert Weaver, Devan Zalla
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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