Last Sunday, I attended Dudley High School's 84th Graduation Ceremony. It was the first time I'd attend a ceremony not as a graduate, not as a spectator, not as a proud older sibling; for the first time, I was able to sit in the stands & watch my own students turn their tassels.
I remember reveling in the possibility of postgrad life at my own high school graduation, elated that I'd never have to return as a student ever again. The hope & pride I had for my former students caught me in the throat as they filed into their seats, one by one as they were called to walk the stage, I felt like I was watching them each cross a starting line with infinite possibilities laid out ahead of them. Many of them faced unfair obstacles throughout their high school careers, but they overcame, despite people telling them they couldn't repeatedly. It's always a bad bet to go against the underdog; though they will face more challenges in the future, their perseverance assures me that whatever path they find will be a great one.
I feel overwhelmed to have been able to witness that day, but mostly honored & grateful to have shared a classroom with those kids, even the ones who didn't make it, because their absence is especially humbling to me. Every student, graduate or not, teaches a lesson.
To the James B. Dudley High School Graduating Class of 2014, thank you. You have all given me a gift that I will never be able to repay & you will forever hold a special place in my heart as my first babies. Know that you can always count me in your corner, unless you act a fool, in which case I will be forced to call the Irish Mafia. Remember that you are more than you have become, far more than you could ever imagine, & please never stop learning.
Thank you.
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