Class of 2012 Graduation: Farewell Address

The following is the text of Jill Slabacheski's farewell address at the Melrose High School Class of 2012 graduation ceremonies on Friday night.

Well, Class of 2012, teachers, staff, family, friends: Goodbye, ciao, adieu, adios, addio – take your pick.  But, before we get to the end of the night, the moment that we all have been thinking about for the past few months, the moment when we can all smile, stand, toss our hats in the air, and finally take that sigh of relief, we have to back track a bit and start at the initial hello.

September 2008 – Freshman Year: Hello large building full of people who know exactly what I did last weekend and hello four years of continuous college preparation.  Even though it seemed as if we were stepping in to a gauntlet at first, eventually we all found our own niche and learned to go with the flow.  Little did we know that this was the beginning of a tough, but rewarding, four years here at Melrose High.  So, what exactly does Melrose stand for?

M is for mistakes.  High school has been a time for us to make mistakes, both inside and outside of the classroom.  On the street, the court, the field, the stage – our personal maturity and character has gradually developed because of the situations that we face on a daily basis and how we react to each one.  Before entering high school, you don’t believe people when they tell you that you are going to be exposed to things you wouldn’t expect, but, you are.  The amount that you mature over the course of these four years is unfathomable.  You quickly learn that you are not in control of your surrounding environment and things can change with the snap of a finger.  We’re not invincible, neither mentally nor physically.  The situations that are the hardest to cope with are the ones that make us the strongest – they are the ones that give us that “fight or flight” mentality.  We make mistakes in order to become independent and have the ability to fend for ourselves in the future, something we are going to desperately need next year.  And, I mean, no one ever said that life was easy, speaking of which… 

E is for easy.  Easy as in it was easy for all of us students here at Melrose High to find a place where we felt academically and socially comfortable.  The spectrum is pretty big if you ask me and offers just about anything you’d really want to experience.  I sound like someone trying to give a sales pitch right now, but it’s true.  All of the programs that we have had the opportunity to become involved in have directly contributed to our persona as a whole.  We have been given the chance to become better acquainted not only with one another, but with the entire community as well.  We have been able to experience the adrenaline rush brought on by winning the NESBA Championship, running down the sideline during the Thanksgiving game, or belting out a Broadway tune in an auditorium full of strangers.  These are the types of experiences that we may not have again, and ones that help us to envision where we want to see ourselves in the future.  Or, you could just drop it all and try to become famous through YouTube.  Maybe you’ll end up on Tosh.0 because you decided to back flip on an ice rink with roller blades on, or maybe just do a fun little dance like the Harvard boys team.  You know, something that will make people laugh.  Bringing me to my next thoughts…

L is for laugh.  You know those times in school when the class breaks out in laughter because of an awkward situation that relates to the subject matter that only the people taking that class would understand?  Like some of the digs thrown at Bianca from Othello, or anything in English class this year for that matter.  And then, you know those times outside of school when you can say whatever you want without being censored and can laugh as loud as you want?  Well, whether you realize it or not, these two types of laughing show two sides of your personality: the professional side and the social side.  Having the ability to form a comfortable bond with people in the work place allows for better interaction, and everyone taking part feels more open-minded and cooperative with one another.  And on the other hand, having a sense of humor in every-day life situations with friends and family enables an individual to form life-long relationships.  It’s important to carry along a sense of humor everywhere that you go and, through humor, we have learned to stay close with the people that share the same ideas, and have looked up to those that we respect. 

R is for role model.  Everyone here has a role model I’m sure.  Maybe it’s a family member, a trusted adult, or even someone your own age.  And, the fact that each of us has a role model makes us think that hey, maybe we are a role model to someone too.  Everything that we have done this year, whether it was in school or out on the streets, someone has watched, and either mimicked that action, or acted differently.  High school has been a time for us to realize what qualities make up an esteemed role model and what morals we plan to carry along with us in to the future.  We have learned that there are characteristics about ourselves that should change, and things that should remain the same, making us our own person. 

O is for OH – that little two-letter word that we all know pretty well.  The fun part about it is that there are so many different ways to use it.  For example, that Einstein moment that you have in class when you finally understand what is going on, that “Ohhhhh I get it now,” feeling.  Then there’s the whole sarcastic element of it, the “Oh?” essentially telling the person that you honestly don’t care about what they have to say and you never will.  And there’s also the “OH,” when your friend is telling you a story and the awkward part comes up and you have no idea what else to say.  I think it is safe to say that the majority of us have gone through these different situations.  The different elements of high school have allowed us to see everything for what it’s worth because we’re not confined or restricted from seeing what’s going on around us.  So, we can see these things both inside and outside of school.  These different interactions are something that we all have in common, along with something else which is…

S is for slang.  Do any of you ever wonder that maybe when we leave this town people are going to look at us funny when some of the MHS slang words slip out in the middle of a conversation?  Hip, hurt, bomb, sbuk, true, mad?  No one’s going to understand.  Since when is describing someone as a meal or type of food socially acceptable?  Oh well, I’m hip to use them, cause they’re bomb and make sense, so sbuk to those kids who don’t understand them, ya feel me?  But in all seriousness, if you think about it, these are the kinds of things that make us students of Melrose High.  This, along with other things such as our Red Raider pride helps define our character as a true Melrosian. 

E is for exit.  Well, it’s June 1st – graduation has finally come, and in the blink of an eye, it will be a distant memory.  Now is the time where reality truly starts to sink in.  Not only for just us graduates, but everyone that has helped us get to where we are at this very moment.  Within the upcoming months, the 256 young adults sitting before you will be taking the next step in his or her life.  Whether they are going off to college, entering the workplace, or taking the time to sit back and organize their lives, the students of MHS will continue to practice the morals that they have learned from their attendance all four years.  Here, we have learned that high school is a time to make mistakes, easily find our interests, laugh with yourself and others, have and be a role model, experience some of those oh-my-gosh moments, and exit with confidence.  Family, friends, teachers, coaches, staff members – on behalf of the Melrose High School Class of 2012, we thank you with the utmost sincerity, and we bid you a fond and long-lasting….. (flash the FAREWELL letters)