Graduation Speech: Is County High the Best School in America? :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Good evening students, faculty, staff, family, and friends. I was NOT surprised to see County High School missing from Newsweek's list of the Top 100 High Schools in America for 2012. The magazine based their ranking on Advanced Placement scores and Ivy League acceptances. In the accompanying article on high school life, the journalist attempted to find the real worth of a high school education. Certainly, the excruciatingly painful 3-hour-long tests cannot sum up an entire four years of experience as a high school student. Speaking from personal knowledge, I can tell you those tests are in no shape, manner, or form fun. The journalist posed a most interesting question regarding modern education, asking, "What happened to time for fun, football games, and memories of life in high school?" Surely if national rankings were based on the overall academic, athletic, and social experience of young adults, County High would find its name at the TOP of the list. In my mind, the perfect kind of high school experience takes place here at County High. Looking back on the past four years, I have done my fair share of complaining, but I wouldn't have wanted to complain about anything else with anyone else. We've pleaded with teachers and staff to let us into football games, basketball games, and school dances without our school ID's, simply because we didn't feel like carrying them. We've managed to sneak water bottles, milk shakes, and French fries out of the cafeteria, while also managing to get caught every now and then. We've argued that our pink and tan polos actually resemble shades of orange and white, and when it came to a senior class trip, we simply couldn't bear 180 more days without one. Over the past four years, I hope you have tried to find the best in every situation and look for the best in every person. To me, County High has been the greatest place to experience high school, and you, my classmates, my friends, my best friends, you have made the past four years enjoyable and survivable. I honestly couldn't have asked for a more intelligent, more talented, and more promising group of people to spend four entire years of my life with. Where else can you sign out of school early with 30 classmates simply to spend a sunny afternoon on the beach? Where else is there a basketball-player who refers to himself as "Big Mac" and a Prom Queen who answers to "Fatty McFat-Fat? Graduation Speech: Is County High the Best School in America? :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address Good evening students, faculty, staff, family, and friends. I was NOT surprised to see County High School missing from Newsweek's list of the Top 100 High Schools in America for 2012. The magazine based their ranking on Advanced Placement scores and Ivy League acceptances. In the accompanying article on high school life, the journalist attempted to find the real worth of a high school education. Certainly, the excruciatingly painful 3-hour-long tests cannot sum up an entire four years of experience as a high school student. Speaking from personal knowledge, I can tell you those tests are in no shape, manner, or form fun. The journalist posed a most interesting question regarding modern education, asking, "What happened to time for fun, football games, and memories of life in high school?" Surely if national rankings were based on the overall academic, athletic, and social experience of young adults, County High would find its name at the TOP of the list. In my mind, the perfect kind of high school experience takes place here at County High. Looking back on the past four years, I have done my fair share of complaining, but I wouldn't have wanted to complain about anything else with anyone else. We've pleaded with teachers and staff to let us into football games, basketball games, and school dances without our school ID's, simply because we didn't feel like carrying them. We've managed to sneak water bottles, milk shakes, and French fries out of the cafeteria, while also managing to get caught every now and then. We've argued that our pink and tan polos actually resemble shades of orange and white, and when it came to a senior class trip, we simply couldn't bear 180 more days without one. Over the past four years, I hope you have tried to find the best in every situation and look for the best in every person. To me, County High has been the greatest place to experience high school, and you, my classmates, my friends, my best friends, you have made the past four years enjoyable and survivable. I honestly couldn't have asked for a more intelligent, more talented, and more promising group of people to spend four entire years of my life with. Where else can you sign out of school early with 30 classmates simply to spend a sunny afternoon on the beach? Where else is there a basketball-player who refers to himself as "Big Mac" and a Prom Queen who answers to "Fatty McFat-Fat?