Hats Off to the High School Graduates

As graduation ceremonies have come and gone for this year's high school seniors, the Class of 1999, much of the hard work that went into the achievement of receiving their diplomas has been "cast into the sea of forgetfulness". Their hard work has been overridden by the excitement and anticipation of the road to college which lies ahead for many of them.

Let us not forget, many of these hard-working and deserving graduates should he remembered for becoming well-rounded and completing homework assignments and in many cases staying up late at night to do them. Assignments so cumulatively great in numbers. Remember this class for acing standardized tests, and the many other tests they've had to take to reach this goal. And, let us not forget how they braved the sometimes long grueling process of filling out college applications and how they carefully assembled their portfolios.

Sometimes it would be necessary to brainstorm with a fellow classmate or an adult in order to create a perfect coherent essay that would catch the Admission Officer's eye. This perfect essay needed to reveal a student's potential contribution to the college of his or her choice, and to be able to show the knowledge he or she had in a particular field. The essay also needed to give insight into the applicant's character.

This year's Class of 1999 should be commended for "sticking with it" - weathering the tempestuous sea of final exams, the Advanced Placement (AP), Standardized Admission Tests (SAT), and other scholarship qualification exams.

This year's class is urged not to forget. As you place your graduation caps and gowns into storage boxes, (maybe not to be seen again until your grandchildren's exploring hands discover them in the attic), remember that all of your hard work meant something and will have a greater purpose. Your hard work has gotten you into college, where in time, you will learn ways to better the society in which you live.

Some of this year's class members may still have, years from now, prized mementos from the Class of 1999 collecting dust in their parent's glass cabinets, nevertheless you must remember the hard work it took to earn those prizes. Those prizes also helped you get into college. All of your hard work, achievements, and memories should not be forgotten You earned that bulky acceptance envelope which represents your commitment to educate yourself and to better the world through a higher education.

So, Class of 1999, you are commended for all of the hard work you have accomplished, but most importantly, YOU SHOULD NOT FORGET IT!

Lydia B.,
Boston, Massachusetts

* Reprinted from Positive Teens Magazine Volume 1 Issue 3, July/Aug 1999

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