Project D

Today, we: the class of 2017, are gathered here today to receive our diplomas and commence the end of the Highschool era. If you think about hard enough, I'm sure all of you can recall the stressful nights of writing essays or studying for Econ...But you did it. You didn't loose hope and you didn't let the stress get the best of you. Today, I want to tell you a story, that I believe has changed my life for the better. A story that I hope will stay strong in your minds. Being a Band student, I never really took to heart the words of my dear director, Mr. Fox, but we sure were all afraid of him! I was a pretty chubby kid back then, and it was on an unexpected practice night my freshman year. After doing run through after run through, I was ready to go back home and relax. My feet were hurting, I was getting pretty hungry, and my patience was starting to run out. Unfortunately, My patience did run out on me. Before I knew it, I started to stand out of the group because of how bad I was messing up. My mind was elsewhere. But all of a sudden, I heard a shout directed at me. My soul sank and The embarrassment at that moment really got to me. "TOMAS YOURE OUT OF STEP! WHY ARENT YOU FOCUSING! WHERE IS YOUR MIND!?" Even though my name isn't actually Tomas- strangely I didn't argue it. Instead, my focus rose and my emotions of dissatisfaction disappeared. Once the practice was over, I clearly remember getting ready to conclude where hear his feedback. At this moment, still a little afraid, I looked up and I payed attention. What my director told our Band was what I found enlightening. He shared to all of us, that in the end, mistakes do happen. We fail, we fall, but in the end, it's okay! He stressed his point to the Band however, that In whatever we do, we dont do the same mistake twice. He dictated something profound in his concluding statement, "The way you do small things is the way you do all things." That night, from feeling dissatisfied transformed to an energy of perseverance. My director, who I was horrifngly afraid of, became my role model even to this day... surprisingly? Today I am here to stress that same philosophy: The way you do small things is the way you do all things. In life, there is something in all of us that drives us naturally, with a burning passion and a burning desire. In the end, we are humans, and what I had learned that night was that the way I do what I love, which is music performance in piano, should be the way I do all things. With that effort. That force. That focus. That drive. We're all humans that desire success, but that night I learned that it's an art only few can master. Success is tough and truthful and savage in many ways, But I'm here to say that so are you! All of you who are listening this day, I want to tell you that you can handle it. As we go separate pathways to other schools and other colleges, I want to remind you that you are all capable! Class of 2017, WE SURVIVED HIGHSCHOOL. For the next journey of our lives, I hope that all of you be the best you can be, and live with that passion that drove me that night. Class of 2017, I Wish you all the best of strength and many successful years to come.