We Live In A World Of Change . . .

By Gina Hoesing

Friends, Family, and Faculty Members,

Thank you for being here with us today. Without you we wouldn't be here. Thank you for all your guidance, support, and love these past eighteen years.

As I look out today, I'm not sure that I know quite how to express the feelings that I have today. As I'm sure my fellow graduates feel, there is great excitement about finally being done with high school. But there's also kind of a fear of the unknown. We live in a world of change, where nothing seems to remain the same. As much as we plan, our futures can never be completely clear or certain. In the words of Arturo Madrid, "We live in an age of continuous and intense change, a world in which what held true yesterday does not today, and certainly will not tomorrow."

But that's where our friends, family members, and classmates come in. They'll always be there to guide us and comfort us when times are hard. They'll also be there to share in our joy when our dreams and aspirations come true. And ultimately, God will always be with us. He brought us together and He has guided us all our life. That's our special bond here at Saint Mary's. We have been bonded for a purpose, to be there to share experiences and guide each other. And God will always be there for us, whether we choose to recognize Him or not. And that's the ultimate comfort. Not everything will be easy, but each challenge is given to us for a reason.

In closing, I have prepared a poem in tribute to our class of 2004.

We started on this journey twelve years ago. Since then we've matured, we have grown. Now we stand at the end of one path, preparing to mark out a road of our own. A life' decision is left to us, the choice to stay or the choice to go. Our childhood lays on the road behind us, and adulthood lies on the road ahead. But the in-between is where we now stand. We're too old to stay, but too young to go. Too mature to enjoy childish games, but innocent enough to want to hold on. Old enough to make our own choices, but still needing guidance from those we love. Young enough to have our own hopes and dreams, but mature enough to make them come true. Old enough to know that being grown up isn't always as fun as growing up. Afraid to let go of the friendships and the fun, but ready to make some new memories,. At this in-between stage, we feel crude, awkward, and unsure. We feel torn between the road ahead and the road behind. And yet we press on, forging our own way into the world , knowing that together we can truly become something great, knowing that we will make our mark on the world as the Class of 2004. Thank you.