I Was

Before beginning this literary experience, I was without many lessons. After reading all of the novels and novellas this year, I have come away with a new sense of self and a new and bright-eyed view of the world I am about to truly enter head-first for the first time. Looking forward, I would like to provide some quotes that have shaped the person I am and are good to keep in mind as we approach graduation. (ones bolded are the ones I really like)

“You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.” —Tom Brokaw

“What we learn with pleasure we never forget.” —Alfred Mercier

“Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” —Nora Ephron

“When you take risks, you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.” —Ellen DeGeneres

“So, I say to you, forget about the fast lane. If you really want to fly, just harness your power to your passion. Honor your calling. Everybody has one. Trust your heart and success will come to you.” —Oprah Winfrey

“If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” —Vincent Van Gogh

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”—Eleanor Roosevelt

“You don’t go to university so you can punch a clock. You go to university so you can be in a position to make a difference.” —Janet Napolitano

“Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” —Martin Luther King Jr.

“You must continue to dream the wild dream that you dreamed when you were young.” —Mike Tomlin

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” —Henry David Thoreau

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” —Judy Garland

“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” —Thomas Jefferson

“Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive: easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.” —Henry Peter Brougham

“God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile.” —Max Lucado

“It is absolutely still possible to make a difference.” —Michelle Obama

“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.” —Anne Frank

“Now go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for you being here. Make good art.” —Neil Gaiman

“When you leave here, don’t forget why you came.” —Adlai E. Stevenson

“You can never be overdressed or overeducated.” —Oscar Wilde

“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” —Malcolm X

“Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning.” —Senator Orrin Hatch

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” —Dr. Seuss

“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” —C.S. Lewis

“Your life is your story, and the adventure ahead of you is the journey to fulfill your own purpose and potential.” —Kerry Washington

“To those of you who received honors, awards and distinctions, I say well done. And to the C students, I say you too may one day be president of the United States.” —George W. Bush

“She believed she could, so she did.” —R. S. Grey

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.” —Anatole France

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” —Dr. Seuss

“Take pride in how far you’ve come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don’t forget to enjoy the journey.” —Michael Josephson

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” —Mark Twain

“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible!’” —Audrey Hepburn

Congratulations, guys! We did it! I'm proud of all of you, and I can't wait to see how you all take on the world.