Parents, faculty, administrators, friends, students, and of course graduates – we gather today to witness the passage of rights as these young adults move towards their next stage of life.  I stand before you, not of my accord, but of the accord of those we celebrate.  I have been chosen to give this speech by the graduating class of 2009.  Why they chose me, I wonder.  Maybe this is a form of payback for all my past transgressions toward them in the residential setting and the I & C classroom. 

I know they did not pick me for what I have to say, because they have heard it all from me during my many soapbox sessions in I & C class throughout the year.  I have nothing to add to those sessions and I don’t believe in beating a dead horse.  That would be wrong.

I will also not stand before you and tell you to open your wings and fly with the birds, or devour all opportunities that come before you.  No, you will do what you need because that is one of the aspects you have learned while here at Franklin.

So, I would like to tell you, as you walk out of this tent in a few minutes, is to remember.  Remember your time here at Franklin and never forget what has been accomplished here.  You all have a learning difference, whether you want to admit it or not, and you have learned to work around, work with and work to overcome this difference.  And it was not an easy task.  So, I say remember.

Remember the times that you have had here and when you do, a smile shall cross your face.  Remember the time when you placed three thousand plastic army men, firemen and policemen around the Great Room, and recall the joy you experienced.  I know I shall remember that episode.  I will not forget the reaction of Mary as she was placed in a position to run a community meeting in the midst of a colorful struggle.  She provided her own carnage to the fray by stomping and kicking the combatants as if she was Godzilla.

Remember the cookouts at the Ponderosa and the special dinners we have had together.  The D&D games that took place every weekend.  The Class Ports and special events like Jane’s Day of Silence. 

Each one of you has your own separate memories and those are yours forever.  Keep them and share them.  They are invaluable, because these memories will become useful at different times throughout your life, and you will never know when those times might occur. 
 
The places that you will be heading to might seem huge, scary, or intimidating, but you have already had that experience when you came to Franklin.  Franklin Academy, when you arrived here, was a new place for all of you, and you did not know what to expect.  Yet, here you are.  You have survived.

The classes you take in the future also might seem too hard, too much work, too demanding.  But remember, you have had that experience already in Joulé’s Humanities class, or Krishna’s I & C class.  Yet, here you are.  You have passed.

The social atmosphere in your next step in life might seem alien, threatening, or overwhelming, but you have had those anxiety producing moments here at Franklin.  Yet, here you are.  And you made friends.

So, I guess what I want to say is that your next step in life will be similar to the one you are finishing in a few minutes.  Remember that you have been successful already.  Things get easier as you do them over and over again.  Remember your times here at Franklin.  Remember your accomplishments here at Franklin.  And despite being in a new place with new people, understand that you have been there before, and you did just fine.

Now, I will admit.  I had some concerns about this class moving on, but those concerns vanished Wednesday during the Closing Ceremony.  Your performance was absolutely startling.  I know in my heart that Franklin has done its job.  You have grown here, and I am sure that you will continue to grow.