Graduation Speech Class of 2023 Friends, Relatives, Class of 2023, For those of you who might not know me, I am Mason L. Welcome to the graduation ceremony that is about to commence. First off, I would like to congratulate every student that is seated here before me. Twenty-five years ago I was sitting in the same spot pondering what I would do with the rest of my life. I never would have believed anyone if they told me about the things I would encounter after my high school graduation. Since the day I graduated my life has taken a completely different turn than I had intended. Right after high school I enrolled into college like I had planned. But right after I completed the first year of college my band got signed and I began my life on the road. After a few years in the music business I returned to the university where I finished my degree. Once I returned back to college, I found that it wasn't very hard to complete my degree. After spending life on the road for those few years, I found that I took college more seriously than I had before. The "real world" seemed to make things actually feel scarier than I had thought they would appear. I was paying for my college out of my pocket, and so its value became very real to me. The reason I pointed this out to you is not to boast of my accomplishments, but to let you know what may be in store for you. You see, I didn't have a clue what was really going to happen, the way many of you feel right now. You may choose to pursue a career right after graduation or you might choose to enroll directly into college. I know that Oak Ridge has 80 percent of their students enroll in college, but that is a high percentage for many schools. Not everyone should feel pressured to try and attend college if you aren't ready for it. The point I"m trying to make is that for the rest of your life you will be calling most of the shots. I would like to point out the fact that college will always be there, so you can begin at any time.
