Welcome, students, faculty, staff, parents, friends and family.
I would like to thank you for being here on this special day to recognize Landrum High School’s Class of 2013. Congratulations, Class of 2013, we made it to graduation day. This momentous day, that seemed like it would never come, is finally here.

I’ve known some of my classmates since we were very small, having our own little weddings on the preschool playground with rings made of clover. It seems like just the other day some of us were graduating with a circus theme from kindergarten at O.P. Earle. Then we blinked and we were walking on the black line at Landrum middle. Soon after, we were going to high school and starting a new chapter in our lives. We were not sure if we would like the “Campobello Kids” and the Campobello Kids probably were not sure if they’d like us Landrum Kids. Then, we walked through the doors of this high school four years ago and became one; we became what would be known as the Landrum High School Class of 2013. In less than an hour, we will be high school graduates.  We have grown and learned together. But most importantly, together we have been shaped into the people we are today. It took commitment and hard work! We have been so blessed to be taught by caring teachers, who genuinely wanted us to succeed. They have invested so much in, not only our education, but also our development, as individuals. High school has been a place to foster learning, but we not only learned in our academic classes, we also learned outside of class. Some of us have learned that there are more important things in life than what people think of us. Some of us have learned to be leaders, whether in one of the clubs, here, at Landrum or out on the fields and courts within the athletic program. We’ve made memories during our time at Landrum, memories that will last forever. High school graduation marks but one of the many journeys taken over the course of our lives. We will make many more journeys as our lives progress. But we must not forget the knowledge, friendships, life lessons and values that we learned during our time at Landrum.
The past few weeks and months we have been writing the conclusion of the chapter entitled “High School.” This chapter, like everything else in life has to come to an end. As we walk out of these doors tonight, we will begin the next chapter of our lives. Your next chapter may be entitled “College,” “Military” or “Workforce.” The decisions we make after tonight will dictate where we go in life and, although that is important, so is everything along the way. Life is all about your choices. Make the choice to live well and live fully. Take action and make a positive difference; like Ghandi once said, “You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no results.” So get out there and try new things, take chances and do your best. You can do it!
These people in attendance tonight, who are here to support us and to see us off to our futures, have been able to watch us grow. The mixed happiness, sadness, and relief we feel today are evidence of the hard work we have put forth. Though most of us have someone to whom we have looked for advice and encouragement, we ourselves are now the role models. Our success should be a quest to better ourselves, not to impress those rooting us on or to prove wrong those who wish us ill. We can’t depend on someone else to supply motivation for us; the greatest motivation comes from within. Do you want to succeed? Are you willing to give 110 percent to reach your goals? Find your passion and feed the fire of potential that burns within you.
Look back on your book of life; are you content with what is written? You can’t re-write what you have already written but you have a chance to make the next chapters in your book exceptional. It’s up to you We are now ready for our new journey, just like starting kindergarten, or Landrum High School, all over again. Congratulations Class of 2013!