8th Grade Promotion Speech

When I Grow Up....

When I Grow Up...

I want to be a great storyteller. Storytelling is truly a 21st century skill. It allows us to reach new audiences with our messages and ideas. It allows us to connect with those with similar passions.

Look at the power of the viral video, Kony 2012. A storyteller wove together the awful legacy of Joseph Kony for the world to see. He started a movement, and hopefully, justice will be served in the near future.

Great storytelling has so many outlets these days from Blogger to Twitter to YouTube. These social media outlets allow you to tell your story to the communities across world. Each of your digital stories provides me hope that we have helped to build a new generation of storytellers that are passionate and focused on being a part of change where needed and using story to celebrate the wonderful things in life.

When I Grow Up....

I want to be passionate about something, look the world in the eyes and make a difference.

When I Grow Up....

I want to be filled with ideas to solve problems.

When I Grow Up...

I want to use technology to make our community a better place.

When I Grow Up...

I want the world to have a great sense of commons, where everyone realizes that without appreciating the shared gifts that we have no future will look at bright.

When I Grow Up...
When I Grow Up....

I've realized over the years that we never grow up, it is never the right time, and no one else is going to accomplish our mission.

We are all GROWN UP. We are all ready to lead.

I need all of you to DREAM BIG, no DREAM BIGGER.

We can't wait to grow up. We can't wait for tomorrow.

I say to you WHY WAIT FOR TOMORROW as TODAY is AVAILABLE.

Begin to lead today....great leaders, lead by serving others. Search for the INVISIBLE people that surround us and lift them to the next level. Look for random acts of kindness each day as they will sharpen your desire to lead and serve.

Begin your journey of scholarship today. SCHOLARS solve problems. They engage in tough conversations, look for ways to compromise while remaining strong in their principles.

Scholars are looking for ways to feed 10 billion people on this planet by 2050, and scholars are looking to make sure that no one has to live without clean drinking water.

Scholarship requires daily work ethic that can't wait for tomorrow.

WHY WAIT FOR TOMORROW....TODAY is AVAILABLE

Being a global citizen starts today. Find a cause support it with your time, talent, and treasure. We can't fix the world until we are strong or until our local community is strong. Big ideas in action civics start in our own community.

Great ideas here can grow into worldwide movement.

TODAY IS AVAILABLE

Don't let this school be your only education that you receive. Learners, Leaders, Citizens are taking control of their own learning because WE don't have all of the answers. How are you taking control of who and where you want to be?

What Learning will you be a part of after high school? It is no longer an IF or a POSSIBILITY, but reality says that LEARNING has to be life-long.

EMBRACE LEARNING, PRACTICE LEARNING, ENJOY LEARNING. This is the safest learning that you will do.

Work until you FAIL....we will catch you.

I want to know inventors that feed the planet.

I want to know bold ethical leaders that pursue their passion.

I want to know caretakers that grow families, take care of the most vulnerable.

I want to know teachers.

I want to know people that spread joy.

BE AWESOME....don't settle for normal, OK, or good enough.

Finally, I want you to know something. YOU MATTER.

YOU MATTER to me.

YOU MATTER to your school

YOU MATTER to your community

YOU MATTER to your planet.

Congratulations Class of 2016.