San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Veterans Memorial High School
Good evening! I would like to welcome every faculty member, family member, friend, and student of the graduating class of 2021 who are here today, either in person or online. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and this village has successfully raised these seniors. The past year has been crazy, as teachers and students were both suddenly hurled into Zoom high school and as unexpected changes happened to the entire college application process. First, I would like to congratulate every single one of you because you have made it and have overcome every single obstacle that was thrown into your path.
In a faraway land, there lived a farmer and his son, and although they were poor, they were content and happy with their lives. One day, the son asked his father for a sweet red apple, which was considered an expensive delicacy only for the rich. The father was deeply troubled, since he was only a poor farmer, but he wanted to fulfill his son’s wish.
One day, he called his son over and told him to open his hand. Then the father placed a small seed in his hand, but the son, expecting to see an apple, was furious. He threw the seed down on the floor and yelled at his father for not giving him what he had wanted.
Yet, the seed that the father gave him was an apple seed. The father told his son to trust him, and so they planted the seed together.
As many years passed, the seed grew to become an enormous apple tree, and as the son grew up to be an adult, he continued to plant seeds from the apples that the tree bore. Slowly, one tree became two, two trees became three, and so forth. Later on, the son was able to eat as many apples as he wished, to use the wood to build a house for himself, his wife, and his children, and to rest with his family under the cool shade that the many apple trees provided.
Although the seed that his father gave him was not in his plans, it later on played a huge role in the son’s life and grew to become a forest of apple trees.
Life does not always go the way we want it to go. Our world is not going the way we planned or thought it should be going. Sometimes it feels as if the world is moving too fast, often uncaring for us and leaving us behind.
Yet this is what Anne from “Anne of Green Gables” said: “However, I think that it is incredible that we cannot think about what is going to happen. Because what we didn’t expect is happening.”
Our life is an adventure, exploring the unexplored and breaking the limits that once pushed us down. Although the time right now is one of the most difficult and unfortunate events that people from all over the globe are going through, we are also learning and adapting in ways that were not possible before.
For me personally, although I made precious, unforgettable memories during high school, I also went through a difficult time this year because all of my plans that I created for the college application process were ruined due to the pandemic. In addition, many people denied my achievements and undercut my success because of my race and ethnicity. Yet I wish to tell you right now that my success is not because of my race, but it is because of my work and effort. Even though not everything was carried out according to my plans and wishes, I am grateful that my plans failed because I was able to learn so much more by taking a path that I did not prepare for.
All of my actions, whether it led to success or failure, have allowed me to mature and to learn from my past so that I can forge a better present and future for myself. I am proud of every single action that I have committed because I was able to grow as a better friend, daughter and student, and I encourage everyone to do the same because I know you are better than who you were in your freshman year.
I know that the moment we walk out of here, newly graduated and excited for life, there will be many things that will be waiting for us. And not all of them will be good, and some of them will be hard.
Yet, whenever those times come, remember that there is always an end to the tunnel.
Although a decade had ended and a new one began, it is also now the start of an age. As we take off our training wheels and enter the real world, let us reminisce about our memories from high
school one last time.
Long live all the walls that we crashed through and the memories that we made from high school. Long live the
SigFigs for Mrs. Martin’s AP World History Class. Long live the weekly quizzes and readings for Mr. McBurnett’s AP Human Geography class. Long live the construction noises when the new buildings were built and the random fire alarms that rang during school. Long, long live all the mountains that we moved, and one day we will be remembered.
And referencing Taylor Swift’s song “Long Live” for one last time, “I had the time of my life, fighting dragons with you.”
I encourage everyone to work hard. Dream big. And live your life to the fullest.
Before I end my speech, I would like to say some few messages of gratitude to those who have helped me stand on this stage before you today.
First, thank you to all of the teachers, friends and administrators who have always found a way to support me and who have not taught lessons for a test, but lessons for life.
Second, thank you to my grandparents who are in South Korea right now who were unfortunately unable to attend today’s ceremony due to the pandemic. I would like to use this time to thank them in Korean, since they are watching this online right now.
지금까지 저를 위해기도해주신 우리 할머니목사님 할아버지께 감사를드립니다. 만수무강 하시고나중에 아프실때마다 제가 꼭치료해 드릴게요! 할아버지! 제이름을 하은이라고 지어주셔서감사합니다. 제 이름대로하나님의 은혜로 살아가고있습니다. 할머니 할아버지
사랑해요!
Thank you to my parents who have immigrated to the United States so that I can pursue my dream freely. Thank you for always praying for me and raising me according to the Bible, and even if I was reborn 1000 times, I wish to be born as your daughter again and again.
엄마 아빠! 미국에 오셔서감사하고 버텨주셔서감사합니다. 제가 여태까지엄마 아빠 속상하게 해서죄송하고 끝까지 저를 위해기도하시고 성경의 말씀대로저를 키워주셔서 감사합니다.제가 천번이나 다시 태어나도꼭 엄마랑 아빠 딸로 태어나고싶어요.. 늘 죄송하고,감사하고, 사랑합니다!
Lastly, I would like to thank and give all of this honor to the Heavenly Father, who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and the One who has protected me for the past 17 years, for I was able to do all this through Him who gives me strength.
제게 능력 주시는 하나님안에서 제가 이 모든 것을 할수 있었습니다. 저의 나된것은다 하나님의 은혜입니다. 지난17년 동안 저를 지키시고인도하신 천지의 창조주이신
우리 하나님 아버지께감사하고 또 이 모든 영광을
주님께 돌립니다.
Thank you, and congratulations to the
Class of 2021!