Yesterday was today. Today is tomorrow. And tomorrow will soon be today.

And it feels just like yesterday when—

Ah. Never mind.

So were finally graduating. Way to go! Most of us, from here, will go off to a college. Some will go to a trade school or the armed forces. A few of us have got a rich uncle who owns a business and he will give us a job with no training. Others will get a minimum wage paying job as a Tops manager or at a gas station.

From there, we will become doctors, lawyers, business people, salespersons, and garbage collectors. Anything we want to be. The world is a very tough place, and I believe we got some of the training right here at Williamsville East High School. We have gone through so much here. It has gone by so fast. We have gotten 100s on tests, we have gotten 40s on tests. We have seen fights at Roxbury, our football team get their butt kicked and we have gone into the wig shop at the mall and seen the bald ladies. Food fights in the commons. Handball in gym. Getting our license. Crashing into a car. And sneaking into “Showgirls.” These have all shaped our lives today, somehow.

My vision of high school has changed a lot since I got here. In middle school, my vision was mainly influenced by “Saved by the Bell”: one classroom, an oil spill, a jock wearing tights, a teacher who talks real fast, and a group of kids who do a cheer with the principal. Oh yeah! And a dance contest at the local hangout hosted by Casey Casem.

I leave here today and enter the rest of my life with two bits of advice. One is for the good of high school, and the second for you and me. For high schools: bring back Troll book orders. For us: if you’re going to do anything in life, don’t do it half-assed.