“I have always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” Parents, teachers, school administration, members of the school board, guests, and the graduating class of 2012, good evening.

This powerful quote from the greatest basketball player of all time-Michael Jordan- – is what inspires me and Batch 2012 to strive for excellence in everything that we do, be it a simple or daunting task.

Take this speech for example. When I actually started writing it, I found out that it’s even harder to do than our Research Paper. Yet, one thing was certain though. I knew that the reason why I made it here today is that I never gave up in pursuing excellence. A line from the movie, “Three Idiots”, gave me the inspiration I needed. It goes, “Pursue excellence and success will just follow.”

So, it looks like… this is it! Finally, we have made it to the end of high school and I, personally, am very thankful to be part of this batch. As we are all gathered here to commemorate this important milestone in our lives, let us savor the fruits of our efforts. Without you guys, I wouldn’t be here and so this speech is not only mine, but yours as well.

Many consider us the best batch that Springdale has seen so far. We have heard it several times in elementary, only to hear the same thing again all throughout high school. And so with this, we went out to fulfill what everyone had expected of us. It propelled us to work harder and excel in academics, sports, and other extracurricular activities. Majority of us are on the director’s list, but… we’re not just a bunch of nerds. Almost everyone in the batch is part of the varsity and we have reaped numerous awards in soccer, basketball, taekwondo, debate, golf, swimming, cycling and even scrabble. That is what makes our batch truly amazing.

And guess what? We are also known as the guinea pigs of the school. Because of our high performance, we were always the first ones to try new things, like when they needed to change the curriculum. We didn’t see it as something bad because it just showed how much the school believed in us, making us a benchmark for other batches to emulate. And when we graduate, they will probably say things like “look at this batch and how much they have achieved.” Yes, these are just a few of our accomplishments that will definitely go down in Springdale history.

All these would not have been possible if not for those people who have been instrumental in helping us become what we are today: Our beloved parents and teachers. Our parents for their unwavering love and constant support, and our teachers for their deep wells of patience. In all our struggles, our parents have continued to serve as our guiding light to keep us going and stay focused on our goals. Without them, we might have gotten lost along the way.

Our heartfelt gratitude also goes out to all our teachers who have painstakingly handled our batch throughout the years. The experience we had during our Chemistry exhibits, when we were tasked to teach younger kids who did nothing but run around, made us realize how difficult it must be to be a teacher, especially to high school students who sometimes act like Grade 1 pupils.

Our teachers, together with our parents, have also instilled in us the love for God who makes all things possible. Nothing would have come to fruition without him. For all these, we cannot indeed, thank you enough.

Although we will be travelling different roads, hopefully, we will one day meet again and share new experiences and take pride in our lofty pursuits. Perhaps we will meet as Springdale parents. One of us may even be the chaplain of the school, or some may be influential business leaders in the community.

But no matter what path we take, we will forever be grateful for the wealth of experience that Springdale has provided for us. It has been a pleasure spending the last four years in high school with all of you. And because of the endless support from our parents and teachers, the hard work and never giving up on our goals, we have been better prepared for greater responsibilities ahead.

So, to the graduating class of 2012, let’s go out into the real world, take on new challenges, and show to everyone why we are the best batch of Springdale! - Graduation Speech by Alfredo Relucio Jr, Batch 2012