Carrollton seniors
May 2002
Chillicothe
Bummy
Greetings from Triopia. Especially the girls basketball. Playing you girls has made our group better over the years. Still can’t beat you, but it’s all about competition and there are none better than you.
You’re going to hear a lot of speeches in the next week about the future and what you need to do and what the country needs…
We’ve studied everything. Study came out last year.. American 4th-graders are the 3rd-smartest in the world in math & science. Last year: 8th-graders were low on the list. Let me tell you what probably no one else has.. the students I’ve taught in the last five years have been the smartest and most capable in my 31 years of teaching… we are getting better, no matter what you here.. and it’s not just Triopia.
Wednesday night after school our senior class took off and filled sand bags at Meredosia.
We chew more bubble gum than any other country. Two pounds person a year. We have the most athlete’s foot…. Our toilet paper was rated the best by a group of international travel writers…
IBM studied the Fortune 500 companies.. top executives… to find out what made a great leader.. Hardly any were Valedictorian.. worked for them.. ONLY COMMON TRAIT: Extremely active in extra-curricular activities… They were well-rounded and knew how to work with people. Only in a small school can you do this.
I’ve spent the last 25 years of my life working with teenage leaders. I love teens more than any other age group but if I had one wish for them: Loosen Up!
Watch 3rd graders get off a bus.....energy, fun...war! Watch 7th-graders: pushing, kidding, laughing...mayhem, blood Watch adults...no more pushing and shoving, but smiling and talking to each other... anxious to get on with things.... Watch 80-year-olds...Hardees parking lot , nearly all smiling....friendly. slower, but happy. Watch teenagers....God..where are we now? How long is this gonna last? Is this gonna be boring? Do they have anything to drink? AND MOST OF ALL: What do they think of me? How do I look? Is something gonna happen that we can go back to school and talk about? TIGHT! UPTIGHT! NERVOUS! SELF-CONSCIOUS!
Want to know somebody’s anxieties? Look in their purse...or billfold.. Prepared for everything....Me....draft card...comb!
Want to be successful after you graduate? Simple: Be the only one in your group who’s not afraid to be yourself.
Tony Campello “For most teenagers, who they are depends upon who the most important people in their life think they are.”
Who are you trying to please? Hiney The Mule
Self-conscious: mind on self. Constantly conscious of yourself.
If you want to lead, get your mind off yourself. Becky Smith................
Dale Carnegie: “You will make more friends in one day by being truly interested in other people than in an entire month of trying to get other people interested in you.” Whether getting a boyfriend, getting a job, or running for President. I know an employer...secretly judges by the questions they ask. (My Triopia job...totally unprepared) Mr. Rogers
Loosen up: Go barefoot more often eat nothing but ice cream for an entire day tomorrow, wear your underwear backwards McDonnalds..”Have a Nice Day” Why? Do some serious coloring Ask the preacher to serve pizza at the next communion. Biggest grouch in your school “I Just want you to know that I feel great!”
Jeff W... free spirit....robbed Walmart singer … farmer Church lady Roger Ebert Matt.. baritone
And finally…if you want to be successful, get to know people. Find out what makes them tick.
There are people in this room that you’ve been going to school with for a long, long time and you still don’t know them…time is short.
some of the people in this room, you will never seen again after graduation.
So Let’s do it. Here. Let me show you how it’s done.
Stand up....month of birth. (say Hi) Cannot stand anchovies sleeps in only their underwear Used to take one large step into bed Used to cover up all but a place to breathe Is scared to death of college Has ever faked being sick so you wouldn’t have to go to school Wearing red underwear...blue, green, grey, pink, purple, white
End:
Bill Gates said recently… “Please don’t send me any more computer geeks. I’ve got plenty of them. Send me people who know and care about people.”
I’m a teacher so I’m going to give you an assignment… In the few precious days you’ve got left before graduation, start practicing the most valuable skill you’re going to bring to a job someday.. getting to know people. Somewhere in this room there’s somebody who’d love to get to know you. What’s stopping you? Time is short. One of the most precious things you have is your friends. What’s stopping you from getting more? The world needs you so badly...it needs you to lead it....Loosen up, be yourself, so you can be great. What’s stopping you?
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