Aveiga: Never Give Up, Keep Moving Forward

Buenas Noches Sra. Wollin y otros miembros del Borde de Educacion.
Dr. Hochman
Dr. Adelberg
Sra. Shamberg
Sr. Davidson, profesores, personal y companeros.

I am honored to be standing here tonight. Graduation is a significant moment in our lives. It is at this time that we recognize the academic achievement of our entire class. All of us who will cross the stage, graduation is truly an accomplishment. Graduation is a time to reflect on where you've been, where you are now, and where you are going.

How did we get here?

Today we pay tribute to the sense of community we have shared, the memories we have made, the lessons we have learned, growth we have experienced, and the trials and tribulations we have overcome. Booker T. Washington once said, "Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed."

When I first came to this school from Ecuador, I was skeptical. I was pulled out of my comfort zone and pushed into a completely new world, with new rules, new teachers, new friends, but most of all into a zone of a completely different language.
Statistics shows for every 5 Latinos, only 1 graduates from high school.

All of us who stand here today defy this statistic.

Las estadisticas muestran que de cada 5 Latinos solo 1 llega a graduarse del colegio. Todos nosotros que estamos aqui hoy, vencimos esta estadistica.

Today I’m on stage giving a graduation speech but at one point I had to share a little bunk bed with five of my family members. There was a time in my life when I hardly got any sleep because we only had one little bunk bed for all of my family.

Hoy dia estoy en el escenario dando un discurso, pero hubo un tiempo en mi vida donde a penas pude dormir ya que compartia una pequena cama litera con los cinco miembros de mi familia. I wanted to share this so all of you can understand that is possible to overcome things that seem impossible.

This is for my mother:
I wouldn’t have come this far without the help of Patricia Varela, my mother. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her. My mom has always told me and I have kept in my mind,

“Núnca te rindas recuerda que no se necesita ser muy inteligente y rico para salir adelante y triunfar en la vida. En esta vida hay tropiezos, caídas y resbalones. Pero lo importánte de todo esto, es levántarse, seguir avanzando hacia adelante, por que el camino es largo y no puedes perder el tiempo.”

In other words “Never give up, remember you do not need to not the smartest or the richest to get ahead and succeed in life. In this life there are trips, slips and falls. But the most important thing about this is to keep moving forward, because the road is long and you cannot waste time. "

My wish for each of my fellow graduates is a gift that my mom gave me and is that today and everyday you have:

A love of learning
A burning for knowledge
A passion for discovery
A will for Character
A heart for sharing
A zest for life
A sense of gratitude
A feeling of confidence
A familiarity with perseverance

You must always be proud of who you are, your heritage, and continue to grow and learn from life's experiences both challenging and triumphant.

I would like to thank all of our parents, and extended family.
Nada de esto seria posible sin todo su amor y apoyo.

To my fellow graduates, keep your worries small and let your dreams reach the stars: the sky’s the limit. Congratulations class of 2011! This is our time to shine.