Page 321 - Carrollton 2013

Children of the Sacred Heart, we will always remain
Even as life pens wrinkles into the crooks of our elbows
And around the corners of our mouths,
This state of being will1define the nature of our souls.

We will never cease questioning, asking, searching
For the silver lining, the embrace,
The goodness in this world. It is a curiosity that
Will never be lost, never falter - a thirst for the innocence,
The purity, the unadulterated enjoyment of existence.

Love conquers all.
Whether engraved in gold or silver, or in the recesses of our hearts and minds, it is the truest
truth, the mightiest of adages, because each of us has experienced the miracle that is to
be loved by somebody and to love in return. The golden rule, the most sacred of laws. You
are sending us off with hearts full of love, planted within us by caring and tender hands
that wiped the tears, altered the uniforms, read the books over our shoulders, danced in
celebration, and stifled the sob in desperation - parents, we would be nothing if it weren’t
for your selflessness. We learn from example, the most eloquent of lessons; teachers, we
would be nothing if it weren’t for your passion, the purest of motivations and the most
rewarding of sacrifices; sisters, I would be nothing if it weren’t for your support, t learn from
each of you on a daily basis what it means to be courageous and confident, graceful
beneath pressure, and optimistic despite trying circumstances.

I will miss you all very much, but I’m certain that this is not goodbye. I'll be seeing your
names on book covers, in newspaper clippings, and flashing across my television screen;
in the clouds of my coffee, in nighttime constellations, and contained within the strains
of distant laughter. You will inspire songs and speech, heartbeats and thought. I am the
proudest of peers.

With the memory of 73 strong as our company, and hope as our guide -
I have nothing left to say except the following: it is time to begin.

Excerpt from the 2013 Graduation Ceremony Reftecition Speech by Alejandro Sofia Alvarez