Kaila Michitsch’s Commencement Address at Ramona High School

Good evening. My name is Kaila Michitsch and I have had the honor of representing this class as sophomore, junior and senior class president. As class president for the past three years, I have had the opportunity to watch the class of 2012 change from a diverse group of individual students who rarely intermingled to a class that has united and become a team.

As the years have passed, we, the class of 2012, have engaged and mixed together like all of the different ingredients in Chex mix. When we mixed together, we became a team rather than individuals. We noticed how much power we had together.

For example, this year was the first time we did not get third place in the Airband competition.  As a team, we were able to win first place.  In addition, we had the most points for spirit days, we started the new tradition of Senior Sunrise and Senior Sunset, we won powder-puff, and we spent great times together at senior excursion and senior breakfast.

Like Chex mix, we are a great combination when we worked together.

Class, we all have been working hard for this day, sometimes feeling like we were going to give up on the way. But after spending 109,104 hours and 4,456 days of hard work, or of slacking off, from day one in kindergarten to now, we are proof that, with effort, we have ultimately been successful.

In high school, many of us have viewed success as winning a game or two in the tough Palomar league, attending Sawada’s class on time, passing all of our classes, or having a high GPA. In the future, we may gauge success by how high our salaries will be, how many objects we possess or how big our houses are. 

Above all else, success really is knowing and realizing you have the power to do anything you set your mind to and working hard to accomplish your goals. Objects will break, salaries can be reduced, and jobs can be lost. But knowing that you have the potential and power to accomplish anything you set your mind to is something that can never be taken away. 

If at any time you aren’t happy with where your life is heading, change it.  Love where you live, love where you work, and love the people who you surround yourself with.

Make sure your relationship with your parents and with the other important people in your life is always in good standing. Tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us, and you never know what day will be anybody’s last.

Take one last glance around you.  This is the last time the united class of 2012 will be together in one place.

In closing, I would like you to remember this: We are like leaves falling off a tree blowing in the wind; we will go in different directions, but we will always have the same roots of Ramona High.  Go Bulldogs!  Thank you.                 

of Ramona High’s graduation on June 14, 2012.