Although we are all starting this school year together, the people that sit beside you now may not be there this time next year. While the scent of optimism still lingers in the air, the future is ours if we reach out and takes it within our grasp. We have wiped our slates clean from high school; this is the chance to be who we want to be. It is a chance to let our personalities shine through our style, ideas, and our actions.  Although college doesn’t stop there, its much more than parties and football games its about dedication, hard work, maturity, and lots of studying. College is not a fashion trend, we didn’t come here to show off new clothes, like we are “America’s Next Top Models”; we came here to learn. As every chapter in our lives unfold, there will always be people around us that are of this flashy nature. College is the opportunity of a lifetime, not only do we meet new people; but we also experience new cultures, styles, and ways of thinking. Life is like a painting; in order to see the masterpiece, you must make each small stroke of the paintbrush count. Every decision that we make has a consequence, whether it is good or bad, but we ourselves must make the choice. We must remember that from the moment we got here, we’ve made an impact. From the first blade of grass we stepped on, to the first person we said hello to, to the first light we turned on, we have had and are still having an impact. As we enter our first-year of college, we will learn lessons that we will carry on throughout our lifetime, because education does not simply end with the granting of a degree.

            College is so much different from high school. There are no teacher forcing you to do your homework, no one forcing you to go to class; your success solely depends on you and the choices that you make. We must find our passion, whether it is for art, biology, or electronics, we must to let our passion be our guide. We must be committed to our dreams, goals, and aspirations not just interested in them. There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit but, when you are committed to something you accept no excuses only results. When our passion consumes us it becomes much more than just a goal it transforms into our reason for studying and going to class after class. Once we have all set our goals, we need to actively pursue them. The first step to achieving your goal is believing that you can. There are some of us that are scared of failing, not being good enough, and afraid of doing something wrong. But no one is perfect, once we accept this and realize that failure is just a way of learning and as long as we keep trying, we will succeed.  Remember that you have never really failed until you have completely stopped trying. We all have that person in our life that tells us that we will fail; but we must simply put in our headphones, turn up the music louder than their voice, and ignore their negative comments. John Mackey once said, “Fear is primarily a creation of the mind. I create it in my mind and it doesn’t really exist outside the mind.” As individuals, we have to stand for who we are and not let others define us. Our time is limited; so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by the drama. Don't let the noise of other people’s opinions drown out your own voice.  We all go through life working through outside limitations and challenges, but the most difficult chains to break are those within us. How about we stop being so caught up on the glitz and glamor and start focusing more on the future of our country not only as individuals but also as a united generation. We need that burning fire of determination to reach our goals and not let any challenges and barriers stop us. Right now we have the gift of time.  We can use it to do what you love; if we believe anything is possible and then work hard to make it happen.

Furthermore, I am challenging not only my fellow members of the class of 2016, but our generation, to not fall under the temptation of society. We must prove to the world that not all of this generation is lost. Let us show that not all of our young men are sagging their pants and going to jail. Let’s show society that our young women are more than boobs, butts, baby makers, and pretty face than we actually have brains and we use them. As we begin this year together, I hope that all of us will think of the journey we are about to undertake. Let’s prove our haters wrong, let’s take some risks, and let’s have fun but most of all let’s succeed not only in college, but also in life. We are taking the first steps into our future. The future is ours, let us reach for it as we once reached for the stars when we were children searching for a dream; let us all grab it together. Ready or not the future starts now.