Below is my graduation speech for the Union Middle School class of 2025.
I'm not sure how it was possible that this speech was one of the hardest I've had to write as well as one of the quickest. I sat down on a Sunday and just typed out a few key thoughts from the school year, specific to this 8th grade class, and then filled in the rest shortly thereafter.
The speech was difficult in the sense that this class reminds me of the proverbial "the wolf that you feed" tale. On one hand, there are so many talented, kind, academic, amazing students who always impressed me, each and every day, with just how unique and positive they are. On the other hand, there are the students we adore but also who we spent most of our year with, trying to navigate the ups and downs of 8th grade. These too are amazing kids, but they haven't yet figured out which path they're going to take just yet. Yes, two very distinct groups of students.
But there's only one speech to give... so I looked for overlapping bits of advice.
The first was kindness. This gave me an opportunity to highlight some of the positive choices all of our students made this school year. This paragraph echoes what Mrs. Jorgens shared in her speech: there is so much good in all of our students... and their choices do not define who they are.
The second was choosing who you want your friends to be. I've lost count of the number of times we've weaved this topic into student conversations this year... and it's across every single friend group that I encountered. One comment I've shared with many staff members was how wonderful every 8th grader was when it was just them, me, and/or another staff member, all in the office, just reflecting, chatting, building toward better choices. One of the best stories from the year was when that one (fantastically amazing) student would intentionally use key words in their school Google Docs account so the content would be flagged... and I'd be pinged. Often, this student would say something to trigger the filters and then follow it up with "so, if you're reading this Mr. Feinberg, can you call me in to chat?" Pretty smart kid... and when we spoke, it was often about how to navigate their friend group. It's a subject very prevalent for a middle school student.
The third topic was almost not included in the speech. I had written something up about how our promoting students' grades do not define who they are. I also had a paragraph about trying your best, no matter what. I even added one of my favorite quotes about growing up from my favorite musical artist, Matt Nathanson... but in the end, I thought about this year and how there were moments for every student where they were challenged, scared, worried, and fearful of what was in front of them. I wanted to end the speech with kindness and compassion, making sure that our students knew just how much we truly cared about them, no matter their grades, no matter the number of campus clean ups they had, or even no matter if they told me every day with a sly smirk on their face just how excited they were to leave for high school.
And that was that. One of my shortest speeches and arguably one of my less personal ones as well. No mention about my family, my health, or specific principal-student stories. This year, I just wanted to recognize the amazing work of all of our students and, at the same time, hopefully impart some lasting remarks that could possibly make a different in their lives down the road.
Here is the graduation speech. Enjoy.
-Todd
Good Morning Everyone,
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Todd Feinberg, and I have been privileged to have been the principal of Union Middle School for the past thirteen years. It is an honor to stand in front of you all today. It means a great deal to me. I truly care about each and every one of my Union Tigers. I hope you all will keep in touch.
As I look out at all of you today, I am filled with so, so many thoughts and emotions. Mostly, I have an overwhelming sense of pride and admiration that you all made it to this moment. You are a truly unique group of young people; each with their own strengths, talents, and spirit that you have brought to Union Middle School.
Crossing the stage tonight is no small achievement. It’s a symbol of hard work, perseverance, and resilience. But… it’s also a transition, one that marks the beginning of a new chapter as you move on to high school and beyond. And… with that in mind, I’d like to leave you with some words of advice. I hope these words may help guide you on your road ahead.
Treat others how you wish to be treated… and go out of your way to be kind.
Many of my most treasured moments over the past three years with you, the class of 2025, have been the smallest. It’s a fist bump out of nowhere to say hi. It’s when I saw one of your 8th grade classmates helping a 6th grader get their rolling backpack up the school steps. Every time we had a new student arrive on campus, it’s how you immediately would take them into your friend group. These moments may seem small to you, but they’re not. Sometimes, the kindness you share with another can mean the world to them. After all, in a world where you can be anything, be kind.
Learn to say no, even to your bestest of friends
I wish I could gift you the ability to set boundaries and to do so with ease. However, this is a skill that seems to be learned over time. My advice is this: if you know something is wrong, don’t get involved. If something doesn’t feel right, walk away. The other kids you’re with who you call friends… if they are constantly making choices that give you pause, well, maybe consider looking into finding new friends, ones who raise you up and not those who pull you down.
And if all else fails, just imagine that I’m there, holding my megaphone, watching you from across campus with a blank, stern look, all in an effort to encourage you to make the choice you know you should make. One of my favorite sayings, which some 8th grade families have heard many times over the past few years, is “show me five of your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.”
Choose your friends wisely. Set reasonable boundaries. Protect yourself from the person that you don’t want to become.
When life gets hard and it will… know that it will get better.
Over the next four years, you will experience days where things feel overwhelming. You may feel like there’s no way out, like your world is crashing down and society seems to be falling apart - believe me, we all feel this way sometimes. In those moments, I want you to remember that you are never alone. Reach out to someone you trust: your family, a friend, a teacher, a counselor, or even a former middle school principal. We all want to help. And no matter how challenging things feel in that moment, it won’t feel that way forever. It gets better…I promise you… it really does get better and in ways you can’t even imagine. Tomorrow is another day and always something to look forward to.
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So, to the class of 2025, you will be quite unforgettable. To our gifted scholars: please continue to amaze us with your curiosity and insight. To our quiet leaders: do not stop leading by example, even if you don’t even realize the impact that you have, even in the smallest, most innocuous of ways. To the kind, empathetic individuals sitting in front of me now, thank you for how you’ve helped each other, how you’ve challenged one another (and for some, especially challenged your parents, your teachers, and your principal); and how you’ve made our school a better place just by being here. For this, we thank you.
I look forward to watching you all on your journey to high school. Thank you for being a part of our lives over the past three years.
Congratulations, Class of 2025.
And now, the presentation of the diplomas for the Union Middle School class of 2025.
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