Needham High School senior Remy Marin walked confidently across the stage and stood at a podium in front of her 321 fellow classmates and hundreds of teachers, parents, friends and family members, Monday afternoon.
“I believe in making mistakes,” said Marin in front of a suddenly surprised crowd. “I believe in throwing caution to the wind.”
Marin’s message was to her fellow classmates. She said after they leave Memorial Field that afternoon to go out, take risks, make errors, try new things, and challenge themselves.
“Errors are a natural and vital part of life,” she said. “Challenge ourselves to find out who we really are. A life with no flaws is a boring life.”
Superintendent of Needham School’s Dr. Daniel Gutekanst echoed Marin’s message.
“I hope you fail,” said Gutekanst. “I am not suggesting you should become failures.” He reminded the students, who he said had the tools to become successful. “I am encouraging you to take risks. Failure will come, but how you overcome those failures will be key.”
While students heard the message of not being afraid of their mistakes, it was their success which allowed them all to wear their blue and white caps and gowns and receive their diploma.
Two by two the students marched down the hill from their school to the field, where parents, teachers, and administrators watched and waited, while the Needham High School band played the traditional graduation song “Pomp and Circumstance”.
Graduating student speaker Ethan Samet- Marram gave the first speech of the ceremony.
Marram said there are three ways in which graduation speeches are presented. The first way looks at the past, the second way looks at the future and the third way looks at the present.
“This speech considers the present,” he said. “Here we are, our once in a lifetime graduation.”
Samet- Marram jokingly acknowledged that while many of the spectators were not paying attention, 60 percent were paying attention.
“We are all here and in 90 minutes, tops, we won’t be,” he said. “This is your time to look around you and not think we did it and not think we can do anything. Look around and think, I am here, we are here, now together.”
School principle Dr. Jonathan Pizzi, to a large applause, gave the next speech.
“The single most important aspect of our lives is family,” he told his soon- to- be former high school students. “These are the people who helped you through your childhood, through graduation, and through life’s biggest challenges.”
Pizzi told the students that the most important aspects in their lives are family and physical and mental health.
