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Graduation 2011

Guest Speaker

Alex Pick

I believe in community, I believe in creativity, and I believe in growth. I believe that every one of us has the capability to become a valuable, contributing member of society, and even though tomorrow morning I will wake up a high school graduate, I still believe that anything is possible.

Although many things have changed over the years, I am no longer taught spanish songs about bunnies to help me learn the language, no longer get to show everyone how fast I can construct the pink tower and no longer think I will eventually marry my father, in many ways, I am still the same girl I was when I began my journey at Khalsa school, nearly 17 years ago.

I still love to learn. I still appreciate the various cultures, backgrounds and ethnicities of my peers, still get excited when I fully understand a new “lesson”, and still love being able to say that I know what it feels like to be a part of a loving, nurturing, and giving community, such as Khalsa school.

I was born and raised in downtown Phoenix, and am proud to say that I have only attended two exceptional schools throughout my entire educational journey thus far. I started my journey at the toddler house before I could even tie my own shoes, let alone grasp the concept of sharing my toys with someone else. Even though as I worked my way through Primary, then lower elementary and finally upper elementary I didn't always understand why I was doing things or understand the purpose behind various lessons, I do believe that I was slowly starting to see the effect Khalsa school was having on me.

Although I may not have fully appreciated it then, I wasn't only learning how to do long division, write research papers and work through the tedious, colored levels of SRA's, I was learning how to think critically, how to analyze both literature as well as my surroundings, and how to communicate with my peers. I was learning how to develop my own ideas and how to use them to better my community. Khalsa school instilled in me the idea that I can do anything I want to do, and that I have the capability to create the environment I want to surround myself in. I also have the ability to say “please leave my space”, as we did at Primary school, when I know that I need time to myself. Throughout my years at Khalsa, I learned to really respect myself and my ideas, and can't begin to explain how valuable that has been for the last 6 years of my life.

After graduating Khalsa in the 6th grade, as many of you are doing today, I attended Arizona School for the Arts, where I was surrounded by what I believe to be some of the smartest, most skilled, and most passionate youth in the country. I watched as many students weren't able to find their niche, weren't able to handle the stress of working within tight deadlines, and weren't able to hold on to their drive and motivation to learn. Through all of this, I felt extremely fortunate for all that Khalsa school had done for me. Khalsa had set me up to succeed, and whether it was in performing in front of hundreds of people at the Orpheum Theatre or arguing my point during a debate in History, I had a passion for everything I was doing, a passion that I believe was instilled in me during my years at Khalsa.

Passion is something I hope to to carry with me through the next phase of my life, and as I prepare to move away from my family and friends and move to Denver to embark on my college journey, I am both excited and scared to leave everything behind. But, just as a strong foundation is crucial in building any sort of lasting structure, I believe that a strong foundation is also key in building a successful person. I know that what both Khalsa and ASA have instilled in me will carry me through the next stages of my life, and that I need not to worry, because I will always have this awesome Khalsa community, there to stand by me and support me in anything I do.

My advice to todays graduates is to hold on to your creativity, hold on to your imagination, and still let yourself believe that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Hold on to the memories and friendships you've established thus far, but remember that the world is a huge place, with opportunities everywhere. Try everything, discover what you're passionate about, and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something. And, if that ever happens, know that your Khalsa community will always be right here to tell you that you can, and that they will be there to help support, encourage, and guide you through it. I think it is safe to say that everyone here today is incredibly proud of you all, so congratulations on this huge accomplishment, you did it!