Wake up, go to school, do homework, go to sleep; the daily schedule of a typical high school student. Many factors go along with this schedule. Students encounter lack of sleep, stress, and the constant anxiety that comes along with fulfilling deadlines and maintaining good grades. Although high school has been a tremendous struggle, I can tell you this: hard work pays off.

I know this from personal experience. Going back as far as I can remember, school has taken me through obstacle after obstacle. Ever since the first grade I have been taught nothing less but to complete every single task given by an exact time. For some, this is quite simple. For others, balancing a life outside of school with school can be fairly disastrous. This is where the lack of sleep, stress, and anxiety come into play. Since the age of five I have pursued extra curricular activities such as dance, clubs, and sports. Maintaining my straight A’s didn’t become a problem until my high school years though. I began to lose stability within my flawless GPA and saw my future spiraling downwards because of the intercepting activities I took part in. This opened my eyes wide open. I had to sit and think about priorities. School should have been at the very top of that list.

After a little while, my focus transitioned back into putting my education first. It didn’t take much but to spend at least an hour of my day studying and recollecting what I needed to know to bump my grades back up. I found myself beyond content with my progress. One thing I learned from this was confidence. It is crucial to be confident in everything you do in order to achieve success. With confidence I reached that success. This is why I am standing here today delivering this speech. It is about commencement. A new beginning, a fresh start, a future. Everything that led to my success is making my future look beyond bright. The hard work, the dedication, the confidence I discovered in myself is what everyone needs to gather for themselves. Take a minute to look where you’re at with your life. Are you where you want to be? Are you set for the future? If not, it’s not too late. Set a goal. Work for it. Like I said, hard work pays off. It is more than worth it.

Think about the opportunities that may come from this as well. Doing well in high school leads you to a good college. College is only the start to your future. It is where you begin the adult path in life, discover your occupation, and find stability. Stability is not only key towards academic success but personal success. Most people after high school and college settle down and start a family. This is why keeping up in school and getting a job is important. It helps you provide for not only yourself but for every aspect of your future life. If you have a wife, a husband, or children, you'll have the capability of giving them great lives to live. Think about your parents and all they've done for you. They wouldn't be where they are and would not be able to provide what they have for you if they hadn't worked hard to achieve their goals. Think about it; but more importantly act upon it. Make it happen. Find success.