Words to grads, 2010

 Congratulations to the Class of 2010!

You know that I love baseball, so one baseball quote is necessary: Yogi Berra said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." In the next several years, you will encounter many forks. The choices you make when confronted by "forks" will go along way toward determining who you become.

Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can or cannot, you are usually right." Your attitude and belief in yourself will also go along way to determining who you become.

John Mellencamp, in his 1985 hit song, "Small Town," said:

"Got nothing against a big town
Still hayseed enough to say
Look who's in the big town
But my bed is in a small town
Oh, and that's good enough for me"

Never, ever forget that you come from a school where the principal says his favorite holiday is "Tractor Day." Be proud of where you come from because it will go along way toward determining who you become.

An urban poet I'll call Robert Ritchie: "You get what you put in and people get what they deserve."

It takes hard work, effort, and focus to be successful. You come from a hard working, tight knit community. A lot of people here care about you and believe in you. Don't forget about your family, friends, teachers ... anyone in the community. As you face the challenges of life, don't be afraid to come back here. Many people are here when you need them. And don't be afraid to come back to the school. Buckley will always be here for you. Best of luck.


** The cool thing is that the keynote speaker, John Vermilya, also quoted "Small Town." **