Welcome, Pony Express students, parents, teachers, and...

Welcome, Pony Express students, parents, teachers, and staff who are gathered here today to honor and support us at our sixth grade promotion and during one of the most important transitions of our lives. We have so many vital people to thank for helping us get to this point: all of our teachers, who have boosted us and given us the push we need to achieve success; our parents, who have always been at our sides to offer us a hand and help us up when we fall, to magnify our self-esteem when we feel as tiny, low, and unimportant as ants, and to nourish us with love; and, of course, the students themselves. You were so friendly and welcoming from the moment I first stepped foot on our campus, a new and frightening land that now seems like a†¦show more content†¦We have all been through both tough and good times, but without the shadows of heartbreaking loss to bring out the pastels and lighter shades of the bright, hopeful beginning that is sure to come, a painting would not be complete. I speak for every student in this room when I say that we are deeply grateful to everyone who has guided us through our childhood, helped us through each stage of our lives up to this point of departure, for we are all thankful beyond what words can express to each and every individual who has given up some of their life story to help us write our own. I know that I will miss all of you, and that farther down the road in life I will be able to look back upon my years of elementary school fondly and reflect upon my cherished memories and bonds. As a line from the movie Catching Fire so wisely quoted: â€Å"Our lives are not measured by the number of years we live, but by the number of lives we touch.† Every person in this room has done that, sparked a touch of magic into each of our lives, brightened our souls with one more ounce of shared strength. And now it’s finally time to use that strength, to suck up every drop of power we have and channel it, along with all our effort, into building and sculpting our futures out of the soft clay of our pasts. The endpoints of our voyages through the deep seas of our lives are still hidden in the murkyShow MoreRelatedManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesCapitol 1. New Management for Business Growth in a Demanding Economy Text  © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2004 6 THE POWER OF MANAGEMENT CAPITAL leadership and as a necessary condition for the profitability and effectiveness of technology. Today another economic force—the quality of productivity—is being recognized as essential for shoring up the economy, especially when business slows down. From SUVs and computers to Internet services and home furnishings, the quality value that buyers perceive