De La Salle Academy Honored Graduates: Words of Hope and Affirmation 2017
The inaugural graduating class of De La Salle Academy... How very proud we are of you, gentlemen! Today marks a signi icant moment in your life. Graduations are milestones they mark a moment in your life that you will likely always remember. For three years I have harped on the fact that each day counts, today counts and indeed, today does count. Today marks a moment of great accomplishment. Today is a culmination of the hard work, the choices, the lessons, and the sacri ices you ve each made in order to get to this point. Kudos to each of you! I ask you to think back to three and half years ago when you were just about ready to inish the 5 th grade. You were on your way to the unknown world of middle school. The choice you and your family made to come to a brand new school says something about you you took a risk a big one! I hope that this is something you ve learned during your time here at DLSA. Don t be afraid to risk. I also hope you ve learned the value of working hard and taking pride in yourself and your accomplishments. Each of you has obstacles to overcome and rather than allow your challenges to overcome you you have grown stronger and soared above. Gentlemen, you have learned to be brother to one another and to the younger brothers. I pray that you will always ind a home at DLSA, that you will always be a brother to others, and that you will continue to strive toward your best efforts. Your futures are bright and we can t wait to celebrate your continued successes. Work hard! Each day counts! Ms. Paquette
Be proud of yourself. If you are ever feeling down in the dumps just remember that you are terri ic! If you ever start to doubt yourself and start to panic, close your eyes and take a very deep breath and relax for a moment then, open your eyes and inish what you are doing. Br. Anthony Lenz, FSC Your future is whatever you make of it. From the smallest and most minute to the grand life decisions, it s the work and experiences of everyday that will make you who you are in the future. Be sure to keep true to who you are, what you believe, and trust yourself and you will be able to achieve whatever you want to in life. Mr. Graham
Class of 2017, I may not have been here since the beginning of this chapter of your life, but I feel honored to have the opportunity to be with you at the end of this chapter. I have heard many good things about you young gentlemen. How you have grown physically and mentally in the past three years since you have been at the academy. I am happy to be able to be a part of your lives. You should know that your moms and dads are very proud of you today. They have high hopes for you, and they believe in you. You are making them proud by showing what you can do. Your parents are so proud to see the intelligent young men you have become, and how you will now move on to become part of the Spartan brotherhood. You have all shown your loyalty to each other and these ideals, respecting each other and keeping your integrity. And now that you have had your time to grow and learn at the academy, you can now move on to the next part, and become the successful and positive young men I know you will become. I hope that one day in the future, I can see all that you will achieve in your lives. All the goals you have reached, all the lives you have saved, and all the new beginnings you have started. I know you will all have struggles throughout your lives at one point or another to reach your goals, but you have built a strong foundation of faith, integrity, and scholarship at this academy. Anything in life is possible if you want it bad enough and work hard to achieve it. Until you spread your wings, you will have no idea how far you can ly. Class of 2017, I know you all can spread them wide. Congratulations! Mrs. Juarez
Gentlemen, I remember the irst day of this school year when I asked you, using one word, how would you describe your feelings about this 8 th grade year? Most of you said worried, scared, unprepared. Today, I ask you the same question; using one word only, how do you feel today? Are your feelings the same, different? I ll share with you my word: blessed. As I leave for home tonight for good my journey as a Lasallian Volunteer has ended today I consider myself blessed for the experiences I have had with each of you. I would consider myself grateful grateful for what you have taught me. Grateful for what I have experienced with you that I can take with me. Even though I was not your homeroom teacher, I will always consider you guys as my irst class, and for that, I consider myself blessed. Ms. Michels When I think of the class of 2017, I think of 16 young men ready for what high school has to offer them. You are true examples of young Spartans, exhibiting the values of faith, integrity, and scholarship. I think of 16 different, unique individuals uni ied as one 8 th grade class. Without realizing it or trying, you have shaped the DLSA that I now see and where I work. Even though I haven t had the chance to experience being your teacher or seeing you all grow over the years, I have an immense sense of pride for what you have accomplished and I can t wait to see what you will do. Thank you for staying true to who you are as individuals and thank you for always showing your younger brothers what it means to go to DLSA. I appreciate all of you being serious about your grades and schoolwork, but I appreciate even more, your ability to ind the (right) time to be silly, have fun with each other (and with us teachers), and to be kids. Congratulations on this incredible accomplishment. Go and do great things. We are happy and proud to call the class of 2017 our irst graduating class. Ms. O Leary
Class of 2017 It seems like yesterday we were meeting all of you and starting your 6 th grade year over at CYC. The 16 of you have been told from the beginning how special it is to be our inaugural graduation class. Now the day is here! In just a few months, you will be starting high school another chapter in your lives. We ve watched you all grow into young men who look adults in the eyes when you shake their hands; who are able to con idently speak in front of others; who are able to celebrate your successes as well as learn from your mistakes. As you leave us and begin your high school journey, my hope is that you take what you have learned here and continue to grow. I hope that you stand out as gentlemen, continuing to choose to do what is right. Choose to be men of faith. Choose to be men of integrity. Choose to be men of scholarship. And when something goes wrong (believe me it will) remember that you have your Academy brothers and all of us to turn to. We love you, we believe in you... Congratulations! Ms. Myrtle
Dear members of the irst graduating class of De La Salle Academy, the class of 2017... I remember our irst ELA classes at the CYC, as we all waited for our new school to be ready. You were a bit nervous, yet very chatty as you each began to know these 15 classmates who you would soon call your brothers. Mr. Carbone and I laughed at your jokes, challenged you in class, and marveled at your growth in just one year! But nothing could prepare me for the class unity I would experience as your 7th grade homeroom teacher. To begin with an experience as moving as our week in Yosemite and journey through a year highlighted by Family Life lessons and our irst place Diocesan award winning book O the Things You can See at Yosemite cannot be described in words. The bond you formed was stronger than ever. Serving as your 8th grade PE teacher has been a truly joyful experience! That you enjoy and support each other is evident that you respect each other is a goal achieved. So, as you begin the steps of your next journey, remember how hard you ve worked, how far you ve come, and how proud we are of you. Always know that you are capable of much more than you think... never stop reaching for the stars. I am humbled and proud to have been a small part of your educational journey. Please keep close in your heart how much we love you. Live Jesus in our Hearts, Mrs. Cullen Gentlemen, No, you are not to complain or question who you are, but instead, grow, reaching for the light that s inside of you Victor Villaseñor. You were all made in God s image. In these last 3 years, you were taught our 5 Core Lasallian Principles. Embrace them because through them we/you will make the playing ield more equal. Be proud of who you are and remember that like indigenous plants, you give them nada nothing... and those weeds still break the concrete! Break down your own fears and the walls that others may set before you. Today, you make our founder, Saint John Baptist de La Salle, happier than ever! Be proud because you are one step closer to accomplishing your dreams. Adelante, Sı se puedo! Mr. Rodriguez