Mike Chang was laying on his bed reflecting over his four years of high school before getting ready for graduation. He was dreading this day but it was worth it. He remembered going into his freshman year scared because it was a new school and he was an all honors student. He joined the football team and he hated it. The summer of that year he paid for his own dance lessons outside of school. Then came sophomore year when he joined glee club. His friend Puck convinced Mike to do it with him. He convinced his best friend Matt to do it with him. Come the summer of that year he was sad to see his best friend Matt move but was excited to spend a whole month of his summer at Asian camp. That is where he met his amazing girlfriend Tina. The two months remaining of the summer he was either dancing or teaching or he was getting ready for the upcoming football season. His junior year was eventful being in a wedding getting into a fight, which he was happy he didn't get in trouble for it. All he was thankful for that he got a hurt wrist and a shoulder. He was also thankful for nationals there was college scouts. The glee club told them that he did all the amazing choreography. They offered him a full ride. Then came senior year, he was filling out other college applications just in case. Then comes tryouts for west side story. He tried out for the second male lead, and got the role. Then came the day before regionals. His dad approached him and yelled at him that he wasn't allowed to do this type of stuff. Mike regretted saying to his dad" I guess I don't have a dad anymore." The day of regionals Mike smiled as he saw his dad and he told him that he can apply for any performing arts school. Tina told him that they already sent in the applications. That's why when graduation is over he is going to one of the most well-known dance schools in the country The Julliard School in New York City. His parents hated the fact that he wasn't planning on become a doctor like they planned. He got up out of bed and looked at the cap and gown that stared at him. Was he really ready? He knew his girlfriend Tina was going to be there and the glee club. He put on a nice dress shirt and tie and nice dress pants. He fixed his hair and then put on his cap and gown on and looked at himself in the mirror. He smiled and grabbed his keys and the copy of his graduation speech and smiled. He went downstairs and saw his parents and they got a picture and smiled
"There is are baby boy" Mrs. Chang said
"I know all grown up and ready for the big world of performing" Mr. Chang said
Mike went and hugged his parents and left. He got to the auditorium and got ready with his friends. The graduates took thieir places on stage and sat down.
"Good evening students, friends and family this evening is all to celebrate your classmates achievements they say that high school is a brutal transition but with your help they will get though it first off I would like to bring out the class valedictorian Michael Chang " Principal Figgins said
Mike came on stage and took a breath.
Friends, teachers , administrators, and parents, welcome. We are graduating. Can you believe it? Four years ago, most of us walked into these halls as nervous as we were the first day of school. We were the freshmen, the low men on the totem pole. Now, those same four years later, we're leaving the school behind to a whole new crop of people, most of whom were just as nervous as we were when we arrived. It has been a long four years and a short four years. Long because of all the drama and bad homework, the boring readings and early-morning extra credit projects, and all the other little pratfalls that hit us in high school. Short because of the lifelong friendships, the lasting memories, and the truly interesting and amazing things we learned between the occasional bits of drudgery. Good or bad, long or short, I will always remember this place. While I'm thrilled to be our valedictorian, I can't say I've spent as many hours as some of us have between these halls: Our teachers, of course, spend an inhuman amount of time here, and many students do as well. Most of them even do it of their own choosing. I came by to get a book I forgot last night around 8 p.m. and found Rachel Berry, student head of the graduation planning committee, still here putting crepe paper on chairs and laying out programs in each and every seat. That's dedication. It takes that kind of teamwork to survive anywhere in life, I've found. I know my experience is limited, but every problem I've overcome has been because someone has been there to help me. My support net ranged (and still ranges) from my parents to my friends to my teachers, depending on the kind of trouble I've had and its severity. This isn't to say I've been a troublemaker—I only got sent to the office twice, and one of those times was a misunderstanding—but even for me, a relatively quiet student, a lot of help has been needed to get me through at times. This is where our high school truly excels, I think. What's next? I will be going to The Julliard School in New York city , as will many of my classmates will be going to college or some type of higher education . More of us yet will go to various branches of the armed forces to help keep our country safe home and abroad. Others may get right to work, or even take a year or more off to decide what they want to do. Leaving high school is such a brutal transition, as Principal Figgins put it, that I don't know what the world has in store for any of us. I do know how I'll deal with those life events, though: by using the skills and info I've picked up here. It all comes down to help, and I've got plenty of people to thank for that: parents, of course, teachers, friends... I guess that means the biggest thing I learned in high school is to lean on others when needed. There's another, more important, side to that idea as well, and it's the one piece of advice I'd like to give you as we get ready to cross this stage for the last time: Make sure you're around when other people need someone to lean on. They'll thank you for it. Heck, one of them might even mention you in his valedictorian speech. Congratulations, Class of 2012! We did it!
Mike smilled as they clapped and he sat down. They called each name for their diplomas.
"Michael Chang Jr" Principal Figgins said
"Quinn Fabray"
"Mercedes Jones"
"Noah Puckerman"
"Santana Lopez"
"Kurt Hummel"
"Finn Hudson"
"Rachel Berry"
"Class I present to you the class of 2012" Principal Figgins said
The eight seniors threw their caps and smiled. After the ceremony Mike was with his parents and smiled.
"Congrats" Tina said while hugging her boyfriend
"Thanks I couldn't have done it without you" Mike said smiling
Tina kissed her boyfriend and Mike smiled as he saw his parents
"Sweetie you ready" Mrs Chang asked
"For what mom" Mike said
"Your celebration dinner" Mr Chang said
"Yes I am" Mike said while grabbing Tina's hand
Tina looked at him and smiled. Mike looked back and smiled at all the memories hes made at this school and knew he was coming back to make more memories