Mr. Jim

2013 Graduation Speech Honoring Mr. Jim

It seems like just yesterday you walked through the doors of the middle school as fifth graders and now you are graduating. It reminds me of my own 8th grade graduation just a few years ago. Well, actually it was a lot more than a few!

A long time ago, before Facebook, Instagram, Kik, Snap Chat, ask.fm, and even before the Internet, I sat here at my graduation from Pleasantdale, a little nervous about the future yet grateful to everyone that helped me along the way. So, before you set out on the next adventure of your educational journey, to a wonderful place called high school, I’d like to begin by taking a few minutes to thank some of the people that helped get you to this point.

First of all, thank you the boards of education, both past and present, and to the administration - Dr. Fredisdorf, Mr. Vandercar, Mrs. Pokorny and Mrs. Sherman for their vision when starting these students on the path to where they are today.

To the secretaries in the front office - thank you for enduring endless phone calls and questions, forgotten homework and lunches, late arrivals and early departures…nearly every single day.

Thank you to the PTA for providing special lunches, holiday treats, fortnightly, dances, field days and picnics.

Thank you to the entire staff and all the teachers along the way. Presented with a vision, our teachers, from Kindergarten all the way up to Eighth grade, made sure that these students learned the curriculum, achieved the outcomes and mastered their assessments. They taught not only school lessons, but also life lessons, such as organizational skills, timeliness, teamwork and responsibility.

Thank you to all the parents for getting your children up in the morning, packing them lunches, helping with projects and homework and cheering them on at their scholastic, musical and sporting events. Thank you for driving them to and from school, for typing papers, drying tears and mending hearts. Thank you for volunteering at school, for helping, caring and advice. Thank you for sometimes putting up with teenage attitudes, but mostly, thank you for encouraging and supporting these students, every step of the way.

Thanks also go out to these students here on this stage. Thank you for working so hard over the last nine years, for doing your very best, and never giving up. Thank you for raising money for various charities, collecting canned goods for food drives, filling our trophy case with trophies and sponsoring families during the holidays. Thank you for your participation in community service by working at animal shelters and the Ronald McDonald House. Thank you for your class gift and artwork that adorns our school hallways. Most importantly, thank you for making all of us proud!

One of the most inspiring philosophers was Mahatma Gandhi. He was a thinker and leader that travelled the world imparting words of wisdom which made people stop and think. I’d like to share some of his wisdom with this graduating class that they will be able to carry with them to high school and beyond.

Gandhi said BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE. Too many people complain about what is wrong with this or that and yet don’t take action. The only way improve something is to put the effort into changing it. Somebody has to make the first move to set things right, why can’t it be you?

Gandhi said WHAT YOU THINK, YOU BECOME. You are the product of your thoughts. Keep your thoughts positive. If you think you will be defeated, you have already given up the fight. Your ability to grow is only limited by your imagination. Set goals and stay the course. Good things will happen.

Gandhi said WHERE THERE IS LOVE THERE IS LIFE. In other words, having passion keeps you going. But the first thing that comes to my mind here is that I hope this works for Chicago Blackhawks. Will their passion for hockey and love of the game keep them alive in the playoffs? I sure would like to see Stanley back in Chicago soon!

Gandhi said LEARN AS IF YOU’LL LIVE FOREVER. Many of you have been counting the days until you graduated today, thinking you couldn’t wait till you were done. The thought of no more papers to write, projects to finish, or tests to study for was pretty darn exciting. But soon you will be learning new subjects, new sports, even how to use the newest smart phone. The world will become your classroom and you will be the students of life. And somewhere along the way, you will begin to appreciate that learning is an adventure and the ability to learn a gift that will keep you forever busy, entertained and alive.

Gandhi said YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR REAL WEALTH. So please take good care of yourselves, don’t be swayed by peers or poor decisions, don’t let anyone text and drive or drink and drive, and always, always wear your seatbelt.

Gandhi said HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR. Never take things so seriously that you can’t laugh at yourself. And don’t worry, everyone on Facebook and Instagram only seem like they have more fun and happier lives. They don't.

Gandhi said, ACTION EXPRESSES PRIORITIES. Your actions not only come from your priorities, but your actions also reveal your priorities. So remember, whatever you do, always give 100%...unless, of course, you’re donating blood!

Gandhi said FIND YOUR SELF IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS. When you take the time to help others, to focus on something other than yourselves, you actually learn more about life, humanity, purpose and ultimately, your own lives. I think many of you have learned this lesson well here at Pleasantdale. There is no greater reward than that of helping others.

Gandhi said, YOUR LIFE IS YOUR MESSAGE. No one is going to remember your 8^th grade Explore score, your high school grade point average or a paper you wrote college. They are going to remember you by the way you treated them. You’re not going to gain the respect of others because of the profession you have, or the degrees you hold. You are going to be respected because of your character…what’s inside of you. Your integrity and your example are your message.

Before I close, there is one more person here that I would like to thank. It is not someone I forgot. I was just saving the best for last. The person that I am about to thank embodies many of Gandhi’s principals and their life is their message.

When I asked current and former students who made the biggest impact on them here at Pleasantdale, someone they will never forget, time and time again I got the same answer.

So I’d like to say thank you to Mr. Jim.

Thank you, Mr. Jim, for all you have done for these kids. Thank you for being a mentor, a counselor, a cheerleader and a friend. Thank you for believing in them. Thank you for your inspiration and your guidance. Thank you for attending not only every home game, but also every away game for every sport and every team.

Mr. Jim does so much more than clean and take care of our school. He leads book clubs and helps with homework. When students do not have money for lunch, he buys them lunch. He goes to kids’ concerts, plays, recitals and sporting events…even long after they graduate. He makes every student feel welcome here. He takes care of the duck families in the courtyard and makes sure they are fed.

He is the best cheerleader, not just here at Pleasantdale, but also in the entire LT feeder school system. He is known as Pleasantdale’s number one fan. He celebrates every student on their birthday by singing Happy Birthday to them at lunchtime. He knows all the students by name, and not just them, but also many their older and younger siblings as well.

When kids have a problem they know that they can always count on Mr. Jim for support. Mr. Jim is loved by everyone and students look forward to seeing him every day. There is even an acronym that reminds me of him. I’m sure you have seen it on t-shirts and in stores. So the next time you are faced with a challenge, indecision or you are at a crossroads; ask yourself, “What would Jim do?”

Let your life be your message, and your actions express your priorities, just as Mr. Jim does EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Finally, they say that one day your life will flash before your eyes, so make sure it’s worth watching. Memories aren’t created from the things you said you’d do. They’re built from the things you’ve done: the moments captured, the worlds discovered, a lifetime seized. You only live once, after all –YOLO! - so make it count!

Thank you.

Delivered by Gina Nelson