Graduation Speech 2010 - written and delivered by Cecil Bell, Jr. on May 28 2010 at Kyle field in College Station.

"On behalf of the Magnolia ISD Board of Trustees I would like to thank everyone for attending this special occasion. If you are the parent or grandparent of one of today’s graduates (and are able) please stand. Graduates please give your parents and grandparents a round of applause for their help along the path that has led you to be here today. Parents and Grandparents you may be seated now.

We are a free people but that freedom is not without cost. We would be remiss as a community and as a Nation if we failed to acknowledge the men and women of our nation’s military. If you are serving or have served in the military (and are able), we respectfully request that you stand so that we can express our gratitude to you and to your families for your commitment to our country. Monday is Memorial Day let us never forget the high price of our freedom. Please join me now in applauding these dedicated men and women for their service to our country. Thank you for your service, you may be seated now.

I remember my own high school graduation pretty well. The year was 1980 and on that evening it was my role to stand in front of a much smaller crowd and deliver the Valedictorian’s address for my class. While it still seems like yesterday to me you would probably call it yesteryear given the many things which have changed? Consider that thirty years ago electricity had not found its way into all the houses in Magnolia and only a handful of people had mobile phones and way back then mobile phones were something you bolted to the floor board of your vehicle. These two examples represent a very small sampling of the many changes which have occurred since that night. 

With all that has changed two things will always remain constant. God is still God and to be successful in life you must be well educated. It is our prayer that your time at Magnolia High School has provided you with the educational foundation needed to be successful in your life. Not just a foundation but a firm foundation solid enough to support the collective goals of each of you whether that involves attending college or trade school, service in our nation’s military or direct entry into the work force.

Today I want to give you three keys to success. These keys are true regardless of what you intend to do after graduation.

The first key is Work Ethic. Work ethic is the level of effort consistently exerted to resolve the task at hand. Consider the cause and effect of the three basic levels of work ethic. POOR requires little effort and yields below average results. AVERAGE requires nominal exertion and produces average result. GREAT consumes larger amounts of energy and yields exceptional results. It is acceptable to be weary. It is unacceptable to give up. “Many of the great achievements of the world were accomplished by tired and discouraged men who kept on working”. Always put forth your best effort. Win lose or draw, never let it be said you were out worked.

The second key is Knowledge. Take something from every opportunity to gain knowledge whether in college or out. Make it a point to learn something from everyone you meet. Always remember the degree of one’s intelligence is best shown in the degree to which one constantly pursues knowledge. Make obtaining knowledge one of your life goals, it will serve you well. Benjamin Franklin said it this way “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”. And he was correct.

The third key is Wisdom. As a society we commonly correlate wisdom with the gray hairs of age and that is usually a fair assessment however wisdom is best defined as the ability to put knowledge to work and so I would clarify that you do not inherently have to be old in order to be wise. Consider the traits of a wise person; they ask questions when they do not know the answer, they approach with caution when they are unsure and they proceed with confidence and assurance when they are certain. Do not wait for old age to be wise. Be wise in your youth. 

It is important to consider each key independently for you must know that Work Ethic alone will not make you successful. Knowledge in and of itself does not make you wise only educated. Even Wisdom left unemployed offers no chance for gain.

The value in these three keys comes when they are used in concert; Personal Work Ethic affects all aspects of human life including how we learn and what we aspire to accomplish, Knowledge gives us the fundamental basis of how to perform tasks and gives us the insight to establish purpose, Wisdom is the ability to combine our Knowledge with our Great effort for the accomplishment of our life goals.

Tonight you have accomplished a major achievement. You stand at the crossroads of time. Behind you are the days of your childhood where you depended on your parents to provide for your basic needs. Be sure to hug your parents and grandparents and to tell them you love them and remember that they have been down this road so seek their council when you are uncertain and use their experiences to help you. 

Your decisions will shape your future. Know that we all make bad decisions from time to time and that the only difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is the willingness to rethink and correct their bad decisions. It is our prayer that your decisions will bring you great blessings in life. John Quincy Adams said "Duty is ours; results are God's."

We pray that God grants each of you with long lives, strong minds, strong bodies and an even stronger desire to be about His Will. May God bless you all the days of your life.

To the Class of 2010 we say Congratulations and God’s speed on your journey! "