COMMENCEMENT: JUNE 14, 2018 As the graduating class looks toward the future, here are some words of wisdom that were shared with the entire school community.
GRADUATION
MATTHEW ASIANO, Class of 2018
Nine years, nine years. Seems like a long time but it went by so fast. Good morning Cathedral faculty, staff, clergy, students, parents, alumni, and friends. My name is Matthew Asiano. I’ve been here for nine years and I was voted by the class of 2018 to be this year’s commencement speaker. I’m grateful to have this opportunity. Well, Class of 2018, we’ve made it. Not only through our time at Cathedral, but through the grueling high school process. Truly we’ve been through it all: The early mornings with our heads buried in a placement test, and the anxious late nights before acceptance letters. We’ve made it (and good luck, seventh grade). Just so you don’t get bored while I talk about personal anecdotes from my years at Cathedral, I will be using hashtags and pop culture references. #thanks I will begin with a quote from The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that helped me reflect on my time here at Cathedral. Dr. King once said, “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” Not only is the education we have from Cathedral going to [help] us change the world. [So are] the lessons that Cathedral has taught us. Cathedral has taught me not only what to think, but how to think, how to collaborate effectively with others, be creative, learn from mistakes, take risks, and to “do the practice, plug, and chug.” I distinctly remember on my sixth grade outdoor ed, my group was given
a challenge and we were having a really hard time with it. At first, we were talking over each other, not letting other people share their ideas, and we were getting frustrated. Our counselor gave us a tip that we should elect a leader to let people share their ideas one by one. We elected a leader and people shared their ideas. We used different strategies and we were able to work together and complete this challenge. I remember how happy everybody was to work together and complete this challenge. #finally This moment taught me how to collaborate with others and to be open- minded to new ideas that you may not agree with. Undoubtedly one of the biggest lessons I have learned from Cathedral is to take risks. Well, maybe don’t take risks on that history test you didn’t study for, but take risks. As Mr. Mundy will tell you, it’s better to actually study than to try and make up history. #dothepractice This year many people in my class, including me, decided to try something new and take singing solos in this year’s play.
Personally, I remember being nervous thinking I would sing the wrong note or mess up in front of everybody. My fellow classmates soon reminded me that I was probably overthinking the whole situation and, in the end, they were right. The whole class ended up doing a great job in the musical and it was great to see everybody who took a risk benefit from it. This moment taught me that if you stay in your comfort zone, you won’t learn anything new. One thing that has stood out from my time at Cathedral and something that I take for granted is the community. With a K-8 school, it’s a very unique community compared to a middle or high school. You have kids from 6 years old to 14. You get to see your growth first-hand through the years. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine myself as the energetic kindergarteners or the rowdy fifth graders in the hallways. When you have a community like this, you can see how much you’ve grown and matured and that’s something I’m grateful for.
CLASS of 2018
FALL 2018 • RED & GOLD | 33
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