The time I gave a graduation speech.

Around this time last year I was preparing to give a graduation speech at the school I work at — which is actually the school I went to, too. And if I can continue that run-on sentence even further — it’s the same school Javi goes to now! Whew!

Anyway — I realized that I never actually shared the speech here on the blog. So as the anniversary nears, I thought… why not! I’d like to keep it here as a keepsake sort of event. I actually don’t enjoy public speaking… like, at all. But for some reason, I’ve been given the task (the challenge?) many a times.

I did change some things in order to post the speech here (likes names and whatnot) and I took a few specific details out.

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Thank you.

I’m Jasmine Duffy, an LMS alum, a current LMS Children’s House teacher and as of next year, an LMS parent.

My experience with LMS begins in the early 90s. None of you were born yet, but I’d like to think that the world was a bit calmer, music was better, TV was funnier and movies were more original. But, that’s probably my nostalgia talking because in 20 years, you’ll be saying the same things about the year 2017. But back in the 90s, I’d visit my aunt Barbara, she now works in the development office but used to be in the main office and I’d come in with her and stuff admission folders. Not because she’d ask me to but because I just wanted to.

A few years later my mom, Sheila, started working here and I joined LE2 as a third grader. For the following four years I worked with the same materials as you. I went on the same overnight trips as you (not Spain) – I remember the waterfalls and hiking in the rainforest in Puerto Rico, playing predator prey at URI, eating pizza on the top floor of the Twin Towers in New York City, visiting congress in DC and walking up and down the steps of the Capitol Building over and over again. I had some of the same teachers as you. 

I remember Mystery History day, reciting poetry at talent shows, participating in the hunger banquet, giving tours at the Open House, working hard on theme projects, building forts at recess, having community meals and meetings, celebrating birthdays, collecting money for Unicef, performing in plays like The Hobbit and Charlotte’s Web and presenting my senior project.

So while this stage, has been upgraded, I’ve been here before – on many occasions — including speaking at my 6th grade LMS graduation. I walk down the halls of these buildings, some of which still contain artwork I made when I was a student and many memories flood back of being in elementary school.  

Montessori and LMS, specifically, taught me about community, how to work with different kinds of people, as well as academic and life skills. But mostly what I remember about those days, back in the 90s, is being a part of something I liked being a part of: a community of people who cared about me, trusted me and rooted for me. I hope that you all feel that, too.

After LMS, I attended a public middle and high school. It was different not different better or different worse — just different. It was bigger, more formal, more people, there was less trust between adults and kids, assignments were given by a teacher not created by a student, choices were limited — but I adapted, I got into a routine and life went on with family, with new friends, with school work and extracurricular activities – sports and clubs and volunteering and eventually part-time jobs.

For a few years, I came back to LMS for the November Open House and I continued to tour prospective families and for a few years I kept in touch with my LMS friends. We wrote each other letters (like we’d handwrite letters and mail them to each other) and we’d see each other occasionally but high school gets busy, the work gets harder, you meet more people, the expectations of you are greater, every day feels like the best or the worst day that has ever happened — until tomorrow comes and then that day is the best or worst day ever — and before I knew it roughly 720 school days had passed and I was graduating 12th grade.

That same year was the year Facebook gained attention from college campuses and suddenly it was so easy to connect with people and to catch up with friends. Since I just graduated and didn’t really need to know what my current classmates were up to – the first few people I looked up were the people I graduated 6th grade with from LMS. We’re still friends to this day.

College felt a little freer. It opened up an even bigger world with more people to get to know, a larger community, more friends to keep in touch with and more decisions to be made. I changed my mind a few times about what I wanted to be when I grew up. But ultimately chose English as a major. In my junior year, I also arranged my classes so that I didn’t have any on Fridays (college is neat that way) – but it also gave me time and with that free time, I put myself on the sub list here at LMS and started substitute teaching. After graduation, I joined the faculty here and I’ve been teaching here for 8 years now.

Which means when I started teaching here, you were all in first grade, some of you were already here at LMS and some of you joined us some time later. Some of you I met then while teaching in after school and some of you I’ve only known for a short while. But I, like all of the LMS faculty and staff, have been in the background watching you as you’ve each achieved every milestone here at LMS. From overnight trips to Country research projects to ice cream social games and every pancake served at the Pancake breakfast. From Senior projects to science expos to soccer games and cross country meets and rock climbing and swimming.

From plays you not only starred in but wrote and directed, every arts reception, to every assembly — to every time your toddler buddies smile at you and you smile back — we see you. But what is most outstanding is that every week, the faculty and staff get together on Thursday afternoons for meetings. And really, not a week goes by when either of your teachers DOESN’T say something about you.

They are so proud of you and the work you produce. They share with us your writings and artwork and ideas and anecdotes and they don’t tell us which one of you did the amazing thing they are sharing until after they’ve shown it to us in its entirety. And every week, every person in the room says “awe” as soon as they reveal whose work it is. Every time. Because we are all so impressed by you and what you contribute to our community.

So that’s my story. That’s how I got here – back at LMS and back on this stage. And as you leave this LMS community that you and I have been a part of for a portion of our lives – I want to talk to you about one thing, call it a bit of a advice if you’d like — as your world is about to grow – you will meet many different people in life — three kinds of people specifically.

First, there are people in your lives who love you. Some of them like your parents have been there since the beginning and others… family, friends, your parent’s friends, your friend’s parents, our LMS community – well, we’ve all joined your parents along the way; hoping for you and wishing for you, rooting and cheering you on. Protecting you; wanting the best for you. Advocating for you and seeing the good in you. We are your biggest fans.

But you will meet two other kinds of people in the next 10 years and beyond: some in high school, some in college and some when you join the workforce.

The first are the ones who support you. Like the people who love you they will root for you and they will cheer you on. They will be your helpers, they will lift you up, they’ll be your light on a dark day, they will make you smile and see the good in the world and in yourself. They’ll keep you inspired and motivated and encourage you. These will be your parents (your parents make it into every group, by the way), your new friends and allies, new teachers and administrators, leaders and members of the groups and clubs you join, counselors. They want to be around you and to collaborate with you. They want you to succeed. They’re your teammates.

But there’s another group: The final group. These are the people who challenge you. Unlike group one and two these people won’t be cheering you on. They will ground you — sometimes they will knock you off your feet and make your heart sink. They bring you back to earth, make you try again, make you think you need to doubt yourself and your capabilities. These are people like your parents when you tell them a out-of-reach life goal that just doesn’t quite make sense yet, or a competitive student in your class that wants the same thing as you but there’s just one spot — for one person, a tough teacher who declines your work or gives you a poor grade, the person interviewing you at the college you want to attend or the person who may or may not give you that dream job you want. You will think of these people as your enemies.

But here’s the thing: Don’t write these people off.

When people challenge you – it’s terrible. It’s heartbreaking and it’s crushing. It’s difficult to keep going, and to see that life moves forward or that there’s another way. When people challenge you, you no longer see yourself as part of a community of people – you think of yourself as alone on a deserted island. But you’re not. Take every “no” you hear and think of it as a “not yet” or a “not right now”. Work harder. Think bigger. Do well and be good – in mind and in heart and you will see that these people who challenge you are challenging you to see if you rise to the occasion — if you step forward, if you pick yourself up, and if you try again. These are the people who help you determine your character. And they’re equally as important and necessary to a successful life as those who love and support you.

So graduates, I urge you to let all of these people into your lives and to be all three of these kinds of people to yourself. Love yourself, support yourself and challenge yourself. There is such good in you. Talents in you. Intelligence and kindness. Compassion and empathy. Understanding and motivation and love — and there is always more to learn, ways to grow, more to give, more to be but never doubt yourself.

And if you feel like you’re about to, seek out the people in that first group – the ones who love you – they’re your champions – your parents, your friends, your parent’s friends and your friend’s parents and come back to this LMS community and know that we’ll all help you find your way.

Thank you and congratulations to the graduates!