Graduation
Speech (Introductory) – Alessandra Cestaro. 25/06/2010
Goodmorning Ladies and Gentlemen,
The last time I stepped on stage at
Graduation Day I was a 9-year-old midget singing in Mrs. Cardani’s historical
choir... We were chanting the farewell song ‘Grade 13 are going away’ and this
memory gives me gooseflesh.
That was eight years ago but it really seems like yesterday.
Indeed, I swear I remember every single word of the song ‘Spring Chicken’ and
I’m sure I’m not the only one.. am I?
Today, I have the honour to introduce the Class of 2010 to
you and I will do so by highlighting two
important aspects of our lives at ISM. The first is the value of
friendship.
I’ve attended I.S.M. since I was
a foetus but I became part of my grade only half-way through elementary school.
Indeed, I’m a year younger than all of my classmates and this is why they know
me as the ‘small one’.
I still remember my first day in class 4H when I sat down,
trembling, next to Elisa, Gianluca, Nader and Martina. I immediately understood
that Eli was a fantastic person – the moment she said I could copy her maths
results! We quickly became close friends and she soon informed me that Gianlu
was her husband and that I could be their child. Now, how can you not believe
me when I say I.S.M. is like a big family?
Our grade is no doubt a happy
family… indeed, we alone know how to
distinguish Stefan from Aleks! However, it would be quite challenging to trace
our family tree since, in 13 years together, every girl has dated pretty much
every single boy. In fact we’ve all come to love each other immensely. However,
as in any family, disputes and jealousy have been abundant. Probably because
women in ‘our family’ can get quite possessive… especially when new-coming
students are beautiful girls who inevitably take hold of the men’s attention.
I’ll avoid making names… Valentina and Antonia.
Jealousy aside, we’ve grown a
strong enviable team spirit among us. Team Spirit and Community is the second
crucial aspect I want to share with you today.
We students have always been there to help one another even
in extreme circumstances – I will always be grateful to Ludo for giving me hot
tea when I was at the mercy of height sickness in India and to Morten and Luca for
accepting to sleep next to me, in the dust, at 6000 m above sea level, when
I wanted to watch the Himalayan stars.
Similarly, we’re all grateful to Simone who regularly
pretended to faint, falling off his chair, to save us from Miss Ripepi’s extra
Italian lessons.
Oh, and thank you Chills for nervously crushing the bones of
my hand every time Ms. Pisani chose who to ‘Interrogate’
with her ‘numerini della Tombola’.
Together we surmounted all
difficulties: trekking in Valle d’Aosta, Costa Rica and Ladakh, the matches for
pride against Sir James and ASM at MIST and Gary Turk, Mr. Marczylo’s
tellings-off when science experiments ended up in explosions, the 5a, 3a media
and I.B. exams in Padre Monti… every second of the last 13 years has made us
one bit more united.
This is why I.S.M. is unique: because of the trust,
complicity and ‘intimacy’ that exists among students and with teachers too. Indeed,
every one of us could write a detailed essay on Vanta’s private life. And yes,
we can proudly say that the ‘gossip network’ at I.S.M. is the most reliable,
updated and efficient one any school has ever seen.
I.S.M. is like a world of its
own that nobody can thoroughly understand from outside. Try asking an Italian
student advice for the PSAT, CAS, the E.E., your GDC, TOK, the World Lit, your
Econ. I.A., your UCAS application to the U.K.
Now, with all these memories I’m
getting a bit nostalgic… so I think I’ll pass the mike on…because I’m starting
to get the chills… (silence)… I’m starting to get the CHILLS…ehm.. I HAVE
CHILLS! … CHIIIIILLLS! It’s your turn to speak now…
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