“Fly high my dear classmates, dream with all your might, for I know that the potential in each of you is enough to rattle the stars.”
“During these last weeks at Colegio Bolivar, I decided to take a final look at the places I hadn’t seen in years. The nostalgia hit me hard. Walking through all the halls and wide green spaces, with dozens of memories hidden at every corner, it was inevitable to feel that this school etched itself into my heart and soul. The small river on the lunch playground we jumped across, the tables under the trees we went outside to work on, the iguanas that came out of nowhere and scared us, they all became part of me.
That’s why I wanted to start by saying thank you to every teacher and classmate, for it was thanks to you that those memories are filled with smiles. I would also like to give a special thanks to those friends I always sat with during lunch and break, you always succeeded in making me laugh, and to those teachers who went above and beyond to truly know you as a person, who asked you if you were alright when you acted differently. I think I speak for nearly everyone in my class that here is where we met some of our closest friends, discovered our passions, and learned from meaningful mentors.
I’ll be honest though, it’s in these same classes and playgrounds, that a lot of us painfully ended friendships, had our hearts broken, felt frustrated when we didn’t meet our goals, or simply crashed down after a long day. There are both shards of glass and beautiful flowers scattered over the halls.
However, in my opinion, it’s those tiny drops of pain that make the positive emotions shine even brighter. Take this moment for example. Do I feel like I’m about to messily cry in front of all of you? Yes, but saying goodbye with sadness only makes me realize how much Colegio Bolivar meant to me. The pain is proof of the love for this school, of the fact that I tried, I lived, and I experienced more than I could have ever hoped for.
All of this is to say that you can’t feel happiness without first risking yourself to feel sorrow or anger. You can’t succeed without believing in the power of failure. Adversity is essential for growth. That’s why, in the next step of your lives my dear fellow graduates, I please ask you to take the risk. Approach that stranger in your future class or work and ask them to be friends. Apply for that internship you are unsure of. Join that club even if you’re a newbie in the subject. Don’t be afraid of rejection or pain, for it’s the first step towards making those wonderful memories you’ll never forget.
The trick for life is to embrace those weaknesses and fears, and don’t let them hold you back. They’re proof that you are human and that you cared. This is one of the key things that the Bolivar community taught me. To be like sunflowers, resiliently always searching for the light, regardless of the darkness. As one of my favorite characters once said, “Nothing’s perfect, the world’s not perfect, but it’s there for us, trying the best it can. That’s what makes it so damn beautiful.” Therefore, it’s only right that we go out there and give it our best too.”
DANIELA GONZÁLEZ OVALLE
1° Promedio Académico
Class of 2023
