 Today you have shown that you have chosen the ladder, not to run, not to hide, fight or resist, but to prepare yourself for your next opportunity to prepare yourself for life. As you walk across the stage today, you hold your head up high, you smile and you be proud because what you have left us is a legacy of a graduating class who despite the challenges and changes of your last four years you succeeded. You did not allow those experiences to prevent you from today, better yet you used them to help you develop into young men and young women who are ready to embrace tomorrow. You are resilient, you are smart, you are a buffalo. Thank you for such a priceless gift. Good luck to you class of 2012. You will continue to do great things. As buffaloes, we will always be proud of you. Thank you. At this time, it is my privilege to introduce to you our top two scholars for Foxtex class of 2012. Our 2012 salutatorian is Ms. Monica Estrada. Monica Estrada has maintained a 4.0 GPA while taking challenging AP and dual credit courses. She is a member of various extracurricular activities including band, national honor society, political thinkers and gamma-sigma girls. In addition to her extracurricular responsibility, Monica is the secretary of the graduating class of 2012. Even with her busy schedule, Monica finds the time to volunteer with organizations like H-E-B's Feast of Sharing and Graffiti Wipeout. Monica will attend the University of Texas at Austin where she will study anthropology in preparation for a career as a museum curator. With great pleasure, I present to you Ms. Monica Estrada. Will the proud parents of Monica Estrada please stand and be recognized. Good evening class of 2012. We have been waiting for this moment for four years. Today our high school journey ends as we take the first step of the rest of our lives. Through our four high school years at Foxtex, we have grown and matured into the young adults we are today. Because our senior class is the smallest in recent history, we are truly a family that has made unforgettable memories. Throughout our high school years, our great teachers have not only provided us with knowledge, but also prepared us for the future. We are here today not only with the help of our teachers, but more importantly with the help of our families. Our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts and uncles are the foundation and support for our future dreams. I have my family to thank for being here today. Without the unconditional and patient love of my mother, I wouldn't have made it this far. Her words of encouragement gave me the inspiration to set higher goals for myself. I owe my entire life to this beautiful woman. I want to dedicate all of my achievements and this speech to you mom. Thank you. I love you with all my heart. I want every one of you to not forget the love our families give to us and to thank them for putting up with our teenage years. Remember that without their love and support we would not be here at our graduation. Today it's for giving thanks to all who have supported us, stuck with us and inspired us. Tomorrow is the day we begin our new journey where we will make mistakes again and again, but we will learn from them and create a better tomorrow. I wish the very best for every one of you and as we say goodbye to our high school years, I can only leave you with this quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald, and hope his words of wisdom will guide you in your new journey. For what it's worth, it's never too late or too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit. Stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again. Thank you. I am proud of you class of 2012. Buenas noches, familias y la clase del 2012. Hoy en nuestro día de graduación les quiero dar gracias a nuestras madres, padres, abuelitos, abuelitas, tíos y tías por su apor y amor incondicional. Estudiantes, por favor recuerden darle gracias a sus familiares por todo lo que han hecho para nosotros. Todos mis esfuerzos y lo que he logrado se lo debo a mi mamá. Mami, desde que yo era muy pequeña, yo he visto como se ha dedicado a mí y a mis hermanos. Cada segundo de su vida nos dio ternura y amor. Siempre estuvo a mi lado dándome sus consejos y lecciones de la vida. Yo sé que usted siempre estará allí para nosotros apoyándonos en cada decisión. Siempre va a ser parte de mi vida y en donde esté siempre la voy a llevar en mi corazón. Le quiero dedicar toda mi vida a usted. La amo con todo mi corazón y le agradezco todos los esfuerzos que ha hecho para darme un mejor futuro. Mamá, usted es la mejor parte de mi vida. Nunca olvidaré su ternura y amor. Gracias. At this time I'd like to present to you our 2012 valedictorian, Miss Ana María Elizalde. Ana María Elizalde has always maintained excellent grades, thus honoring her as an all A honorable student. She has taken a lot of challenging and rigorous classes including AP courses such as Spanish 4, 5, and Spanish 5. World history, economics, government, and calculus. She's also taken dual credit courses such as English 3, English 4, and US history. Besides having an outstanding academic record, Ana has also managed to be part of the following clubs. The varsity soccer team, national entrecité, university outreach, gear up, Upward found political thinkers, youth against gang activity, health explorers, and the Microsoft Word Club, which in fact helped her to become a Microsoft Word 2007 specialist. But hold on, her amazing work does not stop there. She is also determined to help her community and she got involved by participating in events such as the Guadalupe March, the Special Ed Kids bowling day, the Special Olympics, Henry B. Gonzalez Thanksgiving dinner, and the race for the cure event. Even with this entire curriculum taking place, she has also achieved to get a part-time job at a Mexican restaurant, although never forgetting her education always comes first. Ladies and gentlemen, tonight is my pleasure to present to you, Fox Tech's senior class valedictorian, Ms. Ana Maria Elizondo. Will the proud parents of Ms. Ana Maria Elizondo please stand and be recognized. Good evening, graduates, parents, and honored guests. I would like to, I would like everyone to know that I decided not to include a specific names in my speech, but I feel that every single one of you has helped me become who I am today. Let me first thank all the parents for their support and unconditional love. I would also like to thank our teachers for their patience and for having to deal with our stubbornness for most, but most importantly for sharing a part of their knowledge and experiences. Now, it is with great honor that I thank the graduating class of Fox State High School, the class of 2012. I am proud to be among the final students, and I am grateful that we have had such an excellent number of student leaders. For the past four years, no one in this graduating class could have predicted that the years would have come and gone so quickly. Although we have come a long way, having to go through so many ups and downs that our school has experienced tonight, as this chapter of our lives concludes, another one begins. Whether we enter the workforce, join the military, or enroll in college, we must all take charge of our lives. I recognize that for many of us it has been difficult to keep up with our studies, but our perseverance has enabled us to overcome many obstacles that led to this night, and it will be our determination that will keep us from ever failing in our future. Believe me, never let anyone or anything stop you from accomplishing your goals. For instance, take me as an example, I immigrated from Mexico in 2005 speaking all English and having to adapt to a new culture. I must admit that it was a rough journey, but with dedication, passion, and a lot of sacrifice, I was able to make it. Today, I am proud to say that I am a varsity soccer player, a member of the National Honor Society, and always honor roll student, but most importantly, the valedictorian of the 2012 Fox State High School senior class. If I was able to do it, all of you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Don't ever give up and remain hopeful. Remember, the hard work always pays off. Stay confident and take advantage of all opportunities presented. Tonight, I congratulate you all on your accomplishments, and I hope you have the best of luck in your future. No matter where we are, we will forever share a common bond. It's now time to take the buffalo by the horns. Congratulations class of 2012. Thank you.