“Life’s experiences, over time, have caused me to hold a deeply felt belief that success or failure are never permanent and quitting is never an option.  To paraphrase from Dare to Succeed, A Treasure of Inspiration and Wisdom for Life and Career:

Don’t Quit After A Victory — There are two times when a person stops: after a defeat and after a victory.  Eliminating this kind of procrastination increases momentum.  Robert Schuller has a good saying: “Don’t cash in, cast into deeper water.  Don’t stop after a success, keep the forward momentum going.”  One of the great prizes of victory is the opportunity to do more.  The trouble is, we’ve inoculated ourselves with small doses of success which keeps us from catching the real thing...

The Most Natural Thing To Do When You Get Knocked Down Is To Get Up — How we respond to failure and mistakes is one of the most important decisions we make every day.  Failure doesn’t mean that nothing has been accomplished.  There is always the opportunity to learn something.  What is in you will always be bigger than whatever is around you.  Only those who do not expect anything are never disappointed and only those who never try never fail.  The key to being free from the stranglehold of past failures and mistakes is to learn the lesson and forget the details.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Good Evening. Salutations to Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, School Superintendent Dr. Alan Ingram, members of the School Committee, High School of Commerce administration and faculty, parents, friends, and the Class of 2009. My name is David Crosse. I should not be standing here tonight. Many people gave up hope and I was expected to fail. I have never been a consistent student — I always skipped classes and failed to do homework — but I am intelligent. For example, I successfully passed the MCAS and earned C’s in many classes without studying. 

 

 

 

 

 

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“Good evening, Superintendent Dr. Alan Ingram, Honorable Mayor Domenic Sarno, school committee members, Principal Steven Collins, podium members, administration, faculty, staff, friends and family. Welcome, Class of 2009!

   As I stand before you this evening, I want to start by giving a special thanks to all of my family, special friends and teachers who have helped me get to where I am today.  I could not have made it without you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“To the Honorable Mayor Sarno, Superintendent Dr. Ingram, the esteemed school committee, principals, teachers, family, friends and the Class of 2009, welcome all.

    What happens to a student who is told he is not welcome in his home school district and he must find somewhere else to complete his education? Well, in my case, he goes to SAFE Recovery High School, which turns out to be not only an opportunity, but a gift.

       My name is Jeff Marcil and I am the Recovery High School graduate of 2009. For me, as I’m sure it has been for many of you, that was not the only time in my life when I seemed like a failure. Class of ’09, let me just say that we are not failures; we are conquerors!  Read More. . .