Senior Valedictory
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Transcript of Senior Valedictory
Throughout my four years at Fishers High School I have been blessed with incredible experiences and amazing friends. While working on this Senior Val project, I have been able to reminisce on all of these past experiences and how fat I have come as a student and as an individual. I hope while reading through this portfolio that you start to understand who I am and who I am striving to become.
The theme of my port-
folio is to “Take Ad-
vantage of Every Op-
portunity.” I chose this
as my theme because it is
a motto that I have been
trying to live my life by.
Our time here on earth
is limited and you can‟t
just live your life being
“lukewarm” or else you
will miss our on some
amazing experiences
Take Advantage of Every Opportunity
Take Advantage of Every Opportunity English Composition
The Meaning of Life Top 10
2
Personal Goals, Greatest Moment of Triumph
3
What I Will Miss Most, Time Capsule, Special Memory
4
Me As a Son, Most Influential
5
Personal Reflections on World Events
6
Personal Reflections on Pop Culture
7
Lyric Reflection Art Reflection
8
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Inside this issue:
Special points of in-
terest:
God
Family
Friends
Music
Sports
Serve Others
Humble Yourself
Live Courageously
Nick Ouellette
Share the Word with others.
My purpose in life is to share
the news of Christ with others
and to follow Him with all my
strength. It took me quite
some time to realize my pur-
pose in life and I went through
15 years of my life without
understanding why I was here.
Fortunately I realized what it
meant to have a relationship
with Christ and this realization
lead to my later understanding
of the Meaning of Life. My
meaning is to show love to
others and to strive to be bet-
ter in my every day life. I un-
derstand that I will fail many
times but because of God‟s
grace I am forgiven and I am
not condemned for my trans-
gressions. Because of this love
shown to me, I know that I
must go out and attempt to
show this love to others.
There is so much pain and
disaster in this world and there
are so many people in need of
help. Even worse, there are
millions of people who still
have never heard of Christ‟s
love. This fact is why I must
strive to share the story of his
love to others. I do not want to
get to Heaven and not see my
closest family and friends next
to me.
The Meaning of Life
Top Ten Favorite Songs
Love—Bon Iver
7. Lay „Em
Down—
Needtobreathe
8. Praise You In
This Storm—
Casting Crowns
9. I Won‟t Let You
Go—Rascal Flatts
10. I Believe I Can
Fly—R. Kelly
1. Gravity—
John Mayer
2. Hallelujah—
Jeff Buckley
3. When I Get To
Where I‟m
Going—
Brad Paisley
4. Fix You—
Coldplay
5. Bitter—
Andy Mineo
6. Skinny
Brad Paisley—When I Get To Where I‟m Going
“Yeah when I get where
I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
I will shed the sins and
struggles
I have carried all these
years”
Page 2 Nick Ouel let te Engl ish Composit ion
of the moment start-ed to hit home when I looked up and saw someone descending from the sky. The per-son looked so little and unimportant from where I stood but in his position he probably felt like a gi-ant. The first thing we had to complete when we arrived was a short 5 minute instructional video. When it was my group‟s turn to go we all boarded the small airplane and prepared for the in-credibly experience ahead of us. The
Freefalling from miles above the ground at 60 mph with your life completely in the hands of a stranger is a short way to sum-marize the intensity of sky diving. For my 18th birthday I went skydiving with my girlfriend at the time and it was truly an amazing experience. I did not know how I would react to jump-ing out of an airplane but I tried to keep my composure.
We arrived at the hanger and the reality
hanger looked obso-lete as we started to ascend and eventually became impossible to see. In a short amount of time it was my turn to dive. I zipped through the clouds at 60 mph and fear was my initial reaction but it eventually turned in to joy and complete relief when I finally touched land. I accomplished something that only few ever will in their life time and it felt amazing. (230)
Greatest Moment of Triumph
Personal Goals
I have many goals for my future but only a few of them are truly important and meaningful for me. One of my goals is to share the Gospel with as many people as I‟m given the opportunity to. This goal is important to me because it is also the purpose of my life as a whole. One of my life long goals has been to go to Afri-ca and this year I might ac-tually be able to complete this goal. I have been given the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Tanzania,
Africa for twenty-two days to share the Gospel with schools in the area. I really desire to go on this trip and I pray that all the money will be raised by the power of God.
Another goal of mine is to be the best father I can be to my children and the best husband I can be to my wife. I grew up with my par-ent divorced and I do not want my kids to ever go through that. This world is broken with decaying mar-
riages and I do not want to be part of that trend. My children will grow up with their father in the same house as them. (208)
Page 3 Nick Ouel let te Engl ish Composit ion
Friendships, which are pivotal
to the growth of most people,
are what I will miss the most
when I leave Fishers High
School. Throughout my high
school career, I have developed
friendships with some incredi-
ble people that have helped
carry me through difficult situ-
ations, providing love and sup-
port countless times. My best
friend since preschool, Jake,
will be rooming with me at the
same college this upcoming
fall. This friendship has been
the most impactful on my life
by far and I am glad that I have
the opportunity to continue to
invest in this friendship for the
many years to come. Unfortu-
nately, the other close friend-
ships that I developed in Fish-
ers High School might not
endure as long.
The number of friends on my
Facebook page does not define
who I am as an individual. In
my opinion, a man who has at
least one trustworthy and hon-
est friend is a man with im-
measurable wealth. It is a
shame that some of my friend-
ships will diminish as I embark
on this new journey of my life
and as they also start their own
journey. I will dearly miss these
friends but I am confident that
I will continue to make new
friends that will shape me into
an even stronger and more
developed man. (215)
What I Will Miss the Most
feel the wind and take in the refreshing
smell that could only be found near the
ocean, our annoyance turned in to an
overall emotion of excitement.
This vacation was especially great
because not only was I going with my
mom; I was also going with my best
friend, Jake, and his mom. All of us
stayed at a condo resort that was right
on the beach. From the balcony you
could look out and see the incredibly
One week of complete relaxation on a
beautiful beach with the people I love
stands out in my mind as one of my
fondest memories with my family. As
we approached Gulf Shores, the ex-
haustion from the sixteen hour car trip
turned into pure excitement. From
trying to find impossible “sweet spots”
to nap to staring at endless cars on the
high way, the mood in the car was one
of annoyance. However, once we were
able to roll down the windows and just
blue waves, the pristine white sand,
and the mass amount of people. This
vacation was hands down one of the
greatest memories of my childhood
and the only downside to this vacation
was that we didn‟t schedule it for more
days. (205)
Special Memory
Time Capsule
big part of my life.
3. Family Photo
I would put a picture of my
family in the time capsule be-
cause it would show how im-
portant my family is
to me.
4.iPod
I would also place
my iPod in the time capsule to
show my passion for
music.
5. Remember the
Titans
Putting the Remem-
ber the Titans DVD would
show people that it was my
favorite movie. I have seen
Remember the Titans a ridicu-
1. My Bible
My Bible would rep-
resent what I lived
my life
based upon
2. Guitar Pick
Putting a guitar
pick in the time capsule would
show that I played guitar for a
“My Bible would
represent what I
lived my life based
upon.”
Page 4 Nick Ouel let te Engl ish Composit ion
Me as a Son
There are many disad-vantages and ad-vantages of being the youngest son between my brother and me. Living in a house as the youngest child with a single mom has been a great experi-ence for me. I have had the privilege of witnessing my broth-er‟s mistakes and mak-ing sure that I do not commit the same mis-takes so I do not re-ceive the same punish-ment. To be honest, it
seems as if I am the „favorite child.‟ I have always had a closer bond with my mom and this has brought many advantages. However, I do not take advantage of the love that my mother gives me.
I am not too certain how being a son has affected my relation-ship with others be-sides the possibility that I may be more social than usual. I
have never had a prob-lem with communi-cating with people old-er than me and this can be due to the fact that I am a younger child and have seen how my brother has interacted with adults. My mom has always said that she always wanted boys and never a girl because having a girl would be too much of a hassle. (202)
Most Influential meaning of a Christian. He has molded me into the man that I am today and I will be forever grateful of Him. (211)
directly into the eye and rejected it. Christ, taking the cruelest of punishment, never succumbed to the pressures of the world.
My life completely changed from the moment I accepted Him and I have never been influenced by anyone or anything more than Him. I found purpose and whenever I am in a place of darkness I know that He is still there and will listen to my cries for help. Christ‟s example and sacrifice inspired me to show more love to others and to exemplify the true
He is more than just a name. His name has changed the world and He has completely changed my life. He hasn‟t just changed my life; He has given me life. His name is Jesus Christ, the Savior of this world and my life. Christ has always been there for me. Through the good, through the bad, He has always been by my side. Jesus Christ lived his life with one purpose and he lived it to perfection. How can the only perfect person not be the greatest influence in my life? He looked the filthiness of sin
“He has molded me
into the man that I am
today and I will be
forever grateful of
Him.”
Page 5 Nick Ouel let te Engl ish Composit ion
Tragedy shook the United
States of America on Sep-
tember 11th, 2001 when
two airplanes piloted by
terrorists crashed into the
World Trade Center build-
ing in New York City. I do
not remember much of the
actual day when this hap-
pened because I was only in
the 1st grade but this event
completely changed how my
life, and the lives of all
Americans, would pan out
from that day forward. All I
remember from this event is
coming home from school
and seeing my mom in the
living room, with a look of
shock on her face, watching
the television.
I always thought it was cool
how the world came togeth-
er after this event. There
wasn‟t Democrats or Re-
publicans...it was just Amer-
icans.
There were many ripple ef-
fects from 9/11. We still
have some soldiers deployed
in Iraq and it took years to
find Bin Laden and Saddam
Hussein. Our national secu-
rity has greatly improved to
help an incident like this
from ever happening again.
The images of 9/11 are
shocking and tragic and it is
hard to imagine how my
generation‟s life would be if
this tragedy never hap-
pened.
http://
www.nytimes.com/2001/09/12/us/us
-attacked-president-vows-to-exact-
punishment-for-evil.html
Personal Reflections on World Events: 9/11
Personal Reflections on World Events: Syria
Our government is still
debating whether or not
to provide aide for Syria.
President Obama says he
cannot find any substan-
tial reason to send forces
into Syria. In my opinion,
I think that is ridiculous.
The pictures, the num-
bers, and the killing of
innocent lives are enough
reasons. I‟m proud of the
fact that our country has
always extended a hand to
those in need and that we
are known as one of the
most powerful nations in
the world. Because of
this, we should help Syria
and try and stop this war
so no more humans are
slaughtered.
I pray that the conflict in
Syria gets resolved some
how. It is sad to see so
many die and I could not
even fathom what it
would be like if this hap-
pened in the United
States. If it did happen I
know I would be praying
for someone to help.
(230)
Many tragic events have
taken place in history
over the course of my life.
However, one event has
been very under looked
recently and that is the
civil war that is taking
place in Syria right now.
Syria is in the midst of a
horrible civil war and the
amount of violence taking
place there is unbelieva-
ble. Innocent people are
being butchered and the
exponentially rising num-
ber of deaths is sadden-
ing. Even worse, no one
is coming to their aide.
Page 6 Nick Ouel let te Engl ish Composit ion
Personal Reflections on Pop Culture: Magazine
Personal Reflections on Pop Culture: Magazine #2
Time Magazine wrote an
article titled Me, Me, Me
about how the generation of
today is mostly focused on
their own needs and wants.
I would mostly agree with
this article because the peo-
ple in this generation, me
included, are primarily con-
cerned with their own inter-
ests. Our generation has
become more selfish and
less selfless. For example,
kids are now more con-
cerned about their own
wellbeing than the wellbeing
of others. I was also guilty
of this as well, but children,
even teenagers, demand
things to be given to them.
Because of this lack of con-
cern for others, the morale
of society has drastically
declined. We are more nega-
tive, pessimistic, and lazier
than ever. The obesity num-
bers are ginormous and this
is in part of our concern for
only us. Even our country is
only worried about our-
selves. Instead of helping
Syria in a time of desperate
need, we are doing nothing.
Previously, our country
would quickly lend a hand
to a country in need. Yes,
we still do this from time to
time but I believe Syria is in
such desperate need of help
that we should provide aide
before the situation there
gets even worse. This is in-
credibly sad and hopefully
the attitude of “Me, Me,
Me” turns into an attitude
of helping and concern.
(217)
known as one of the
greatest baseball pro-
spects of all time and his
future looked very bright.
He was the first pick in
the MLB draft out of high
school and he was in-
stantly making millions.
Unfortunately, his life
became revolved around
drugs. He turned into a
heavy addict and eventu-
ally was kicked out of the
MLB due to his heavy
addiction. Long story
short, Josh turned his life
around and committed
his life to following
Christ. God completely
changed his life and Josh
Hamilton is now back in
the MLB and was named
MVP two years ago. To
me, this story is very in-
spirational and it shows
the immense love that
God has for everyone and
how He takes care of His
children. I have looked up
to Josh Hamilton ever
since I read his story and
I hope God continues to
be a giant presence in his
life. (223)
A few years back I read an
incredible story about
Josh Hamilton. It was the
cover story for Sports
Illustrated and it was ti-
tled “The Unbelievable
Josh Hamilton.” Josh
Hamilton has been one of
my favorite athletes for
some time now. His
strength, story and faith
are all incredibly encour-
aging and amazing.
The story in Sports Illus-
trated talks about the life
of Josh Hamilton and all
that he has overcome.
Josh Hamilton was
Page 7 Nick Ouel let te Engl ish Composit ion
“And we are His portion
and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by
the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we're
all sink-
ing.”
represent my brother and I. I also wondered
why the two angels were looking upwards
and now I believe that they are looking at
God, their father.. It seems as if they are
listening to Him talk and watching Him
intently. This picture being in my mom‟s
room shows her desire to raise my brother
and I in a strong Christian household.
Whenever I see this picture I now think of
my mom and my brother.
This painting has always had meaning to me
because it has been hanging in my mom‟s
room for most of my life. When I was little I
always wondered why she had this picture
and what the significance was to her. I
thought it was strange that she had to baby
angels hanging above her bed.
Now as I‟m older I understand the meaning
of this picture to her . The significance of
this picture to her is that the two baby angels
This painting is very famous and I under-
stand why. I bet a lot of parents treasure this
painting because it reminds them of the
blessing they have been given with their
children. I have great respect for this picture
and what it portrays. (202)
Art Reflection — Painting
David Crowder—How He Loves Us
These lyrics from the song How He Loves Us by
David Crowder band have great meaning to my
life. First off, this song has become one of the
greatest Christian songs of all time over the
past couple of years. How He Loves Us is a
great song to remind people of the love that
Christ has for them and the magnitude of that
love. I chose the lyrics to the right because it
sums up the meaning of the song in just a few
lines. I love the last line of these lyrics: “If
grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.” This is a
powerful message alone because it shows the
vastness of his grace and that we cannot es-
cape from his grace. His grace is so wide and
deep that we just sink in it. If I had to “drown”
in one thing, I would be completely comfortable
with drowning in the forgiveness of my sins. I
also love the line about him being our prize.
This is an important line because it shows that
God isn't forced on us. We don't HAVE to accept
him into our lives because his love for us is a
gift and we can either accept this gift or not.
(208)