Editors Note: The following speech was made by Evan Fitch, one of PCHSs honors students, at the graduation ceremony held Friday, June 11.

Good evening.

My name is Evan Fitch.

Before I speak tonight, I would first like to inform you that, although I am facing the stands, my words are written for my peers.

These speeches are meant to inspire, meant to advise, and meant to prepare, but to be frank, I would feel presumptuous to assume that I hold some wealth of experience or knowledge that would qualify me to do any of those things.

You are my peers – I havent lived any longer than you. I have no great wisdom to impart to you.

Only now am I stepping out of adolescence and into a world separate from my parents, my home, and my normal life.

We, the class of 2010, are entering into a world in which we are now accountable to ourselves, more so than we have ever been before.

So, rather than attempt to deliver a message of inspiration, I will endeavor to deliver one of hope.

These hopes can apply to any person, but especially to us, as young individuals with so much of our lives ahead of us.

I hope for respect.

By hoping for respect, I am anticipating that you live your lives in a manner that will command respect from others and allow you to respect yourselves.

I hope for good health.

For good health in mind, body, and spirit. I am optimistic that none of us will neglect these gifts we have been given.

I hope for friendship.

Not casual friendship or Face-book friendship.

But true friendship. My wish is that you will all find at least one individual on whom you can thoroughly rely. A platonic friend. A friend that will be there to care through all the lows. And there to share the highs.

I hope for love.

Now, I know little of love, of finding it, of keeping, or losing it.

But I know people who do. And those people who know of love will tell of its importance.

So I hope that each one of you finds love. I hope that each one of you keeps it. And if you suffer through losing love, I hope that one day you will find it again.

I hope for passion in what do you.

A passion for your pursuits. A passion for your work.

Because we all know, from the advice of our parents or our teachers, that to be satisfied with your life, you must love what youre doing with it.

So my desire is that you will all have passion for your careers, because if you do, youll never have to work a day in your life.

Finally I hope for happiness.

But, happiness should not be hard to obtain.

I believe that happiness stems from the fulfillment of these other hopes.

The happiest people I know are those who have fulfilled them.

Thus, that is what I hope for for all of us not for wealth, success, nor glory but for respect, for health of mind, body, and spirit, for friendship, for love, and for passion in life . Because by yearning for these, I hope for happiness.

Thank you for your time and best of life and hope to my fellow graduates.