After Dinner Speech

My lecturer, Dr. Sillyson, my dear parents, teachers, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters and my dear friends, good evening! I fill so much humbled in front of you this evening. I take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for attending this event despite your tight schedule. The ceremony surpasses many other graduations I have ever come across. Your attendance to this function is overwhelming and, in fact, beyond my expectations. Deep from my heart, I feel so much grateful and happy for your continued support, care and concern that you have shown towards me. You have made me the person I am being today, and I am totally convinced that my life could be totally different than it used to be before thanks to your support. Since I have started schooling fourteen years ago, you have continued to love and support in all I needed up to this final day.

I sincerely thank my parents (parents should stand up). They have worked hard and sacrificed their finances to see my success. I particularly want to thank my father because he has never given up with me when I was at the elementary school. I surely disturbed him so much. I was few times sent back home for indiscipline cases, but he persistently was talking to me until I changed my behaviors. My lecturer, Dr. Sillyson, I am so much glad to see you in this occasion. You have worked tirelessly with me in the university. I sincerely thank you for your support and guidance at the time I was preparing my undergraduate project. In addition, you continuously gave me the parental advice and care that enabled me to finish successfully. I can point at the case when Dr. Sillyson had paid my semester fees. It is also important to point out that Dr. Sillyson has contributed greatly towards the master’s scholarship that the university had given to me. Thank you so much. My brothers and sisters, I respect your continuous support and guidance. Thanks so much, my dear uncle John, that you have invested in me. I am happy to tell you that what you can see in me now is really a big part of your output. My aunt Glady and her family have been there for me at all times. To all my relatives, I want to say that I value your love. This day could not be the success if Mrs. Washington has not been training me how to write letters and pronounce syllables. She encouraged me to move on with my education irrespectively of my visual impairment at that young age. Mr. Jacob represents all my high school teachers that had been working tirelessly to ensure I am not carried away by a peer influence. That is why I managed to join the university.

The master scholarship award that I have been given is really a blessing and success for all of us now. It has paved a way for me to continue my education. The faculty did not give me a chance to relax. They worked hard to see me becoming a man of integrity. Mrs. Andrew had to use her precious time to encourage me when I gave up in my life after the whole month being in the hospital. All instructors offered me a shoulder to lean on. This success is not mine but instead, it is ours.

As the first born in my family and a senior graduate in my grandfather’s extended family, I feel this to be my responsibility to enlighten my cousins, nephews and nieces on the importance of education. I understand that they are the majority in this celebration. We have to appreciate our parents’ endless support in making this issue to be important. My three uncles and two aunts plus my father have done the most honorable job to educate their children. This is one of the greatest inheritances we have gained from them during their lifetime. Therefore, my fellow cousins, we cannot afford to let our parents down. They have struggled to see our success, which is only possibly through the education and guidance. In fact, our parents have gone an extra mile to educate our sisters irrespectively of our harsh cultures. As we all know, most parents have not dumped the tradition of valuing sons more than daughters. However, our dear parents have accepted the rejection for the sake of their daughters (Swales & Feak, 2004).

Education is the only key to our success. Throughout my four years in university, I have come across many successful professors who made a great impact on my life and reached the high results through their education. Please, let me quote one of my professors who told us that education was not the only way to be successful, but, unfortunately, it is the only way for remaining as you are. Today, everything depends on education. You will not get a job without a proper education. This means you will not earn money without being literal. Without money, you will lead a desperate life full of hustles. For our sisters, this is not the time that you have to wait for the marriage only. The financial stability is one of the factors men consider before selecting their wives. Therefore, you must also work hard to live comfortably. My brothers’ beautiful and responsible wives are not won by poor men. This means you have to be well educated for you to make your home comfortable. We have to work together and make our parents proud of us.

Succeeding in education requires a kind of sacrifice. In fact, philosophers of education claim that education is the most proud activity which does not entertain the multi purpose activities. This means that you have to give to your education all the concentration it deserves from you to be a winner. If you mix it with pride, you will not make it. No one is self-sufficient as far as education is concerned. You cannot know everything in education. This gives some light to the importance of group discussions. This is where your peers correct you, and you analyze your weaknesses and strengths. Personally, I have benefitted much from group discussions, especially in literature and sociology classes, which seemed to be too hard for me to comprehend. You have to manage your time properly. There is the time for everything. Time for education is the time to learn. Stop engaging into love and other relationships when you are at school. This will have its own time. Take your work seriously and avoid the peer influence. Remember you are taken to school to mold your future. Our parents are growing old and will not be there in our lives forever. Inherit the knowledge from them, and no one will ever take it away from you.

Family gatherings are the best motivation factors for schooling members. You will agree with me that we all have got inspired when my father was honored by the community development award. We all came together and promised to work hard as one family to achieve more awards. As a result, we now have two cousins being at the college and one at the university. I suggest that we have an annual family gathering at one of the relatives’ home. This will be a good chance to socialize with each other. We will also hold the discussions with our schooling sisters and brothers. This will motivate them and offer them the role models to emulate. Ultimately, the whole family will carry the success flag high.

In conclusion, I want to say that the next year I will back to the university to master this degree. I will work hard, and will try to never let you down. I will carry the flag high again and will become a doctor in this field soon. I am encouraged by your love and the confidence you have in me (Greene & Lidinsky, 2008). I look forward to see my younger brothers and sisters working hard at school to join good colleges and universities. Thank you once more.