THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUnE 9, 2023 Page 5 2023 Saugus High School graduation The Superintendent’s graduation speech By Michael Hashem G ood evening to all of the students, families, friends, staff, and invited guests. Thank you all for coming to honor our graduating class of 2023. As seems to always be the case, the indoor/outdoor decision for this ceremony came down to the wire. While I may not be sure of anything else, there will always be a 50% chance of rain with the possibility of thunder on our graduation day. The other thing ASKS | FROM PAGE 4 A: I’ve never thought of teaching mathematics. My fi rst experience in the world was going to college at Boston University. College came with a lot of anxiety and fear for me. I was just learning to live in a wheelchair. I had absolutely no idea what I could actually do for a career. I switched to teaching just because I didn’t know what else could have been possible. I know for certain is that no one wants to hear a long speech from me, so I will be concise. This has truly been a challenging time; for this class, myself, and society as a whole. But the past is prologue and now is the time to move forward. As Eleanor Roosevelt best described: “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this Once I had my fi rst experience in the classroom, I knew that was where I wanted to be. Q: Please share with our readers what you remember about the serious spinal injury you suff ered in 1987 while playing hockey for Saugus High School. A: My initial feeling was shocked when I was told that I would never walk again. The thing I remember most is the way that my mother looked at me. She looked at me with such horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’” It is almost as if she had predicted the past few years. But I have to agree with her; you have been a resilient group of students. You have taken on the obstacles and worked your way through high school. Now each of you are on to your next journey. Given your challenges that you each faced over these past four years, I am confident that you are prepared for whatever comes your way. I wish you all the best a sense of sadness and fear for my future. That was the greatest motivating factor for me. I never wanted my mother to have to look at me that way ever again. I was overwhelmed by the support of my family and community. It was like the entire town adopted me. So much of what I was able to accomplish came as a result of family and community support. I am so grateful to have grown up in and I will leave you all with a final quote that I think sums it all up from Sir Edmund Hillary: “While on top of Everest, I looked across the valley towards the great peak Makalu and mentally worked out a route about how it could be climbed. It showed me that even though I was standing on top of the world, it wasn’t the end of everything. I was still looking beyond to other interesting challenges.” Congratulations and best of luck. such a wonderful place. Q: For the benefi t of our readers, what is the extent of your injury? What does it mean to be a quadriplegic? A: I have what is called a complete severed spinal cord at the level C5. What that means is that I have no feeling or function below my chest. Losing the ability to walk is the most visual consequence of my injury. For me, personally, all of the internal aspects of my life and SAUGUS ACTING SUPERINTENDENT MICHAEL HASHEM: He calls this year’s graduates “a resilient group of students.” (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) my body that I have lost control of are far more consequential than the ability to walk. The life of a person living with SCI [spinal cord injury] is an unpredictable and fragile experience. When you don’t have control of your own body, it is a diffi - cult mental battle every day to look beyond what could happen and live in the moment. Q: After the reality set in that ASKS | SEE PAGE 6
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