{"id":516,"date":"2013-09-16T18:00:17","date_gmt":"2013-09-16T22:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/willistonblogs.com\/speeches\/?p=516"},"modified":"2013-09-18T12:22:32","modified_gmt":"2013-09-18T16:22:32","slug":"convocation-address-by-northwestern-district-attorney-david-sullivan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/willistonblogs.com\/speeches\/2013\/09\/16\/convocation-address-by-northwestern-district-attorney-david-sullivan\/","title":{"rendered":"Convocation Address by Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note: Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan\u00a0P’08, ’10 presented the following address at the Williston Northampton School on September 16, 2013.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Head of School Mr. Hill, esteemed faculty, proud parents, and honored students, good evening.\u00a0 I am honored to be here tonight.\u00a0 I am pleased to share in the excitement and promise of a new academic year at Williston Northampton School.<\/p>\n

Tonight, I\u2019d like to share some thoughts with our gathered students.\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry, you don\u2019t need to take notes. There\u2019ll be no test.<\/p>\n

I only ask that you stay awake until I pull the winning student\u2019s name for a semester of free bagels at Tandem Bagel Company\u2014makers of the best bagels in Western Massachusetts. Yes, a shameless plug, but one of the few benefits of having the podium.<\/p>\n

The Williston Northampton School is very special to me. I hope it is for you. I am a grateful parent of two Williston alums.\u00a0 My oldest daughters, Marie and Annie, graduated from the Middle and Upper Schools.\u00a0 Williston teachers, staff, coaches, and fellow students guided them through their educational journey and young adulthood.\u00a0 Although challenging at times, their Williston experience gave them the tools to become engaged thinkers and better people.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to start my address with a big thank you to all the teachers, coaches, administrators, maintenance, dining hall, and support staff that make a difference each day in the lives of Williston students.<\/p>\n

Another big thank you is for the parents and grandparents who make enormous sacrifices to invest in your future.<\/p>\n

Living for over 20 years on Taft Ave, next to Williston\u2019s playing fields, the sounds of whistles tooting, horns blowing, and fans cheering has been music to my ears.\u00a0\u00a0 Each September, the quiet of summer yields to the joyful sounds of athletic endeavors.\u00a0 These sounds of autumn signal a new beginning for students, teachers, staff, and the community.<\/p>\n

Convocation ushers in a new beginning with great possibilities.<\/p>\n

I am here tonight because each of you is the hope for the future. I believe with all my heart that each student I see here tonight has the unique ability and opportunity to develop the character, passion, and brilliance to create positive changes for your school, your community, your world.<\/p>\n

You are truly blessed with caring and creative teachers and staff.\u00a0 Their wisdom, pursuit of excellence, and passion for learning are gifts that I hope you will not only accept but embrace.\u00a0 Your fellow students, from Massachusetts to California, China to Europe, bring diverse ideas and global perspectives that, if given the chance to be heard, can transform your hearts and minds.\u00a0\u00a0 All these special gifts are here for the taking.<\/p>\n

The Latin phrase \u201cCarpe diem\u201d means \u201cSeize the Day.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 I hope each of you seizes each and every day at Williston, and seizes the gifts of your teachers and fellows students.<\/p>\n

I also hope you seize the gifts of family and friends.\u00a0 The love of your family and friends are the cornerstones to life\u2019s fullness.<\/p>\n

But as you seize these gifts, please do so with gratitude.<\/p>\n

Be grateful for these many gifts.\u00a0 Gratitude is a wonderful gift unto itself.\u00a0 Gratitude helps us experience humility and know we need many other people in our lives in order to succeed.<\/p>\n

Gratitude comes from many places.\u00a0 Sometimes it is in the open, sometimes hidden, and most often discovered by life\u2019s experiences.<\/p>\n