Honor is given to somebody who has done something extraordinarily heroic. Honor is such an expensive commodity, it cannot be bought. It can only be earned with time and sacrifice. Many have tried winning honor only to gain one after being six feet buried underground. A few good men risked not only their lives but that of their love ones gaining honor for the family name to outlive history. Some young people won theirs through hard work, positive mind set, and sheer dedication. Such a simple word can only be realized through sweat, tears and blood. Whoever gains one becomes honorable and is always worthy of such an accolade.
Today we bestow honor to exactly 40 high school students who excelled in academics. The honorees are young ladies and gentlemen who have done extraordinary deeds. They are our students who went beyond what others expected of them. They are our students who lived with excellence in mind. They will be our future leaders who are willing to sacrifice, willing to suffer and work hard for the common good of us all. They are the sons and daughters of proud parents. They are our honorees who lived up to the values of unquestionable integrity, strict discipline, cunning resourcefulness and utmost competence. In one word, excellence.
However, a greater and harder challenge comes along with the honor that our students gained today. A trust that this honor bestows upon the student should be upheld. This calls for even more sacrifice - choosing the pain of one's continued pursuit for excellence over the luxury of senseless comfort. These students have to forgo painting the town red on weekends. They have to study to learn more and deserve another honor the second time around. Burning midnight candles becomes campfires should they decide to gobble books by the dozens. This does not mean though that failing and failures will demean the honor they have earned so well. The most honorable act to do sometimes is the most painful - failing for once and rise up to excel to honorable heights again.
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