consulate events
Pinewood Commencement
June 16, 2005
Consul General Demitra Pappas addresses Pinewood International High School's Class of 2005 at the graduation ceremony.
Following is Consul General Pappas remarks:
Remarks by Consul General Demitra Pappas
At Pinewood International High School’s Graduation Ceremony
Thessaloniki June 16, 2005
Dr. Thompson, Madam President, distinguished members of the School Board, teachers and parents.
I thank you warmly for inviting me to speak this evening. I am delighted to be here among you at Pinewood this evening.
To our honored guests, the members of the graduating class of 2005, we are all very proud of you. It’s over! All the exams, the papers, presentations, and the homework, all your hard work has paid off. And you have come away with a first-class education at Pinewood. Congratulations on this outstanding accomplishment.
Of course graduates, you did not do it all alone. We must acknowledge all the support and encouragement you have received from your families. After all, your parents were your first teachers and your earliest lessons came from them. And they stood by you for 12 long years guiding you through, helping with your homework, driving you to basketball practice, and attending PTA meetings. And let us also acknowledge the Pinewood family and all the teachers who over the years have nurtured your minds and your character.
Let’s give them a round of applause.
Graduates, the pride you feel tonight is much deserved. Looking back, it might have seemed as if this day would never come. I know that you are eager to walk across this stage and receive your diploma, but I would like to take some time to offer some advice and encouragement- not too much time. As you are about to embark on a new chapter of your life, leaving the familiar home of Pinewood, I would like to offer two messages to help guide you as you make your way in the world and prepare to meet new challenges.
My first message is to cherish all that you have been a part of in your years here at Pinewood. Not just what you have learned in the classroom but your friendships and experiences in this rich cross-cultural environment. With students and their families representing a myriad of nationalities, ethnicities and religions and despite classmates that have come and gone, you are connected through the lasting bond of your years at Pinewood.
You have had an experience that is not typical of a high school student in your average American suburb or Greek high school. You have had an extraordinary opportunity to study and complete an American secondary education in Greece, an ancient center of Western education and ideas.
Pinewood was founded as an American School over a half century ago, and as graduates of an American international school in Greece, you can be the enduring link between Greece and the United States, regardless of nationality. In the long history of friendship and alliance between our two countries, there have been many examples of the bonds that unite us. One of the strongest bonds we share is a commitment to education. Institutions such as Pinewood are an expression of this bond and of this commitment. And this bond is also shared with all the students, from all the countries represented here tonight in the graduating class- the United States, Canada, Bulgaria, Turkey, China, Holland and Serbia and of course, Greece.
Graduates, you are Pinewood’s Ambassadors to the world. Please continue to build bridges between Greece and the U.S. and to the international community through your foundation at Pinewood.
As graduates of Pinewood, you have a unique perspective on the world and a cultural sensitivity you must share with others. Diversity is a cherished value at Pinewood, one that you will take with you to the next stage of your life. Pinewood opened your mind to new people, new languages, and new cultures. You have been surrounded by peers from 35 different countries. You have been exposed to a world of difference and one of mutual understanding. The sense of humanity that you have gained from your studies at Pinewood is invaluable, it has influenced the person you are today and will be in the future. And you should never hesitate to be generous with this gift. It will serve you as a great asset as you begin your university career, in your professional life and your daily life.
After today, when you leave the protective setting of Pinewood, you will be well prepared to make changes in your life. The reality is that Pinewood is turning a corner, as well. The school that you leave behind today will not be the same one you will visit as alumnae in the future. Regardless of the changes Pinewood undertakes in its transition to a new campus, the inherent values and philosophy of the school will remain constant. In the same way, I hope that you take along all the Pinewood ideals instilled in you into the future.
The tools Pinewood has given you: the ability to think critically, to use your creativity, and to be a team player are empowering. Knowledge makes human progress possible. It creates mutual understanding and cross-cultural respect. And education is the key that opens all doors.
This brings me to my second message, which has more to do with you as individuals. I hope your education enables you to fulfill your personal and career goals, and all your aspirations. However, your education also confers upon you an obligation and that is to serve others. You are entering a world unlike the one your parents knew. The world is a much different place than it was even four years ago when you started high school. You are members of a singular graduating class. Days into your freshman year, the world was violently altered on September 11, 2001. You have come of age in an era of suspicion, anger, and lack of understanding. We face challenges of global terrorism, environmental and health problems, poverty and violence.
Still, while tragic world events cannot help but influence you, they should not define you.
There is still hope and optimism. Globalization, which often gets a bad rap, has made the world a smaller place and people are more interconnected to one another. According to Thomas Friedman, a Pulitzer Prize winning author and New York Times columnist, in this era of globalization, this “flattening of the world,” individuals, more than nations or corporations, can have a huge impact. You bring with you hope and optimism and you have the ability to effect change. Your education gives you the chance to make a difference.
From your experiences at Pinewood, you are also global citizens. Infused with the spirit of the global community and the cross-cultural respect you have embraced here at Pinewood, you can make a valuable contribution. You can help forge stronger friendships and deeper understandings across geo-political, cultural or religious divides.
The challenges and threats in today’s world should not deter you from meeting your greatest potential and transforming the world around you. Certainly, real political and social problems are not without solutions, and we need your talents, your perspective and commitment. Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”. As an individual, from the lessons you have learned throughout your education at Pinewood, you will be an example to your communities. Based on the role models of your grandparents, your parents, and teachers you should not find yourself short of inspiration. Keep Pinewood’s mission statement in mind and continue to be “active, responsible and compassionate members of the world community.”
And I just noticed this: I was reading the background of the graduates, and the student who has been at Pinewood for thirteen years, not to single you out, has dedicated the next year to service.
Whatever you do- you may consider running for public office, building cleaner cities, studying medicine, or being a diplomat. Perhaps you will become a teacher to pass on your many talents or follow any of the range of professions in which you will make a difference. I encourage you to think about what you can do in your own lives to help make life in your neighborhoods, your countries and in the larger world better, safer, more just, and more humane. The torch is being passed to your generation and I urge you to take up the challenge. I am confident that you will change the course of events for the better.
You have reached the end of high school and are about to commence on a new path. If today ends one journey, it also begins another. Think of tonight as a beginning, as a commencement.
Members of the graduating class, as you prepare to take your separate paths to continue your education in the United States or Europe, have plans to spend the next year volunteering or elsewhere, remember Constantinos Cavafy’s poem Ithaki. Cavafy reminds us that the journey is what counts the most. Navigating through life and a complex world will not always be easy. When you reach the finish line is not as important what you learn from the experience of it all. You will find, as Eleanor Roosevelt said, that “you gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” Do what you think you cannot do. With courage, taking risks and faith in your self you will find your way.
I know your education and your experience at Pinewood will serve you well, and I hope you are fearless in the serving the world. We are proud of you. High School is about life-changing experiences and tonight is one more of these moments. For the first time, when you leave this auditorium, you will do so as alumni of Pinewood Schools.
Congratulations to the class of 2005! Sigharitiria! Felicitations! Pozdravlénia! Tebrikler! Gong Xi! Gefeliciteerd! Gestitam!
Thank you.