What Would Happen If You Really Gave Your Best?

EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s not often that a Central High School student has the last word on the principal.  But valedictorian Tyler Wales did Monday night, and his dad, Central High principal Bob Wales, was loving every bit of it.

By Tyler Wales, 2011 Valedictorian, Central High School

Thank you all for being here.  For those of you who don’t already know, Mr. Wales — or Baldy — is my father, so I could start weeping at any moment!

Architect Harold Taylor once said that “The roots of true achievement lie in the will to become the best that you can become.”

The best…  What is our best?

I ask you, what is your best?  Is it 100 percent?  90 percent?  110 percent?  2 percent?

I admit, sometimes my best was just enough to get by.  We’ve all done it.  We’re satisfied with giving our best, even if we could have given more.

We can’t let that be the standard.

“Good enough” isn’t good enough.  Sure, we can celebrate progress during times such as these, but our work here isn’t done.  We can never be satisfied with our best.  We must continually define our best, and be better.

Colossians 3:23-24 states that

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

God calls us to do our best, and He has given us the means to do so.

Wilt Chamberlain scored 78 points against the Lakers in 1961 to set the single game NBA scoring record.  He wasn’t content.  Three months later, he scored 100 points — the century mark.  Had he been satisfied with 78, his record would have been taken down by Kobe Bryant in 2006.  Wilt Chamberlain’s record still stands and will likely never be broken.

It has been said that the Class of 2011 is the best to ever go through Central High School.  I agree.  We have done great things and have set a great example to the underclassmen.  In our class, we have star scholars, athletes, and artists.

We have battled the forces of nature and society to be where we are today.  People said we just couldn’t do it.  They said Central wasn’t meant to win, wasn’t meant to succeed.  Well, we sure showed them!

In academics, we shot to the top of the state with our test scores.

Our Quiz Bowl and Mu Alpha Theta teams defied all odds while our DECA and Beta clubs performed well, and our Robotics team continues to improve.

Through the College Board Advanced Placement program, we have earned 104 hours of college credit and counting.  A few of my classmates earned additional college credit hours during LSU’s Spring Invitational Program.

For their efforts, Central High School was awarded the Spring Invitational Golden Achievement Award.

In athletics, our football team showed the rest of the state what Central is all about.  They said we weren’t supposed to win district; but hey, stubborn us, we did!

Our track team is developing into one of the most dominant in the state, and our band and spirit groups continue to garner superior ratings.

Along our high school journey, we had outstanding teachers, coaches, and mentors, and I thank them all.

I share the opinion of Docus Rocus and many others here today: Education is the best profession in the world.  Without teachers, how would any other profession come about?

I thank the administration for leading Central High School to where it is today; the school board and superintendent for giving us the resources we needed to succeed; Mr. Brown, Ms. Nicki, and the janitorial staff for keeping our school in top shape; the lunch ladies for keeping us alive and nourished; and the entire Central community for supporting our education.

I give many thanks to the parents, family, and friends that have served as role models and supported us.

I have admired the characteristics of all of the people that have led me through high school — the communicativeness of Mr. Corley, the care of Ms. deLeon, the character of Coach Simoneaux, the craftiness of Mr. Jones, the wisdom of Rev. Coach Pastor Mister Steve Johnson, the discipline of Doc Johnson, the intelligence of Ms. Younger, the passion of Mr. Anderson, the knowledge of Mr. Mitchell, the leadership of my dad, and many others.

Most of all, I thank Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior for giving us this community, this state, this country, this education, and His unconditional love and forgiveness that we do not deserve.

To those still in school, cherish and make the most of every moment.  Please.  You don’t know what I’d give to listen to another of Mr. Mitchell’s lectures, eat another school lunch, or swim one more time for Coach Anderson.  I pray that you continue to better this amazing school and community.

To the Class of 2011, we had a great run, but the race is not over.  It’s time to pick up the pace.

Finally, I would like to leave you with this quote by Mother Teresa:

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you succeed, you will win some false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.

Be honest anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough for some people.

Give the world your best anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;

It was never between you and them anyway.

Let’s promise to represent our community, family, and God as we embark on our next journey.

Let’s get out there, do our best, and then some.  Let’s do work!

Thank you.

Editor’s Note: Research has disclosed that “Docus Rocus” is a nickname for legendary Central High teacher Doc Johnson.