Listen to your friends, both present and future, who know you and care for you.

As recently as last week, I found myself struggling to decide on the contents of this speech, to put into words the experiences of these past years, to squeeze four long years of shared development and growth into these short few minutes — for after four other speeches, this one should not go on for too long.

What frustrated me was my inability to grasp our class’s development over the past four years, one year of which I was not even present. And eventually, as I continually tried and failed to group each of your many experiences into discrete categories, it became clear that this was an impossible task. In fact, it would almost be a mockery of your past one, two, three, or four years for me to speak for our class as a whole, to make generalizations and assumptions that do not hold true for many. Each of your lives is unique, and cannot be fit into a set of simple molds.

With that in mind, I will tell my own story, knowing that each of you within yourself holds another tale, probably more captivating than mine.

I arrived at Shanghai American School at the beginning of sophomore year, the year that the first senior class graduated. After being in a high school with over 2,000 students, this was a drastically different environment. And though I detested the move to Shanghai, benefits began to appear. During winter break, still smarting from being ripped from my comfortable existence in suburban America, and without companions or a desire to explore Shanghai, I discovered a passion for programming, and for computers in general. This passion is still present, and in fact I am sure of my future major and initial career.

Toward the end of that school year, I slowly realized that I had no friends, and that in fact I never really had friends throughout life. It was not because I had tried and failed — simply, before seeing the clusters of people at lunch tables, in the halls, in classrooms, the concept of friendship had never been clear. And so during the next two years, after realizing the value of friendship, I slowly became closer to several people, who I eventually considered to be friends of mine.

And without my friends, with whom I have studied together, laughed together, played together, and grown together, I would not be standing here today. For even in the inconceivable event that I would be highest in this somewhat unfair competition of numerical indicators of alleged academic achievement in the context of each teacher, without my friends, my shell of shyness would not have dissipated, and I would have rejected the great honor of standing before you today.

Thank you Phil, for accepting me two years ago and for always being there when I needed support. Thank you Alicia, for being one of my first friends here, at a time when we shared six classes together. Thank you Jon, for persevering when I responded with coldness, and for your unwavering moral compass, which I can rely on whenever I am weak. Thank you David and Diana, for always making sure that I was alright. Thank you Jenna, for though we met later, you always inspire deep thought and contemplation. And thank you Jessie, for showing me life, and for, even before the somewhat arbitrary numerical indicators were calculated, making me promise to include your name somewhere, without which this may have remained abstract and pontificating.

To my parents: Despite our frequent disagreements, you have cared and nurtured me for the past 18 years. Thank you, and whatever happens, I will always love and respect you. To my sister: Thank you for not giving into sibling rivalry, and for being supportive, more mature than your years suggest.

There are so many more who I’d like to thank — my friends and fellow classmates, my teachers, Cynthia Nordmeyer and the other counselors, Jing Dai Beebe, and the school administration.

Whatever your own story is, whatever journey led you to this platform upon which we will graduate today, be proud of what you have accomplished. High school may have been everything you expected, or it may have been completely different, but we stand here today, the third graduating class, finished with high school and ready to move forwards in life — whether it be college, work, or a year of self-reflection.

As we move toward a world in the midst of a financial meltdown, reeling from attack and attempted attack by terrorists and extremists, suffering from unprecedented ecological stress most recently in the Gulf of Mexico, aggression most recently in the sinking of the Cheonan, and as billions continue to suffer from hunger and poverty, recognize that you have a long and hard journey ahead, but today, let us celebrate our accomplishment in reaching this point.

As we move toward the real world, take time to relax and enjoy the small pleasures of life. If you are so inclined, use the swings in a park, ignoring those who cast dark glances at you, considering you childish or even insane. Class of 2010, do not be too caught up by the judgment of others, but listen to your friends, both present and future, who know you and care for you.

I know I will.

James li was born in New York and lived in Massachusetts for most of his life. Three years ago, he moved to Shanghai and attended Shanghai American School. He has always enjoyed exploring the possibilities and connections of the mathematics and sciences, as well as traveling through the annals of history. In his free time, Jamie enjoys keeping track of current events, learning about new technology, and biking to new locations. This fall, he will major in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California at Berkeley.