Letter to the 2016 Seniors
Seniors:
As I sat down to write a farewell to all of you, I couldn't help but reminisce about some of my favorite memories of all of you. From reuniting with many of you from honors algebra 2, to dealing with the clowns at the Alpha table, to SPORTZ, to "Lil Hospital," to working with many of you in marching band and theater, I have some wonderful memories of all of you. Thank you all for playing such a major part in building a strong culture of hard work at Stoney (yes, this is even directed to our friends from Rochester). This school would not be the same without your hard work, patience, sense of humor, and integrity. You truly are a unique, wonderful, and gifted group of individuals.
I wanted to leave you with a little bit of advice: a combination of things that were told to me when I graduated from high school and things I wish that I had learned sooner.
1. Always be mindful of your reputation. Your reputation follows you everywhere, to either your benefit or detriment. You've heard the saying that “it's a small world.” Well that's definitely true. Chances are pretty high that you will land a future internship, or even career, based on somebody’s recommendation of your character. It's all about who you know. Please always keep in mind that no matter what you do, you're always making an impression on somebody, which leads me to my next point…
2. Don't be stupid. College is full of temptations and potential pitfalls to your future aspirations. You are all WAY too smart to risk your future because you did something stupid one night at college. (And If I'm being selfish, I have too much invested in all of you to not mention this point.) More importantly, though, YOU have invested way too much time and hard work to let that all go down the drain because of one mistake. Rule of thumb: if you'd be embarrassed to tell your grandparents that you did it, you shouldn't do it. NOTHING is worth putting your future in jeopardy over.
3. Don’t pick a major because it will lead to a lucrative career; pick it because it's something you're passionate about. Cliché, I know. But I have to be honest with you on this one. In the three years that I've been at Stoney, I don't feel like I've “worked” a day at all. Even on the toughest days, I love getting up every morning and coming in to school. I honestly hope that each of you finds the same enjoyment in your chosen career. There’s something to be said for making a nice salary, but choosing a career path that interests you will lead you to much more success and satisfaction in your lifetime.
4. Keep in touch with your friends from high school. I distinctly remember my high school AP English Lit teacher telling us that we wouldn’t be friends with any of our high school friends five years after we graduated. I'm not exactly sure what he was thinking when he said that... I'm proud to say that some of my best friends (with the exception of Stoney teachers, of course) are still my friends from high school, even though they live in San Diego, St. Louis, and Orlando. Don't let your friendships from high school fade just because you make new friends in college. These are special bonds that have been forged over years of camaraderie. And if nothing else, at least you’ll have somebody to look back on high school with and say “remember that one time when Rizzi wore a tiger onesie all day because he lost a game of Calculus Jeopardy?”
5. Never stop learning. As a teacher, I feel like it’s my duty to say this. However, it’s so important. Too many people take a “fixed mindset” approach to life and give up on their aspirations just because things get too difficult. If you haven’t read Carol Dweck’s book Mindset, I highly suggest you do. (Carol Dweck is a Stanford University psychologist). This book has changed my view on learning and, more importantly, life. By taking a “growth mindset” view of yourself, you are acknowledging that you always have the ability to learn, grow, and master new skills. Having worked with you all for a year, I can confidently say that you all have the capacity to do whatever you set your mind to doing.
That’s enough preaching. If you’ve made it this far, congratulations. However, chances of that are slim because I didn't include any fun pictures for your short attention spans. :)
All jokes aside, I’m going to miss EVERY single one of you. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve all had an impact on me, as a teacher and as a person. I can only hope that you’ve learned from me as much as I’ve learned from each of you. Go out into the world and do great things…but please keep in touch. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to help you celebrate your future triumphs!
All the best,
Mr. Rizzi
As I sat down to write a farewell to all of you, I couldn't help but reminisce about some of my favorite memories of all of you. From reuniting with many of you from honors algebra 2, to dealing with the clowns at the Alpha table, to SPORTZ, to "Lil Hospital," to working with many of you in marching band and theater, I have some wonderful memories of all of you. Thank you all for playing such a major part in building a strong culture of hard work at Stoney (yes, this is even directed to our friends from Rochester). This school would not be the same without your hard work, patience, sense of humor, and integrity. You truly are a unique, wonderful, and gifted group of individuals.
I wanted to leave you with a little bit of advice: a combination of things that were told to me when I graduated from high school and things I wish that I had learned sooner.
1. Always be mindful of your reputation. Your reputation follows you everywhere, to either your benefit or detriment. You've heard the saying that “it's a small world.” Well that's definitely true. Chances are pretty high that you will land a future internship, or even career, based on somebody’s recommendation of your character. It's all about who you know. Please always keep in mind that no matter what you do, you're always making an impression on somebody, which leads me to my next point…
2. Don't be stupid. College is full of temptations and potential pitfalls to your future aspirations. You are all WAY too smart to risk your future because you did something stupid one night at college. (And If I'm being selfish, I have too much invested in all of you to not mention this point.) More importantly, though, YOU have invested way too much time and hard work to let that all go down the drain because of one mistake. Rule of thumb: if you'd be embarrassed to tell your grandparents that you did it, you shouldn't do it. NOTHING is worth putting your future in jeopardy over.
3. Don’t pick a major because it will lead to a lucrative career; pick it because it's something you're passionate about. Cliché, I know. But I have to be honest with you on this one. In the three years that I've been at Stoney, I don't feel like I've “worked” a day at all. Even on the toughest days, I love getting up every morning and coming in to school. I honestly hope that each of you finds the same enjoyment in your chosen career. There’s something to be said for making a nice salary, but choosing a career path that interests you will lead you to much more success and satisfaction in your lifetime.
4. Keep in touch with your friends from high school. I distinctly remember my high school AP English Lit teacher telling us that we wouldn’t be friends with any of our high school friends five years after we graduated. I'm not exactly sure what he was thinking when he said that... I'm proud to say that some of my best friends (with the exception of Stoney teachers, of course) are still my friends from high school, even though they live in San Diego, St. Louis, and Orlando. Don't let your friendships from high school fade just because you make new friends in college. These are special bonds that have been forged over years of camaraderie. And if nothing else, at least you’ll have somebody to look back on high school with and say “remember that one time when Rizzi wore a tiger onesie all day because he lost a game of Calculus Jeopardy?”
5. Never stop learning. As a teacher, I feel like it’s my duty to say this. However, it’s so important. Too many people take a “fixed mindset” approach to life and give up on their aspirations just because things get too difficult. If you haven’t read Carol Dweck’s book Mindset, I highly suggest you do. (Carol Dweck is a Stanford University psychologist). This book has changed my view on learning and, more importantly, life. By taking a “growth mindset” view of yourself, you are acknowledging that you always have the ability to learn, grow, and master new skills. Having worked with you all for a year, I can confidently say that you all have the capacity to do whatever you set your mind to doing.
That’s enough preaching. If you’ve made it this far, congratulations. However, chances of that are slim because I didn't include any fun pictures for your short attention spans. :)
All jokes aside, I’m going to miss EVERY single one of you. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve all had an impact on me, as a teacher and as a person. I can only hope that you’ve learned from me as much as I’ve learned from each of you. Go out into the world and do great things…but please keep in touch. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to help you celebrate your future triumphs!
All the best,
Mr. Rizzi
