Graduates, please, give yourself the opportunity to make mistakes. Give yourself the opportunity to do stupid things that result in wisdom and great stories to tell years from now. You only live once, so do yourself a favor a live the fullest, most fun life you can live.
  Personal growth starts with stepping outside of your comfort zone. As students move away, go to college and make new friends they are bombarded with new experiences and things that may seem unusual or even unsafe. However, in the long run, everything is going to be okay.
  At 18 years old a person should be able to have fun and try new things without harsh repercussions. It starts with common sense and being able to trust the people involved in a situation.
  Trust your friends. They want what’s best for you. But trust your intuition above all. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” This is the chance for richer experiences. It is said that 20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the things you did. No one wants to wake up in their middle age and think about all of the experiences, adventures and life that passed them by.
  It’s time to embrace new things. Learn, by letting go of false impressions about exciting adventures and interesting people. This may be the only life we are given, so make the most of it. Experience makes a well-rounded person who has rich values and wisdom to share with others. So, try everything once (okay, maybe not everything) and you’ll always have a story to share, an experience to remember and maybe even a few new friends.
  Be brave in every situation but don’t be afraid to let your guard down and have fun. Your values and opinions are important but don’t be afraid to change what you believe as you learn and grow. Form your own opinions with experiences to back up what you believe, be involved in a situation before you judge it. Some things are not as bad as your childhood has led you to believe. Have fun, be smart, learn everything.