Harlem High School Hosts Commencement Speaker Craig Todd
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Craig Todd, the Technology Education and Video Productions/ Communications Instructor at Harlem High School, delivered the Commencement Address to a class of 31 graduates and their guests on Sunday, May 23.
After working for seven years as a machinist, Todd returned to college and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Technology Education from Montana State University-Bozeman. He joked that as a teacher he was just bending and shaping new material.
When asked about the core of his message to the graduates, Todd reported that he told the graduates that he would talk for thirty two minutes: one minute for every year he has taught. The seniors-unable to imagine sitting through a speech that long-insisted that he not do that! Instead, doing what he has always done during his teaching, Todd gave them advice.
"I shared with them ten principles to live by, talking about the wisdom of values and about how you get out of something what you give. I also told them how important having a network is. Life is about contacts. Anyone who says that it's not what you know but who you know, is right. Sure, you need content knowledge, but knowing the right person will get you in the door and open an opportunity for you. Collaborate, form friendships, and build a network because who you know gets you access," he told the graduates.
Todd also spoke about the need to unplug from cell phones, social media, and other technology to make personal connections. "The path of life can be changed with a single connection, with one good deed. You leave a legacy, not by the number of children you have but by the footprint you leave. I have been able to see evidence of that footprint as I've taught the children of former students," Todd stated.
Another lesson he shared hinted at the need to find a way to make something work. "When you encounter an obstacle, giving up won't teach you as much as working through it. There are rewards in this doing, which will teach you a lot."
Todd's words touched closely to the class motto by an unknown author: "Dare to be different, live your own life, and follow your dreams" when he shared how taking risks can produce rewards if there is resilience.
