Today, The DAILY LEADER continues its publication ofvaledictorian and salutatorian speeches from the Class of 2011.Today’s address is from Garrett Wallace, Bogue Chitto AttendanceCenter valedictorian.

Thank you family, friends and classmates for attending thegraduation ceremony of 2011.

It is was once said that “Life is not measured by the number ofbreaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” AsI reflect back over my 13 years at Bogue Chitto, I realize therehave been many of those moments.

It all began when we first walked through the old schoolbuilding on our way to Mrs. Karen’s or Mrs. Sasser’s kindergartenclass. We were eager for snack time and dreaded naptime. We learnedmany things for the first time. We didn’t know that this was justthe beginning of a great journey.

Junior high seemed far away, but before we knew it, we werewalking around campus trying to get to each class before the tardybell rang. We could finally walk to lunch without having to stayone behind the other, and at last reached the age to participate inschool activities rather than just watch from the sidelines.

The high school years went by pretty fast, and it’s not so muchwhat I learned in each class that stands out anymore. It became thefriends, life lessons and the realization that we were prettyblessed to be a part of the Bobcat Nation.

Many people are responsible for helping each of us get to thispoint. I want to thank our parents for taking us thousands of milesto all the sports events and other school activities and for beingour biggest supporters through it all.

Thanks to Mr. Adcock for being a leader that we could count on.Thank you Coach Myers for loving Bogue Chitto. I want to most ofall give thanks to God for blessing us and giving us all theopportunities we’ve had the privilege to experience.

To the class of 2011: From every moment on the field, court andin the classroom we have strived to make an impact. As we come tothe end of a very significant phase in our lives, hold on to thosebreath-taking moments and go into the future with the same dreamsand determination that got us this far.

Garrett Wallace is the son of Kenneth and DanaWallace.