First Lady Katie O'Malley Delivers Commencement Address to St. Elizabeth School
ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 3, 2008) – First Lady Katie O’Malley today delivered the commencement address to this year’s graduates of St. Elizabeth School, a non-public, co-educational, special education school located in Baltimore. The First Lady encouraged the fifteen graduates to allow their dreams to lead them wherever they want to go.
“Today, we celebrate you. We celebrate your individual accomplishments and your collective accomplishments. We celebrate the great things that your futures hold,” said First Lady O’Malley in her address. “Most importantly, we celebrate what it took for you to be here today.”
“In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, ‘Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail,’” said First Lady O’Malley. “This graduation represents not the end of something, but the beginning. The beginning of a path that you yourselves will make – and the first traces of a trail you leave behind.”
“As we celebrate your individual accomplishments and the great things your futures hold, I want to leave you with the words of Reverend Bernard Edmonds: ‘To dream anything that you want to dream. That’s the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed,’” said the First Lady. “Your dreams, your drive and your confidence led you here today, and those traits will lead you anywhere you want to go in life. Always dream, big and you will continue to inspire everyone around you.”
The Mission of St. Elizabeth School is to enable middle and secondary school-age students, who manifest intellectual limitations and/or multiple disabilities, to develop their full potential as responsible adults. The School is committed to an integrated program emphasizing functional academics, social/emotional development, and occupational preparation and placement. Growth in these areas is considered essential to the individual’s self-esteem and productivity as a member of the adult community. A caring, professional faculty joins with students and their families to create a unique and effective learning environment that promotes independence and mutual respect. The eleven month day school program emphasizes the acquisition of academic, social, and occupational skills in the classroom and in the community.
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