Montclair Graduation: A Commencement Address to Remember

At Montclair High School’s 147th Commencement ceremony, CBS News Journalist and Class of 2014 parent Jim Axelrod expressed what an honor it was to speak at the graduation.

“I know one thing,” said Axelrod. “Thank you doesn’t even begin to cover it, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.”

At the start of his speech, Axelrod stated that when you are in moments like this, you have to find a way to freeze them. He then paused for a minute and took a “selfie” at the podium, permanently freezing the moment in time.

The driving force behind the remainder of Axelrod’s speech was failure, and how each and every failure can be more telling than success.

“Yes, you will have endless successes, you are capable and confident,” said Axelrod. “But you will also fail and that is more important.”

He mentioned what a gift it is to be graduating from a high school like Montclair High and how beautiful it is to be from a community like Montclair. But that despite these great advantages, everyone will have to face failures.

Axelrod said that life is not always easy and that failure rarely feels good, but the way each failure is handled, matters most, and is incredibly important.

“Getting knocked down does not determine a thing,” said Axelrod. “How you get up determines everything. Will you curl up into a ball or will you get up, look in the mirror and work harder?”

Adding weight to his advice, Axelrod shared a personal story, explaining how his home burned down during the first week of school the 2013-14 school year.

Sending a hush throughout the audience, Axelrod teared up as he explained the importance of family and responding to life circumstances.

He said that that things can be replaced, material possessions can always be replaced, but what was most important was that everyone in his family survived the fire, and that together they found the strength to rebuild their lives.

“You don’t control life,” said Axelrod. “Only how you respond to it.”