Fairfax Rebels Get Lessons, Inspiration at 2013 Graduation

Fairfax High School’s Class of 2013 got a hearty dose of truth and inspiration during Thursday afternoon’s graduation ceremony.

More than 600 Rebel graduates gathered in school’s gymnasium for a commencement attended by Virginia Del. David Bulova and Sen. Chap Petersen.

School Principal David Goldfarb charged seniors to maintain positive, optimistic outlooks as they moved on to new chapters in their lives.

“Attitude can be just as important as ability when finding success,” Goldfarb said, stressing the importance of an “attitude of persistent optimism.”

In an age when negativity spews from Internet comment sections, Fairfax Underground forums and peers’ Twitter feeds, positive outlooks will make all the difference in the world, Goldfard said.

“You have grown up in a time when prevention and destruction of ideas is valued as much as their creation and that is unfortunate,” he said. “It is easy, and maybe even a little entertaining, to go negative.

“I call on you today to find your positive voice.”

Leadership teacher and football coach Kevin Simonds, the ceremony’s keynote speaker, relayed some advice to graduates that his father gave him years ago: “It’s who you know that gets you there and what you know that keeps you there,” he said.

And while some graduates might be uncertain about the next step, about going to college and building new relationships, honor graduate Alex Griffith imbued his peers with a cheeky speech full of “hard truths.”

“You’re dumb,” he told his fellow Rebels to laughs. “You’re all dumb. But I’m dumb too! There’s nothing wrong with that.”

After all, teenagers are allowed to be dumb every once in a while, he said.

And while life will be full of jerks and people who give you bad advice, there will be just as many people who will help you get where you want to go.

“People are good,” Griffith said. “Surround yourself with them.”