Bay Ridge High School 1945 Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY) - Full Access

Dear Friends: After having known you for four years I now feel justi– fied in thinking that you and I have become friends. During these years I worried with you, laughed with you, and sometimes even silently wept with you. You were at first a group of very eager, very charming femininity. Soon you began to stand out as individuals. Some of you have excelled in your studies; some of you have excelled in leadership and school government; some of you have excelled in serv– ice; some of you may feel that you have not excelled in · anything. You may have been just ordinary, inconspic– uous members of a school so– ciety. This is as it is in life. In a democracy such as ours there is a place for all of you. Hundreds of opportunities for success beckon to you. However, each road to suc– cess is beset with obstacles far greater than any you have encountered. The reason for your going to school was to learn how to meet these obstacles. As you accept these challenges and solve them, you wi!l continue to grow and to gain a satisfaction that will have made your years at school seem worthwhile. Some of you will achieve greater success than others, but you all have an equal opportunity to try for success-whether it be great or small. This is the reward that comes from living in a democracy . I am sure you will succeed in life for I have faith in your ability to utilize your mental capacities, in your courage to engage in new ventures and in your belief in the principles of democracy. I wish you great happiness and a long life. In the years to come I shall often think of you. Sincerely yours, ETHEL N. SARAFIAN