A kindergarten graduation speech that was supposed to be a short speech turned into a moving and comprehensive farewell speech that brought the audience to tears.
This is after the kindergartener remembered his late mother and dedicated the speech to her, describing her as his “beautiful mom”.
Jaxon Carter, a 6 year old boy lost his mother very early. She died in an apartment in July 2022 and left the little boy and his dad in despair. Shortly after his mother’s death, Jaxon had to move to a new school.
“I had to find him a school at the last minute and the school happened to be the perfect fit for him,” Jaxon’s father, Justin Carter, said. “School alone has been a lifeline.”
Jaxon found it easy to love his new school, New Dawn Academy, a STEM-focused public charter school in Sterlings, Michigan. He was an exceptional and joyful student, despite his grief at losing his mother.
The school principal, Conrad. R. Koch can attest to the boy’s positive attitude. “I greet all the students in the morning and I always got a ‘hello’ from him or a high-five. He came to school with a good attitude, ready to learn,” Koch said.
“Whether it’s spelling, learning to read, learning to write your name, whatever the challenge, Jaxon has risen to it.”
Jaxon recently had his graduation ceremony where he delivered a farewell speech. However, a normal speech that everyone expected turned into an emotional and heartbreaking speech as the boy paid tribute to his late mother.
“When I started kindergarten at New Dawn Academy in August 2022, I was a 5-year-old boy who had lost my beautiful mother a month before,” Jaxon said at the start of his kindergarten graduation speech.
“I learned to play with other children, to read books, to answer or ask questions like how or why, to use correct grammar and to use my school tablet.”
“My kindergarten year helped me become braver, smarter, more generous and more grateful,” he continued. He thanked his teacher, whom he described as someone with a “big heart”. “When I was sad, she told me that everything would be fine.”
Linda Howard Carter
He also thanked his four grandparents who took care of him and sent a special thank you to his father. “You are the best dad ever, and I love you so much,” Jaxon said.
Finally, he dedicated his speech to the person he missed so much – his mother. “I dedicate my speech, my good grades, all school awards and my kindergarten graduation to my beautiful mom, whom I will always love and miss so much,” Jaxon said. “I know she will always be with me in my heart.”
Linda Howard Carter
The audience cheered as they were all in tears by the boy’s beautiful and heartfelt words. Jaxon’s father was blown away after hearing his son’s speech.
“The expressions, the words, everything he said, you could see he meant every word,” Justin said. “He didn’t fumble. It was remarkable.
Linda Howard Carter
Justin is glad they live in a close-knit village where there’s always someone to talk to. He thinks it helped Jaxon move on and grow into a smart, kind-hearted kid. His parents and in-laws have also contributed immensely to Jaxon’s success.
He also shared that Jaxon’s grandmother helped the boy prepare for the four-minute graduation speech. However, he did not allow his father to hear or read his speech so he could overhear him.
Jaxon Carter with his late mother
Along with dedicating his talk to his mother, Jaxon also keeps his memories alive with photos of him and her on his graduation cap. Justin and Jaxon also talk about her every day to keep her close to their hearts all the time.
Watch Jaxon’s heartbreaking kindergarten graduation speech in this video: