Also, last night I finished the first draft for "The Speech." ;) Finished it at 3am last night, but it was great!! I was definitely inspired. :)
Ahem:
"One word: Wow.
I won’t lie, the view from over here is pretty great, to say the least. As I look out into the pond of faces (since it is a small graduating class), I cannot help but feel extreme awe and gratitude to be a part of the graduating class of 2015. What an honor it is to speak to you today.
Congratulations!! We have made it! Well, that is after endless hours of hiking up Mountains of Homework and burning the same candle from both ends on repeat. Let us all take a second to celebrate each other’s achievement, so here’s an exercise for you: I want you, yes YOU, to look at the person to the right of you, and then to the left of you, and then back to the person to the right of you. As you do this, I want you to smile as wide as you can. You can do this in silence if you’d like. Ready? Go.
Mr. Bossard, you were right. That day in success camp with your talk about “Living above the line” and that one day in AP US History when you gave us that motivational slash inspirational speech. You told us that we were the leaders of tomorrow and that we were going to be agents of change. Today, each of my peers here have shown that to be true - they have shown that they are leaders in their own lives. Teachers, you were right to believe in us, thank you. You knew what we were capable of and you nudged us, and sometimes gently pushed us in the right direction. On behalf of the class of 2015, I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts; Itineris has truly been the journey of a lifetime and you have made it so. Here’s a shoutout too, to our wonderful parents for supporting us through this crazy, often intense and mostly stressful ride. We could not have done it without y’all.
It is funny how we came to be, that is, you and me and Itineris. You see, I was born and grew up in Malaysia, which is half way around the world, plus some, if you were to measure from West Jordan. Never in my life did I think I would move to the US in my early teens. After all, that would be what you call having one’s “head in the clouds”. When my mother remarried in 2011, I had the opportunity to move to the US, more specifically Arizona and continue my schooling. As much as I enjoyed public school in Arizona, I felt that there was something more I could do to amp up my schooling. So at the age of 16, I chose to move out of the comfort of my parents’ house in Arizona, to West Jordan, Utah, to attend Itineris Early College High School, what I now consider to be one of my many homes. Why do I tell you this? Well, I came here today to share a special message with you, which entails being prepared for what lies ahead. After graduation, many of you will be leaving the nest and may or may not suffer bouts of homesickness. I know this feeling well. And I want to tell you this: You can do hard things. Let me repeat: You can do hard things.
Right now, many of you are undecided about what major you are going to study or what career you want to pursue. Are you anxious? I know I am. I freak out about it sometimes, even though I know for a fact through experience that life has a way of working itself out. So yes, here’s me telling you, you will be just fine. That is, as long as you heed the wise words of Mr.Lawes “Hard work is key. Professors and employers, everybody loves hard workers.” I’m tellin’ ya, Mr.Lawes knows his stuff. So for today, Hakuna Matata and celebrate yourselves! Tomorrow, we ride on to battle! I mean… hard work.
Because I care about you (yes you, don’t ask me how or why, I just do), I have a few hopes and dreams for you. Correction, I have a list of hopes and dreams for you. *ahem*
The first on the list is that I hope that you learn to love yourself. No, I do not mean this in the Into-the-Woods-Agony cue You’re so Vain mashup sense. I mean it in the “take care of yourself” sense. Notice yourself every now and then, and realize your worth - because it is just THAT great. You were born a survivor, even from the very, very beginning - when so many factors were against you (and here’s me crossing my fingers you get the biology reference.) That has not changed. You are still a survivor. Think Rocky, “Eye of the Tiger”, you guys. So many things could’ve gone wrong during this past 17 or 18 years, yet, you overcame the odds. Some suggestions of taking care of yourself include: wearing sunscreen, eating your veggies and forgiving yourself often.
My next hope for you would be to love others. No, I am not encouraging polygamy or anything of that sort, but rather, for you to lend a helping hand every now and then. Life is tough. Life is hard work. A saying that I like by Ian Maclaren, a Scottish author and theologian goes like this “Be Kind; Everyone You Meet is Fighting a Hard Battle.” For all you know, a simple wave, or a friendly “hello” could be all a person needed to have their day made. Have you ever felt like you’ve lost hope in humanity? I know I can certainly relate to this. Well, it’s up to you and me to “be the change that we wish to see in the world” like Gandhi once kind of said. So, I hear you want to change the world? Here’s an idea for you: restore faith in humanity. Constantly.
Each of you are amazing in your own special way, and you have such bright futures ahead. Don’t fear change and don’t fear stepping out of your comfort zone every now and then, because that’s where you do the most growing. If I am right, you, like me, value personal growth. Always stay humble, and remember your roots, because that’s where you found nourishment, stability and opportunity for growth. Say thank you more often and say what you need to say. Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ sometimes. Life will take you places you’ve never imagined and many will be but for a small moment. Cherish your experiences and cherish your memories. Realize their fleeting nature and be prepared to let go every now and then. Cherish your friends and your family. Live in the moment. Carpe Diem, sieze the day.
I have not even gone halfway through my list yet, and since I began this speech and have gotten to know you better, I have added more onto the list. Let’s title this “the unmentioned portion” and leave it at that, shall we? Needless to say, I have many hopes and dreams for you, as do your parents and teachers. I have no doubt that you will go and do amazing things in the world, and even change it for the better in your own special way. If, by any chance you spaced out in the last few minutes, it’s your lucky day!! Here’s a recap for you: Be yourself. Strive to be a better you than you were yesterday. And for you gamers out there, break your own high score, will you? As John Green might say, DFTBA, or Don’t Forget to Be Awesome!
Oh and P/S, I look forward to our 50-year reunion. Mark your calendars and bring a good life story or two to share with us, will ya? There will be pie, and cookies, the good kind, for sure."
My heart is so full right now, and life is just perfect at the moment.
I hope to make the most of my next/last few weeks here. :)
Toodles!! <3