Good morning everyone,

I would like to start with a heartfelt thank you to the parents, teachers, and faculty who have helped make today possible. Your dedication, patience, and support have guided us to this moment. I would also like to say congratulations to each of my peers dressed in their cap and gown. This is a day for celebration. For celebration of you and everything you have accomplished thus far. You have put in the effort to make it this far and you deserve all the joy that today will bring. Each and every one of you holds the opportunity for a bright future ahead of you.

Now, if you’ll bear with me I’d like to share a story. During our freshman year, Mr. Harrell — my debate coach but someone many of you will also know from his speech classes or the countless other activities he makes possible — gave a lecture towards the end of the semester that really stuck with me. Of course, as a freshman, I was busy thinking what the easiest way to get this assignment done was and what was for lunch, but one major part of the speech he gave kept nagging at my mind.

It was about a good friend of his, and in it he describes his friend as the most intelligent person he knows, among other praises. Ever since hearing that, I couldn’t help but think: What do people think and say about me when I’m not there? And that prompted another question: What do I think about other people when they aren’t there? And through this thought process I finally settled onto a final question: How do I want people to remember me? So I’ll ask you the same: How do you want people to remember you? Dr. Jagyasi, an award-winning public speaker and bestselling author, once said, “No one will remember how long you lived or by what you lived. Instead, they will remember how the realization of your idea contributed to humanity and made a difference to the lives of others”.

When you leave this building, how will people see you — and more importantly, how do you want to be seen? In 5 or 10 years when someone you know is asked, “who is the kindest person you know?” “The most respectful,” “The smartest,” “The greatest” — will your name come up? It is the choices you make and the actions you take now that will decide your legacy. As we enter this new chapter of our lives, we have a rare chance to start over somewhere new. So take a moment and ask yourself: How would someone describe me today? Are you proud of that description? Do you think it encompasses everything your full potential could be, reflects everything you want to be?

If not, now is the time to change that. The characteristics that will define you are planted by your actions today. Will you wake up early and put in the work necessary to be great-or will you hit the snooze button and ask later why nothing changed and why you didn’t see the results you wanted. Will you perform to the fullest in your career and actively pursue advancement opportunities — or will you live passively and let those opportunities pass to the next person. Will you be respectful to those around you — or will you be discourteous and wonder why others treat you the same way? Will you assist those who need help and offer them kindness even when it’s inconvenient for you — or will you walk by and tell yourself that it’s not your problem, and you simply don’t have the time or resources right now? Will you work hard from the beginning to have the grades you want in your classes-or will you set yourself up for disappointment by expecting your future self to do something you aren’t willing to do now. As motivational speaker Fred DeVito bluntly puts it, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”

Reflect on who you are now and find the path you need to take so that you can wake up and say “I am living my life to its full potential and I couldn’t be prouder of myself.” The challenges you have faced leading up to this moment have prepared you and given you the strength to succeed as you enter the world, which means the only thing left to do is to rise to the opportunity and take your life by the reins.

So my final questions are these: How do you want to be remembered? And what will you do — starting today — to become that person?