We Must Practice Kindness

When I first began writing this speech, the only thing I could think of was the hundreds, if not thousands, of people in the audience who would expect so much from me. Who was I to let them down? So, I did what any reasonable person my age would do: I asked my parents for help. They only said one thing—to speak from the heart. I then got to thinking about this class and this year. Teachers have said we were different from other classes that have come through A&M Consolidated.

They didn’t say we were funnier or better looking, though I wouldn’t disagree with either claim. They noticed we cared about each other, knew how to have fun, and were willing to work together.

I know from spending the last four years of my life with you all that we have great potential. Our class is diverse and talented. We have gifted artists, incredible musicians, dedicated athletes, brilliant minds, and ambitious entrepreneurs. If we fulfill our potential, we have the ability to change this world for the better. How do we do this? I don’t have all the answers. But I do know we can do at least two things: first, we mustn’t sit idly by and wait to see what our future holds; we must be bold and take risks. George Bernard Shaw said, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” If we go forth with a mindset that we have the power to create ourselves, to mold ourselves into anything we want to be, there are few things we cannot accomplish. Our future and achievements are up to us.

Secondly, let us approach our world with kindness. In the words of Mark Twain, “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear, and the blind can see.” With kindness, we can unite people of different races and religions. We can work to eliminate things that plague our world, like racism, violence, and hatred. These can one day be conquered with kindness and understanding. So, I ask that you always remember to be kind and to strive to create your own identity, because the power to make our world better lies within us all. During these last four years, many of you have shown the strength to overcome great challenges. As we move forward from here, life will present us with even more challenges, and though sometimes they may seem insurmountable, I want to take a moment for you to look around this room.

This arena, I looked it up online, holds 12,989 people, and it is almost filled tonight with people who are here to show their love and support for you. So when things get overwhelming, I ask you to pick up the phone, call one of these people, and ask for their help because there will be someone there for you. In closing, I want to thank everyone here tonight. Thank you to the teachers who have inspired us, guided us, and encouraged us in our pursuit of knowledge. Thank you to our families who have guided us and comforted us in our times of need. And last but not least, I would like to thank every one of my colleagues in this great class. I am so grateful to have grown up alongside you and I am truly honored to be able to say that I’ve known you. Thank you, and goodnight.

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