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December 2013 |
Before I begin my speech I have a confession to make: Writing this speech was quite difficult for me. As I sat down to write my mind was like a blank page; I felt lost. What could I possibly have to share that would be worthy of your time? Like any regular student I scavenged the internet for ideas. I found many tips on how to write a valedictory speech and several lists of what not to do. I read and listened to numerous speeches but nothing struck me as being valuable enough to share with you. Having procrastinated long enough I eventually came up with some things I hope will be useful to you. So here goes...... Who can remember receiving their acceptance letter? On receiving that letter we wondered what the experience was going to be like at The UWI. We also speculated about what it was going to be like as a Social Sciences student. A lot of us entered the UWI under the impression that it was going to be enjoyable and easy. For some peculiar reason the majority of people perceive Social Sciences to be undemanding. To be honest I don’t know who or what gave people that impression. Sure, our time at The UWI was fun, but it was not always easy and trouble-free. Each semester there was always at least one course that provided a challenge, one course that got in the way and burdened us. That course required a little more attention, a little more dedication and a little more work. The fact that we are here means we all got past that course or courses. It means we overcame our obstacles. However, we should not overlook all the fun times we have had at The UWI. The UWI provided us with more than a few opportunities to escape from the stress of academia. We were offered many recreational activities such as a variety of social clubs, sports, concerts, fetes and most notably the well-known Campus Carnival. We also made many new friends who made our experience here at The UWI so unforgettable. Our memories at The UWI are indeed coloured with a diverse set of emotions. We laughed when we heard snoring in class. We smiled when we saw fellow students asleep during lectures. We were frustrated when we had those torturous group projects, where at least one member never pulled their weight. We were close to tears as we walked out of some exam rooms. And believe it or not we wanted to pull our hair out as the pressure of final year research projects increased. One thing is certain, life at The UWI can never be defined as boring. As our time at The UWI progressed, we began to see graduation as a dream, a far off event in the future that was allegedly going to happen to us, graduation at times seemed unreal, even surreal. As you can see, however, it happened. Congratulations, my fellow graduands! We have made it! We are not solely responsible for accomplishing this milestone so please allow me a moment to thank those who were essential in getting me here. Thank you to my parents who have always supported me. Special thanks to my dad for picking me up late at night; he complained a lot, but he did it nevertheless. To all those parents who made similar sacrifices, well done! To all our friends, we are eternally grateful to you. You have always been there to share in our triumphs and soften the blows of disappointment. Last but not least, we must thank our lecturers and tutors who were patient and provided unfaltering support. Without all of these people I would not be here sharing this speech with you. Now as we move forward we are faced with the daunting question, “What next?” The reality is I cannot tell you what comes next. We got here by meeting and exceeding expectations, however as we go out into the so-called “real world” there are different expectations, different challenges. There is no fixed map to follow. We will be called upon to make our own choices, make our own path and create our own map.
Ellen DeGeneres once said, “Follow your passion, stay true to yourself, never follow someone else’s path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path then by all means you should follow that.” So as we head out to create our own paths, I encourage you to follow your heart and intuition. Do not under any circumstances succumb to the pressure of others and try to fulfil their expectations. It is your life so live it the way you have chosen to define your humanity. We define ourselves, not others. No matter what this definition may be remember to follow your passions. As Dr Seuss said “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” As we go out to explore the “real world” we should be aware that there will be obstacles, and I am positive we will overcome those obstacles in the same way we overcame those at UWI. We will work hard and dedicate ourselves because the truth is, few dreams are reached without great effort, few dreams have been handed to anyone, and even fewer have been quick in coming. There will be many times when the things we do won’t work and we will fail at some things we try. Well, that’s just part of life. What is important is not whether we get knocked down; it’s whether we get back up. As long as we persevere and believe in ourselves we will succeed. Ralph Waldo Emerson defined success as the following: “...to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!” Therefore, success is not always measured by money. Emerson’s definition of success is one we should strive to live by, it encompasses happiness and compassion. As graduates of The UWI we are the positive figures of tomorrow. We should not only seek to better our lives but to make the lives of others better. Instead of complaining about the condition of our country we can be the change we want to see. I will not tell you how to spend your life but I will tell you that this is our chance to give back to society. There are so many people in our country who are underprivileged. There are people who are unable to gain access to basic needs which we take for granted: there are people homeless, people who go to bed hungry, people who cannot afford clothes and children unable to attain an education. We can be the ones to make a difference and fix these problems. Furthermore, with the education we have attained we are now able to provide services to society, so let us extend it to those in need. What we may see as a small act of kindness can be a huge relief to its beneficiaries. My fellow graduands, let us endeavour to be kind-hearted and humane. David McCullough Jr once said “... the great and curious truth of the human experience is that selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself.” My last piece of advice, as we head out to begin a new journey we should keep in mind that the joy is in the journey and not the destination. Some of us have the habit of rushing through life, taking so much time to work towards the future that we don’t consider the present. We should take time to relax, to revel in our successes and appreciate our accomplishments. Sometimes we must focus on what we have and not what we want. We should always remember that living in the moment doesn’t mean we have to enjoy everything that happens in our lives, but we mustn’t let planning for future events overshadow the actual experiences that we have now. I will leave you with the words of James Dean, “Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” Thank you. This is the valedictory address to graduates of the Faculty of Social Sciences, UWI, St Augustine, on October 25, 2013.
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We have been told that life is a long, winding road with many twists and turns. We will meet numerous forks in the road, each leading in a new direction, with countless possibilities ahead. When we are faced with decisions about which way to turn, we can reflect upon the lessons we have learned, and the experiences that we have had over these past years, and they will aid us is making the right choice.