(I'm Not) Valedictorian

            Sadly, I was not chosen as valedictorian and even with a 4.0 GPA. No one tapped me on the shoulder to ask me to speak at my upcoming graduation.  And no, I am not here to complain about that at all. What I thought would be interesting though is to write a speech as though I were addressing a teeming mass of young adults on the cusp of turning those tassels

            So ya, no one asked me to do it but yet here it is anyway…

            Hello fellow Sun Devils. Hello class of 2018. HELLO TO THE FUTURE!

            (Hold for applause)

            Ya know two years ago I gave up a lot to go back to school. I gave up seniority, money (Oh so much money!) and comfort of the known.

            However, what I found was much greater. I found my purpose. I found meaning in my life, and what I believe to be the lives of so many others.

            What is that meaning you ask? Helping those that need it.

            For you see, I have come to realize that not every addict is hopeless, not every homeless person is on the streets because they chose to be, and not every person with money is happy. The strange part about it is, inherently, I already knew all of that, it was as though I just needed to prove it to myself.

            And the beautiful thing about this is that standing here today; all of you have helped me. Because you see, a great deal of my cynical world view was fueled by the notion that no one else cared, so why should I?

            What I have witnessed during my time at ASU (hold for applause) is a generation of individuals who desire a change for the better. This has given me- once the most cynical of cynics on the earth- hope.

            The strength and determination that all of you have shown, and have shown me, has been my fuel when I thought I had no more fuel in the tank. It has reminded me that the evening world news is not necessarily representative of the world itself. 

            We social workers are taught not to give advice, however I am going to break that maxim just slightly for this one occasion…

             As you go out into the world following today, as you serve the populations that you hold dear- whether they be the elderly, those without shelter, the differently-abled, those in recovery, distressed and oppressed peoples- or simply those that have encountered a rough portion of road in life, please do one thing:

            Think critically as an individual, but think for the greater good.  

            Thank you! We now return you to your regularly scheduled graduation ceremony!

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