It is nearing the end of the year and my first group of students are about to promote. During promotion, there is usually a keynote speaker that the students get to vote for. Officially, I have no idea who the students voted for. If they ever do vote for me, however, I believe that it is my responsibility to prepare a speech. If I ever get voted as a keynote speaker, this is what I would say:
About one year and ten months ago, I had the opportunity to meet most of you. It was my first job and although I’ve been looking forward to teaching, little did I realize that I just ran into about 100 of the most amazing people in my life. It definitely took a while to get to know you all and the journey wasn’t all that smooth. But looking back, I am grateful that most things happened the way they did. Now, it is my honor to have this opportunity to be your keynote speaker.
You are all a very special group of students, and I’m not just saying this because you’re my first group of students (although that fact does make all this a little more special). I witnessed creators, students who knew how to turn abstract objects, such as paint, noise, and words into something beautiful. I met scholars, students who could manipulate information easily, create meaning out of it, and pass it along. I heard activists, students whose voices moved forward with power. That said, those qualities are not necessarily what makes you special, unique, and just plain lovable. Being a creator, a scholar, or an activist are definitely key ingredients of being a great person. Yes, they make you the best person you can be to the world you are closer to entering. However, you have shown me how that’s not everything in life. It also matters to be a good person. Not a great person, but a good one.
There are 3 things that I’ve seen where you prove this to me. Firstly, there is a sense of innocence around you. As you’re figuring out what the society around you demands from you, I see that there is a part of you that is just… you. I’ve seen the way you have fun or crack jokes. I’ve seen the way you are able to open up to others and trust others. I am often blown away at how honest and wise you can be by just being yourselves. This is how you have made a personal impact on me. Secondly, there is a sense of justice around you. Let me be a bit honest here, there are times when I get upset at you where I fully think you’re right. Most of you tend to get in trouble because you do the right thing the wrong way, such as yelling out in the middle of class or saying your point with a rude tone. In all honesty, I admire how you could speak up for someone who you feel was wronged. And thirdly, you really can just love the people around you. I am often very impressed with how you express your care for one another and how you could easily give up something that’s rightfully yours to someone else without demanding something in return. These 3 things are what makes you good people. Innocence, justice, and love.
Some of you know that last year, I shed some tears in advisory. Thank you to those who came up and asked me what was going on when you saw it happen. Some of you thought that it happened because of something that happened in the previous class. I won’t lie, it may have played a role in that moment, but it wasn’t the real reason. I believe I explained this to some of you afterwards, but let me repeat it so that all of you could know why.
I cried because I was scared. I was scared because I imagined how life is going to treat you some day. I realized that the world you are about to enter can be a very scary, dangerous, and unfair place. The outside world encourages you to be a great person, often at the expense of being a good person.
Your footprints of innocence will be challenged by conformity. Groups of people will tell you how they expect you to behave.
Your sense of justice will be challenged by what is legal. You may feel that something is wrong, but because it is not illegal, people will tell you to let the issue go.
Your expressions of love will be challenged by rejection and lack of time. People may make fun of you for caring for certain individuals, or your jobs and assignments will swamp you and make it difficult to spend time with people to show them that you care for them.
Imagining that scares me. You will have to learn how to walk that fine line. Learn how to be great and good at the same time. When the world forces you to choose between being great or good, however, you need to be wise and know what you should do. And let me be honest, those moments will hurt. People will treat you unfairly, often for their own greatness, and realistically, it will be very difficult for you to be good. If I had the power to, I would protect you from this world you are about to face. But here we are and I know you’re dying to promote and move on to bigger and better things. So let me leave you with two things: a realization and a power.
I want you to realize that you have the potential to be someone great and that you already are someone who’s good. Learn how to walk those fine lines and never lose that side of you that’s good. You may need to focus a little bit more on being great at times, but never fully lose the qualities that make you good. Exercise that goodness as much as you can. I want you to realize that.
And here’s the power: teach yourself how to say, “It’s okay” to yourself. Take a moment to think about this: when bad things happen, we look for people who can tell us that things are going to be okay, or alright. Do you hear me? Do you feel me? We look for people who will tell us that “we gonna be alright.” Here’s a reality check: people won’t always be there to tell you that. And it’s not that nobody’s there for you, it may just be that you happen to not find anyone around you. I realized that I can’t always be there for you, even if it is to say that things will be okay, and trust me, I would if I could. But your problems are not going to wait around until someone shows up.
When you feel overwhelmed by these negative problems, I want you to tell yourself that it is okay. I’m not saying that you should accept it and that it is the end, but I’m saying that you need to acknowledge that it’s happening and tell yourself that it’s okay. If you’re still breathing, you are okay. You may feel sad, angry, or scared, but I want you to know that it’s okay to feel those things. It’s okay to be trapped in a problem. It’s okay to feel guilty when you make a mistake. It is okay to have people who disappoint you. It’s okay to be hurt, whether it is physically, mentally, or emotionally. If you are still alive, take a moment to tell yourself that it is okay. Then you can slowly get up, walk towards the problem, and face it.
You are all amazing people and I know that you’ll be more than just okay. In those problematic moments, however, just begin by telling yourself that you’ll be okay.
I will miss you all a lot… each and every one of you. I don’t think I’ve taught you as much as you’ve taught me. I may have taught you skills or some knowledge, but you’ve taught me what it means to be a good person. You have made an impact on me and it will take a lot for me to forget you. Good luck with your future pursuits. Keep moving forward, never give up, and always know that I know you’ll be okay. So always tell yourself, “It’s okay.”
Thank you.
jaywalking 