Graduation - 2021
Oscar Wilde quipped, "Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." This is something with which you have never struggled. You have been your unique and beautiful self from day one. You have only grown into that identity more and more as the years have progressed.
Graduation March: "Phoenix" by Fall Out Boy
Presentation of graduation, tassel moved
Your accomplishments throughout your preschool, elementary school, middle school, and high school years only prove this identity. I still remember the first time you demonstrated your artistic talents. You were two, and you drew the Good Samaritan around a band-aid. It had complex detail for the drawing of a two-year old, including ears and fingers.
Since then, you have delved into various art forms - drawing, painting, sewing, and even doll repurposing. Your hard work has paid off. Not only have you seen your art in two different public exhibits, but, more importantly, you create art that is uniquely you.
Throughout the years, you have also excelled in your love and studies of cooking, history, psychology, criminal psychology, the Bible and theology, comparative religion, writing, sociology - the list goes on. And you are not afraid to stand up for your opinions, the results of your research, and the interpretations to which you have been led. You are a thinker and a scholar. Never let that be taken from you.
Aside from your tremendous academic and artistic accomplishments, you are also a hard worker. If you are not studying your favorite topics of interest, you are working to clean house or take care of your pets. Keep up this attitude, but don't forget to rest and relax as well. Do your part, but don't allow yourself to be taken advantage of.
Lastly, I want to discuss your intuition. You have always been an old soul. You can sense things in situations that others miss. Trust that. It will guide you well.
The name Taliesin means "having a firm brow." I can think of no more appropriate name for you. You have always showed determination. You have exhibited a determination to push forward in struggles, to follow your passions, and, most of all, to do things your way. Never lose that. Stand for who you are.
Play "My Way" by Frank Sinatra
I cannot say what life holds after graduation. I am not one to spout messages of positive thinking or "You can do anything." I know you are not either. So instead I will say this: Invent your own definition of success. Don't go with the world's definition. Be who you are. Create art as a career or as a hobby in your spare time. Become a history professor or read your favorite history books. It doesn't matter as long as you keep your passion, your interests, and your talents. Finance a trip around the world by working at McDonald's. Go to college and become the CEO of a company. The choice is yours. Don't let anyone belittle your decisions or change your mind for you. Be you. Be proud of who you are, no matter the struggles, no matter the questioning, no matter the condemnation you may face - because everyone who does things differently faces such mindsets.
Don't be afraid to share your strengths and your weaknesses. We all have both. They are a part of your unique make-up.
So go out there and show the world who you are. Continue in kindness, love, determination, and pride. Accomplish what you want to accomplish. Seize every moment. Enjoy life.
Present Awards
Play "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy
You have been awarded today awards that recognize your excellence in study. You deserve every one. That said, please don't forget your worth, just for being you. Just today, I read a quote from a journalist named Michelle Moros. This quote reads, "There is nothing that you have to do, say, or accomplish to be worthy. You simply are worthy." Keep this in mind. The awards, the exhibits, are just icing on the cake. You are valuable because you keep being you.
Play "Immortals" by Fall Out Boy
Comments
Post a Comment