“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
Megan and I graduated together and we both suffered from the “average-student-syndrome.” The label of an average student isn’t easy to bear as it carries with it a lot of complexes and internal conflicts. You are not the one spoken about nor are you the one spoken to, you tend to get lost in the crowd and are only heard in the applause and cheers.
So, when the time of graduation came near we both struggled with the speech, I mean do we really have something to say besides thank you mom, dad and teachers for giving us the opportunity to complete the journey so that we get an equal opportunity to set our sails in the ocean. We surely knew life is not the pizza party anymore and a lot is expected from us henceforth.
Our story wasn’t important really and Megan’s speech was rejected. I felt sad for her but as always having a strong bent towards writing; I managed to get the approval for mine although with a raised brow and suggestions to edit a few unconventional and unfitting statements here and there.
Amongst the average students also we have tiers, the upper average students are the ones who are almost there but the elevator door gets shut on their nose cracking the ego while the below average people are the ones who somehow successfully evade the retests and drag themselves up the ladder. And the absolute average students just go by without much adventure; they walk the path of the Buddha, neither much to cry about nor much to bring the roof down.
So, I definitely wasn’t going to talk much about success or motivation or inspiration in a conventional manner but I absolutely had one thing to talk about and that was something which is there with each one of us in equal measures and that is our capacity to dream which is unaffected by the level of our academic achievements in the past.
I was a dreamer and my wish was to use my learnings in a way that I can change lives subtly which is what the education given to us is supposed to do with us. Isn’t it? Graduation indeed is the celebration of this very fact. Graduation is to rejoice the learning and it, by no means, is the end of it rather it marks the beginning of the journey of learning and growing. It prepares each one of us to enter the real world and so it is a very special day. It gives us the opportunity to be filled with gratitude for all those who have supported us to win the title of a graduate.
When I came at the podium I wasn’t really noticed, but when I was leaving I heard a great clamour of approval from the audience. When I stepped down the dais one of our professors asked me if I was in his class and I said, “Sir, I have specialized in your subject and I am grateful to be your student for past 2 years.” He gave me an apologetic smile.
Be honest when you put down your story in your graduation speech. That is how I learnt to write mine.
Many congratulations to all those who are celebrating their graduation but know that the learning continues and life’s every stage is now a new semester. All the best to you and see you in the comments.
