Valedictory Address

"Valedictory Address" (17 May 2006): 1-3. (UA Case 68, Box 1).

Let me begin by saying good afternoon and welcome to our families, friends, honored guests, faculty and staff. On behalf of the graduates of the faculties of business administration, education and kinesiology, I want to thank you. To our families and friends, who without your continuous support, whether financial or emotional, none of us would be here. Thank you for unconditionally loving us, for endlessly pushing us to not accept average and to want more than we could ever imagine for ourselves.

I can assure you that the fact that you are here with us today to celebrate, means much more than we can express. To the others, thank you for sharing your wisdom and for helping us get to this point. Without you, university really would only consist of self-directed learning, instead of the education, mentors and friendships that we hold so dear.

I spent many evenings trying to think of what I would say here today and every time, I came up with the same thing. I am no different than any of the graduates sitting here before you. I am no more apt to address you than any of them. I would love to stand here today and be extremely moving and inspirational but I fear that living all of the days of my life wouldn't prepare me enough to do that. So I will try my best.

Today is the first day of the rest of our lives and some of us don't even know where we're going after the ceremony. Think back to high school, on the day of your graduation, and think about how excited you were. You were going to university, you knew what you were going to do with your life and you were a 100 per cent sure of who you were. Now being here today, most of us have switched degrees, at least once, we are unsure if this is really what we want to do forever and who we are now is a thousand times different than who we were then.

Don't let who you think you are or who you think everyone wants you to be, get confused with who you really are and who you need to be. We will never please everyone and the only way any of us will be happy in this world, is to be truly happy with ourselves. Once you have accomplished that, you will no doubt succeed in this world. However, success is difficult to define. How do we measure success?
Besides the fact that each of us are here today and have accomplished scholastic success, in the long run I don't think any of that will matter. There are far better successes in this world and Ralph Waldo Emerson put it best:

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."

Now that I have assured you that you will all do wonderful things with your lives, I wish to dispense a little bit of advice.

Be nice to your grandparents and never forget the virtue of patience. While they may never know enough about computers or Ipods, cherish the time you have left with them. In fact they may actually be a lot of fun, if you just give them a chance. However, by giving them a chance, that may mean having a laugh with the rest of your family, when they show up to a party wearing patterned boxer shorts as real shorts, while they think they have their thumb on the button of style. No matter what, your grandparents will always think you're more perfect than your parents do and they'll always have you over for dinner.

Be cool with your weight. No matter what you think, you're normal and that's why you can never find jeans in your size. All the other people your size, have already bought them. Relax, you're not half as big as the mirror at the mall makes you look.

When you're in the car alone, sing at the top of your lungs. When there's someone with you, feel free to sing but be prepared for them to laugh at you when you don't sing the right words.

Jealousy and pettiness are things that are just wasting time in your life. Don't waste perfectly good hours being angry. And on that note, never end a conversation mad. You don't know what could happen between the time you hang up and the next time you talk to that person. No matter how angry you are, don't forget to tell them you love them before you hang up.

Dance like no one is watching. Make a scene and that time you do the funky chicken, make sure there are lots of people around to remember that moment after you're gone.

Make friends with your parents and apologize for being such a brat when you were younger. Or apologize for being such a brat last week. Although they've already forgiven you, it's always nice to hear.

Trust your instincts, if you think someone is fake they probably are. If you think you should trust someone, you probably should and if you think someone is worth it, they probably are.

Love with your whole heart and love as often as you can. In the end, you won't be judged on what you did but on how much love you gave to this world. And when it's over, don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened and that it gave you some wonderful memories.

Finally, I would like to end today by toasting the graduates of the University of New Brunswick. Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits, the rebels, the trouble-makers, the one's addicted to sports and the one's addicted to life. Here's to the round heads in the square holes and the ones who see things differently. To those who are not fond of rules and those who have no respect for the status-quo.

We can quote them, disagree with them, glorify them and vilify them but the one thing we can't do is ignore them because they change things. Here's to the graduates of 2006, who every day are the ones pushing the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. We see genius because those who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do.

Don't ever stop trying to make this world a better place. Congratulations graduates, we finally made it!