Valedictorian Speech
I know some kind of a hero and he just gave this speech at UF's graduation for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Wish I could have been there but I was at work and hopefully serving America with AmeriCorps for some part of the right reasons.
Graduating. I will be soon.
Valedictorian Speech
Graduation is about celebrating success. We come together now, after four, five, maybe even six years, to be recognized for all the hard work we have done and all of the successes we have accomplished. There is no doubt that we should all be very proud of our academic achievements here at UF, a university that is becoming more prestigious and well recognized on a national and international scale. Yet, rather than use this time to rattle off all the accolades that the University of Florida or this graduating class has achieved, I would like to pose a very simple yet commanding question which has held my attention for a good portion of my career here at UF: how should we define success?
I have found, in reflecting on this question and discussing it with others, that many would simply define success as the achievement of wealth, fame or recognition, and prosperity. There is no doubt that the degree we have earned will open many doors toward these type of comforts. By walking across that stage tomorrow, we will be joining a minority of Americans who have tremendous access to high-paying jobs, the respect and renown of colleagues, and a comfortable lifestyle relatively free of trials.
But the question remains: is the attainment of wealth, fame, and prosperity all there is to success? I think most of us are inclined to say no, that in fact there is much more that is required for someone to say that they have lived a truly successful life. Walker Percy bluntly affirmed this suspicion when he noted, “You can get straight As and yet flunk life.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. rightly observed “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” I think that what Rev. King was getting at was that a life of success is, in fact, a life dedicated to service.
Service is one of the “five pillars” of the recommended undergraduate experience. The University of Florida has encouraged us to enhance our academic careers by serving the academy, the greater Gainesville area, and our national and even international communities. And collectively we have put forth thousands and thousands of hours of community service.
Yet I wonder how many of us have served because we are people who have dedicated ourselves to serving others rather than to buff up our resume, to check off our “to-do” list, to alleviate our consciences, or simply to feel better about ourselves. I have found it necessary to probe my own commitment to selflessly serving others by asking myself a few simple questions, “Do I serve when no one is around, when it would be impossible for me to receive any recognition whatsoever? Do I serve when I can’t count it toward required community service hours or use it to build a stronger resume? Do I serve when it is an inconvenience to me, when I know it will prevent me from doing what I want to do with my time? And, do I serve when it hurts, when I will be significantly affected, either physically, financially, emotionally or socially?”
Unfortunately, I often have to answer “no” to those questions, probably like all of you. But there is something in me that tells me…it is those things that make a life truly successful. Success is wrapped up in serving others for their sake, rather than one’s own.
And here, I have to be honest with you…I am highly influenced by my own Christian tradition on this topic. The Bible is full of calls to selfless service, from the command in Leviticus 19:18 to “love your neighbor as yourself” to Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 4:28 to work “that you may have something to share with those in need.” But surely the exemplary life of selfless service, and therefore of true success, is found in Jesus Christ. He taught in Mark 10:42-45, “You know that those regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Paul later reflected on Jesus’ life and crucifixion by noting in 2 Corinthians 8:9, “you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Jesus’ words challenge us to measure success, not by the number of digits in our paycheck or the amount of people working under us, but by the number of times we put others before ourselves and the amount of people that we serve. I strive after success by serving others rather than myself because Christ first served me by dying on the cross for my sins.
But, regardless of your tradition, the call to service still beckons. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” You don’t need a college degree to serve others and live a successful life. But since, as of tomorrow, all of us will be in that select group, our responsibility to serve is even greater. My hope is that each of us will take seriously the call to dedicated, selfless service, both in our area of expertise as well as in our day-to-day lives. May the Gator nation be one that is known for its genuine service of humanity above all other things. It is in that endeavor that it will find its most meaningful success. Thank you and go gators.
Graduating. I will be soon.
Valedictorian Speech
Graduation is about celebrating success. We come together now, after four, five, maybe even six years, to be recognized for all the hard work we have done and all of the successes we have accomplished. There is no doubt that we should all be very proud of our academic achievements here at UF, a university that is becoming more prestigious and well recognized on a national and international scale. Yet, rather than use this time to rattle off all the accolades that the University of Florida or this graduating class has achieved, I would like to pose a very simple yet commanding question which has held my attention for a good portion of my career here at UF: how should we define success?
I have found, in reflecting on this question and discussing it with others, that many would simply define success as the achievement of wealth, fame or recognition, and prosperity. There is no doubt that the degree we have earned will open many doors toward these type of comforts. By walking across that stage tomorrow, we will be joining a minority of Americans who have tremendous access to high-paying jobs, the respect and renown of colleagues, and a comfortable lifestyle relatively free of trials.
But the question remains: is the attainment of wealth, fame, and prosperity all there is to success? I think most of us are inclined to say no, that in fact there is much more that is required for someone to say that they have lived a truly successful life. Walker Percy bluntly affirmed this suspicion when he noted, “You can get straight As and yet flunk life.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. rightly observed “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” I think that what Rev. King was getting at was that a life of success is, in fact, a life dedicated to service.
Service is one of the “five pillars” of the recommended undergraduate experience. The University of Florida has encouraged us to enhance our academic careers by serving the academy, the greater Gainesville area, and our national and even international communities. And collectively we have put forth thousands and thousands of hours of community service.
Yet I wonder how many of us have served because we are people who have dedicated ourselves to serving others rather than to buff up our resume, to check off our “to-do” list, to alleviate our consciences, or simply to feel better about ourselves. I have found it necessary to probe my own commitment to selflessly serving others by asking myself a few simple questions, “Do I serve when no one is around, when it would be impossible for me to receive any recognition whatsoever? Do I serve when I can’t count it toward required community service hours or use it to build a stronger resume? Do I serve when it is an inconvenience to me, when I know it will prevent me from doing what I want to do with my time? And, do I serve when it hurts, when I will be significantly affected, either physically, financially, emotionally or socially?”
Unfortunately, I often have to answer “no” to those questions, probably like all of you. But there is something in me that tells me…it is those things that make a life truly successful. Success is wrapped up in serving others for their sake, rather than one’s own.
And here, I have to be honest with you…I am highly influenced by my own Christian tradition on this topic. The Bible is full of calls to selfless service, from the command in Leviticus 19:18 to “love your neighbor as yourself” to Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 4:28 to work “that you may have something to share with those in need.” But surely the exemplary life of selfless service, and therefore of true success, is found in Jesus Christ. He taught in Mark 10:42-45, “You know that those regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Paul later reflected on Jesus’ life and crucifixion by noting in 2 Corinthians 8:9, “you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Jesus’ words challenge us to measure success, not by the number of digits in our paycheck or the amount of people working under us, but by the number of times we put others before ourselves and the amount of people that we serve. I strive after success by serving others rather than myself because Christ first served me by dying on the cross for my sins.
But, regardless of your tradition, the call to service still beckons. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” You don’t need a college degree to serve others and live a successful life. But since, as of tomorrow, all of us will be in that select group, our responsibility to serve is even greater. My hope is that each of us will take seriously the call to dedicated, selfless service, both in our area of expertise as well as in our day-to-day lives. May the Gator nation be one that is known for its genuine service of humanity above all other things. It is in that endeavor that it will find its most meaningful success. Thank you and go gators.