dear fellow first-generation college students I believed in Santa Claus until
students I believed in Santa Claus until
students I believed in Santa Claus until I was 12 years old one because I have a
I was 12 years old one because I have a
I was 12 years old one because I have a very childlike imagination and two
very childlike imagination and two
very childlike imagination and two because I can fathom the idea of my
because I can fathom the idea of my
because I can fathom the idea of my parents having enough money to afford
parents having enough money to afford
parents having enough money to afford the gift for three children most of us
the gift for three children most of us
the gift for three children most of us grew up as blue-collar kids as did I in
grew up as blue-collar kids as did I in
grew up as blue-collar kids as did I in my story my father like his father and
my story my father like his father and
my story my father like his father and father before in brothers was a
father before in brothers was a
father before in brothers was a construction worker who built houses
construction worker who built houses
construction worker who built houses hospitals and took on as many side jobs
hospitals and took on as many side jobs
hospitals and took on as many side jobs as he could to pay for a roof over our
as he could to pay for a roof over our
as he could to pay for a roof over our head my mother cleaned houses toilets
head my mother cleaned houses toilets
head my mother cleaned houses toilets and took care of elderly people to pay
and took care of elderly people to pay
and took care of elderly people to pay for my future education neither of my
for my future education neither of my
for my future education neither of my parents have degrees my brother never
parents have degrees my brother never
parents have degrees my brother never graduated high school so when I told my
graduated high school so when I told my
graduated high school so when I told my parents hey I want to go to college it
parents hey I want to go to college it
parents hey I want to go to college it was a big moment for us when I told them
was a big moment for us when I told them
was a big moment for us when I told them this back in seventh grade they were
this back in seventh grade they were
this back in seventh grade they were worried how financially stable we would
worried how financially stable we would
worried how financially stable we would be at the time with MA as time went on
be at the time with MA as time went on
be at the time with MA as time went on with my 4.0 GPA and my work ethic they
with my 4.0 GPA and my work ethic they
with my 4.0 GPA and my work ethic they suggested to me to take up a field in
suggested to me to take up a field in
suggested to me to take up a field in medicine that didn’t sound like too bad
medicine that didn’t sound like too bad
medicine that didn’t sound like too bad of an idea big house I could have a big
of an idea big house I could have a big
of an idea big house I could have a big family I wouldn’t ever really need to
family I wouldn’t ever really need to
family I wouldn’t ever really need to worry about anything because I would
worry about anything because I would
worry about anything because I would have the wealth I needed so for six
have the wealth I needed so for six
have the wealth I needed so for six years of my life I prepared to go to med
years of my life I prepared to go to med
years of my life I prepared to go to med school I took the classes I prepared I
school I took the classes I prepared I
school I took the classes I prepared I got in the really great schools I got a
got in the really great schools I got a
got in the really great schools I got a lot of money in scholarships but then
lot of money in scholarships but then
lot of money in scholarships but then senior year I did something that I
senior year I did something that I
senior year I did something that I wanted to do for the first time in my
wanted to do for the first time in my
wanted to do for the first time in my life my senior year I wrote a novel
life my senior year I wrote a novel
life my senior year I wrote a novel called the ten and in your pamphlets
called the ten and in your pamphlets
called the ten and in your pamphlets pamphlet it says I wrote a 10,000 word
pamphlet it says I wrote a 10,000 word
pamphlet it says I wrote a 10,000 word novel that’s a mistake it was 50,000 I
novel that’s a mistake it was 50,000 I
novel that’s a mistake it was 50,000 I would I would come home every day from
would I would come home every day from
would I would come home every day from school at my bus lets me off at 3
school at my bus lets me off at 3
school at my bus lets me off at 3 o’clock
o’clock
o’clock go to bed and then wake up at 8:30 I
go to bed and then wake up at 8:30 I
go to bed and then wake up at 8:30 I would write until 3:00 in the morning
would write until 3:00 in the morning
would write until 3:00 in the morning sometimes I would just stay up and then
sometimes I would just stay up and then
sometimes I would just stay up and then go to school the next day and I would
go to school the next day and I would
go to school the next day and I would email dr. Harold and send them all my
email dr. Harold and send them all my
email dr. Harold and send them all my progress and I was having the time of my
progress and I was having the time of my
progress and I was having the time of my life creating a little world of people I
life creating a little world of people I
life creating a little world of people I wrote about ten friends living in New
wrote about ten friends living in New
wrote about ten friends living in New York City and they all had their faults
York City and they all had their faults
York City and they all had their faults I wrote about my friends they celebrated
I wrote about my friends they celebrated
I wrote about my friends they celebrated their way through life through music art
their way through life through music art
their way through life through music art writing dance everything that I loved
writing dance everything that I loved
writing dance everything that I loved but it wasn’t until after I finished my
but it wasn’t until after I finished my
but it wasn’t until after I finished my novel and I looked back on it and it’s
novel and I looked back on it and it’s
novel and I looked back on it and it’s terrible by the way grammar mistakes
terrible by the way grammar mistakes
terrible by the way grammar mistakes everywhere it’s just not the best but
everywhere it’s just not the best but
everywhere it’s just not the best but people wanted to read it so I’ve just
people wanted to read it so I’ve just
people wanted to read it so I’ve just recently let a teacher of mine start to
recently let a teacher of mine start to
recently let a teacher of mine start to read it and so I looked back on it and I
read it and so I looked back on it and I
read it and so I looked back on it and I looked back on it before and the first
looked back on it before and the first
looked back on it before and the first time I did I realized what I wrote I
time I did I realized what I wrote I
time I did I realized what I wrote I wrote exactly who I wanted to be and
wrote exactly who I wanted to be and
wrote exactly who I wanted to be and where I wanted to be in life I didn’t
where I wanted to be in life I didn’t
where I wanted to be in life I didn’t want to be a doctor or construction
want to be a doctor or construction
want to be a doctor or construction worker or a nurse I didn’t want to be my
worker or a nurse I didn’t want to be my
worker or a nurse I didn’t want to be my parents and that was okay so when I told
parents and that was okay so when I told
parents and that was okay so when I told my mom that I wanted to go to art school
my mom that I wanted to go to art school
my mom that I wanted to go to art school and I wanted to make art and I wanted to
and I wanted to make art and I wanted to
and I wanted to make art and I wanted to make things that mattered to me and to
make things that mattered to me and to
make things that mattered to me and to other people she was a little hesitant
other people she was a little hesitant
other people she was a little hesitant saving a lot of money for the biggest
saving a lot of money for the biggest
saving a lot of money for the biggest payout and then telling that telling
payout and then telling that telling
payout and then telling that telling your parents that I’m going to be a
your parents that I’m going to be a
your parents that I’m going to be a starving artist that I might have to eat
starving artist that I might have to eat
starving artist that I might have to eat my paintings to survive not the best not
my paintings to survive not the best not
my paintings to survive not the best not the best dinner Copic but I told them
the best dinner Copic but I told them
the best dinner Copic but I told them and I cried because I was scared and my
and I cried because I was scared and my
and I cried because I was scared and my mother cried because I hurt her feelings
mother cried because I hurt her feelings
mother cried because I hurt her feelings but I didn’t hurt her feelings because I
but I didn’t hurt her feelings because I
but I didn’t hurt her feelings because I didn’t want to be a doctor I hurt her
didn’t want to be a doctor I hurt her
didn’t want to be a doctor I hurt her feelings because I didn’t tell her who I
feelings because I didn’t tell her who I
feelings because I didn’t tell her who I wanted to be after I told her who I
wanted to be after I told her who I
wanted to be after I told her who I wanted to be everything opened up in my
wanted to be everything opened up in my
wanted to be everything opened up in my life I felt more comfortable doing art I
life I felt more comfortable doing art I
life I felt more comfortable doing art I was better at it
was better at it
was better at it I had more friends I could write a lot
I had more friends I could write a lot
I had more friends I could write a lot faster and a lot easier I’ve written
faster and a lot easier I’ve written
faster and a lot easier I’ve written many papers at 11:50 that were due at
many papers at 11:50 that were due at
many papers at 11:50 that were due at midnight and gotten great grades on them
midnight and gotten great grades on them
midnight and gotten great grades on them but that’s not the point I wasn’t happy
but that’s not the point I wasn’t happy
but that’s not the point I wasn’t happy with my life as a doctor sure if I
with my life as a doctor sure if I
with my life as a doctor sure if I wanted money that’s what I would do but
wanted money that’s what I would do but
wanted money that’s what I would do but it’s not about the money
it’s not about the money
it’s not about the money it’s about happiness and when I say
it’s about happiness and when I say
it’s about happiness and when I say happiness I mean true happiness sitting
happiness I mean true happiness sitting
happiness I mean true happiness sitting with your friends at eight o’clock at
with your friends at eight o’clock at
with your friends at eight o’clock at night in Eaton parking laughing not the
night in Eaton parking laughing not the
night in Eaton parking laughing not the fake let me sit here and smile for my
fake let me sit here and smile for my
fake let me sit here and smile for my picture that’s not it it’s not and it’s
picture that’s not it it’s not and it’s
picture that’s not it it’s not and it’s scary and it always will be but I don’t
scary and it always will be but I don’t
scary and it always will be but I don’t think people especially my family
think people especially my family
think people especially my family expected me to go on the route that I am
expected me to go on the route that I am
expected me to go on the route that I am I am so scared to go I’m so scared to go
I am so scared to go I’m so scared to go
I am so scared to go I’m so scared to go to art school that I’d be more scared
to art school that I’d be more scared
to art school that I’d be more scared and upset with myself if I went to
and upset with myself if I went to
and upset with myself if I went to medical school it doesn’t matter where
medical school it doesn’t matter where
medical school it doesn’t matter where you come from or where your parents
you come from or where your parents
you come from or where your parents expected you to be or who you even
expected you to be or who you even
expected you to be or who you even thought you were last Tuesday it matters
thought you were last Tuesday it matters
thought you were last Tuesday it matters who you are in this moment right now
who you are in this moment right now
who you are in this moment right now right now I’m standing on a set of train
right now I’m standing on a set of train
right now I’m standing on a set of train tracks and there is a train coming for
tracks and there is a train coming for
tracks and there is a train coming for me faster and faster each day I can see
me faster and faster each day I can see
me faster and faster each day I can see the light coming towards me and I mean I
the light coming towards me and I mean I
the light coming towards me and I mean I either get off these tracks and get to
either get off these tracks and get to
either get off these tracks and get to make every choice for the rest of my
make every choice for the rest of my
make every choice for the rest of my life or I let this train hit me and baby
life or I let this train hit me and baby
life or I let this train hit me and baby by my parents for the rest of my life
by my parents for the rest of my life
by my parents for the rest of my life this is no Dig to parents especially
this is no Dig to parents especially
this is no Dig to parents especially mine or anyone else who told you what
mine or anyone else who told you what
mine or anyone else who told you what they thought was best for you they’re
they thought was best for you they’re
they thought was best for you they’re only trying to help you but you in the
only trying to help you but you in the
only trying to help you but you in the end have to make your own decisions on
end have to make your own decisions on
end have to make your own decisions on things I chose to get off the tracks
things I chose to get off the tracks
things I chose to get off the tracks I’m not sitting I’m not waitin I jumped
I’m not sitting I’m not waitin I jumped
I’m not sitting I’m not waitin I jumped off early
off early
off early and even though I’m scared and terrified
and even though I’m scared and terrified
and even though I’m scared and terrified and you will be too if you’re changing
and you will be too if you’re changing
and you will be too if you’re changing your life last minute you will always in
your life last minute you will always in
your life last minute you will always in especially I will I will always be okay
especially I will I will always be okay
especially I will I will always be okay because my roots will always be in my
because my roots will always be in my
because my roots will always be in my blue-collar family and they’ll always
blue-collar family and they’ll always
blue-collar family and they’ll always support me and love me but my branches
support me and love me but my branches
support me and love me but my branches will be who I choose to be and what
will be who I choose to be and what
will be who I choose to be and what decisions I make thank you
decisions I make thank you
decisions I make thank you [Applause]
”
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