rejection we’ve all been there there’s no denying that it hurts rejection has
no denying that it hurts rejection has
no denying that it hurts rejection has been the fuel behind countless success
been the fuel behind countless success
been the fuel behind countless success stories not just with instances of
stories not just with instances of
stories not just with instances of romantic love but also for those who
romantic love but also for those who
romantic love but also for those who experience discrimination poverty and
experience discrimination poverty and
experience discrimination poverty and injustice as a social worker over the
injustice as a social worker over the
injustice as a social worker over the years I witnessed how adversity can be
years I witnessed how adversity can be
years I witnessed how adversity can be transformed into something beautiful
transformed into something beautiful
transformed into something beautiful motivation resilience originality and
motivation resilience originality and
motivation resilience originality and I’ve also experienced it firsthand our
I’ve also experienced it firsthand our
I’ve also experienced it firsthand our stories and our struggles make us
stories and our struggles make us
stories and our struggles make us uniquely who we are but too often out of
uniquely who we are but too often out of
uniquely who we are but too often out of shame or fear we silenced the very
shame or fear we silenced the very
shame or fear we silenced the very narrative that is the foundation of our
narrative that is the foundation of our
narrative that is the foundation of our strength that’s me
strength that’s me
strength that’s me all dressed up for picture day in the
all dressed up for picture day in the
all dressed up for picture day in the public school I attend it may not look
public school I attend it may not look
public school I attend it may not look like it but a lot of thought went into
like it but a lot of thought went into
like it but a lot of thought went into that outfit I was such a nerdy kid and
that outfit I was such a nerdy kid and
that outfit I was such a nerdy kid and actually to be honest with you things
actually to be honest with you things
actually to be honest with you things haven’t changed all that much in all
haven’t changed all that much in all
haven’t changed all that much in all these years I remember the day my
these years I remember the day my
these years I remember the day my English teacher announced to the class
English teacher announced to the class
English teacher announced to the class that each student was going to write a
that each student was going to write a
that each student was going to write a poem and we were going to recite it and
poem and we were going to recite it and
poem and we were going to recite it and we were all gonna grade each other on
we were all gonna grade each other on
we were all gonna grade each other on our performances sounds like a great
our performances sounds like a great
our performances sounds like a great idea right let the students decide each
idea right let the students decide each
idea right let the students decide each other’s grades what could possibly go
other’s grades what could possibly go
other’s grades what could possibly go wrong
wrong
wrong so I went up to the front of the class
so I went up to the front of the class
so I went up to the front of the class and I recited my poem and when I was
and I recited my poem and when I was
and I recited my poem and when I was done I went back and I took my seat and
done I went back and I took my seat and
done I went back and I took my seat and I think I received a class-wide average
I think I received a class-wide average
I think I received a class-wide average of about a 20 that’s out of 100 possible
of about a 20 that’s out of 100 possible
of about a 20 that’s out of 100 possible points so the teacher told me to get
points so the teacher told me to get
points so the teacher told me to get back up go to the front of the classroom
back up go to the front of the classroom
back up go to the front of the classroom and repeat everything I had just said
and repeat everything I had just said
and repeat everything I had just said and she told the students be nice and
and she told the students be nice and
and she told the students be nice and raised her score and guess what happened
raised her score and guess what happened
raised her score and guess what happened the second time around I think I
the second time around I think I
the second time around I think I received about a
every day when I wake up in the morning
every day when I wake up in the morning I see a scar under my chin from a
I see a scar under my chin from a
I see a scar under my chin from a plastic surgeon stitches that sealed it
plastic surgeon stitches that sealed it
plastic surgeon stitches that sealed it back together after it been split open
back together after it been split open
back together after it been split open by another student when I was young for
by another student when I was young for
by another student when I was young for many years I was bullied and if you’ve
many years I was bullied and if you’ve
many years I was bullied and if you’ve ever been that kid that was always made
ever been that kid that was always made
ever been that kid that was always made fun of had food thrown at you in the
fun of had food thrown at you in the
fun of had food thrown at you in the cafeteria or dreaded going to school
cafeteria or dreaded going to school
cafeteria or dreaded going to school every day then maybe you can relate I’d
every day then maybe you can relate I’d
every day then maybe you can relate I’d like to speak with you about an idea how
like to speak with you about an idea how
like to speak with you about an idea how you can take the worst moments of your
you can take the worst moments of your
you can take the worst moments of your life and turn them into a source of
life and turn them into a source of
life and turn them into a source of strength and what could change if you
strength and what could change if you
strength and what could change if you begin to view adversity as a source of
begin to view adversity as a source of
begin to view adversity as a source of motivation so how do you think most
motivation so how do you think most
motivation so how do you think most people react to hardship you’ve probably
people react to hardship you’ve probably
people react to hardship you’ve probably seen it unfold in many different ways
seen it unfold in many different ways
seen it unfold in many different ways throughout your lives working with
throughout your lives working with
throughout your lives working with clients throughout the years I’ve seen
clients throughout the years I’ve seen
clients throughout the years I’ve seen individuals react differently depending
individuals react differently depending
individuals react differently depending on the circumstances some people just
on the circumstances some people just
on the circumstances some people just want to give up some feel like they have
want to give up some feel like they have
want to give up some feel like they have nothing left to lose they may even start
nothing left to lose they may even start
nothing left to lose they may even start committing crimes some people
committing crimes some people
committing crimes some people desperately want to escape and they turn
desperately want to escape and they turn
desperately want to escape and they turn to outlets like drugs and alcohol but
to outlets like drugs and alcohol but
to outlets like drugs and alcohol but every once in a while you’ll come across
every once in a while you’ll come across
every once in a while you’ll come across someone who holds on to the pain and
someone who holds on to the pain and
someone who holds on to the pain and does something remarkable with it they
does something remarkable with it they
does something remarkable with it they tell themselves these people who judge
tell themselves these people who judge
tell themselves these people who judge me they don’t get to win as a social
me they don’t get to win as a social
me they don’t get to win as a social worker now I fight bullies every day but
worker now I fight bullies every day but
worker now I fight bullies every day but the fight is very different the bullies
the fight is very different the bullies
the fight is very different the bullies aren’t always so obvious and the answers
aren’t always so obvious and the answers
aren’t always so obvious and the answers aren’t always so clear but the work that
aren’t always so clear but the work that
aren’t always so clear but the work that I do has soul and conviction that I
I do has soul and conviction that I
I do has soul and conviction that I never would have been graced with had I
never would have been graced with had I
never would have been graced with had I not encountered challenges earlier on
all my life I wanted to achieve
all my life I wanted to achieve greatness I wanted to be something more
greatness I wanted to be something more
greatness I wanted to be something more than what people kept telling me I was I
than what people kept telling me I was I
than what people kept telling me I was I was so tired of the insults and the
was so tired of the insults and the
was so tired of the insults and the degradation because I knew if that’s
degradation because I knew if that’s
degradation because I knew if that’s what I kept hearing over and over again
what I kept hearing over and over again
what I kept hearing over and over again then that is all I would ever become
then that is all I would ever become
then that is all I would ever become your story the source of your struggle
your story the source of your struggle
your story the source of your struggle is your power so take a look and find
is your power so take a look and find
is your power so take a look and find your
your
your works and your traumas and find your own
works and your traumas and find your own
works and your traumas and find your own greatness because it’s been there all
greatness because it’s been there all
greatness because it’s been there all along I’d like you to think about
along I’d like you to think about
along I’d like you to think about challenging if someone tells you that
challenging if someone tells you that
challenging if someone tells you that you’re never going to amount to anything
you’re never going to amount to anything
you’re never going to amount to anything even if you’re afraid to say it aloud
even if you’re afraid to say it aloud
even if you’re afraid to say it aloud say it to yourself what could change in
say it to yourself what could change in
say it to yourself what could change in your life if every time someone tells
your life if every time someone tells
your life if every time someone tells you that you can’t do something you use
you that you can’t do something you use
you that you can’t do something you use that slight as motivation what could
that slight as motivation what could
that slight as motivation what could change if you begin to use your anger in
change if you begin to use your anger in
change if you begin to use your anger in a constructive way and prove people
a constructive way and prove people
a constructive way and prove people wrong my teachers told me that I was
wrong my teachers told me that I was
wrong my teachers told me that I was never going to graduate high school but
never going to graduate high school but
never going to graduate high school but years later I received my master’s
years later I received my master’s
years later I received my master’s degree from Columbia University
degree from Columbia University
degree from Columbia University contemplate the notion that you can use
contemplate the notion that you can use
contemplate the notion that you can use your pain as a catalyst to change your
your pain as a catalyst to change your
your pain as a catalyst to change your life and leave your past behind when I
life and leave your past behind when I
life and leave your past behind when I used to see my scar it always reminded
used to see my scar it always reminded
used to see my scar it always reminded me of a time that I felt so weak but I
me of a time that I felt so weak but I
me of a time that I felt so weak but I don’t feel that way anymore not at all I
don’t feel that way anymore not at all I
don’t feel that way anymore not at all I think that all of us have scars and your
think that all of us have scars and your
think that all of us have scars and your physicality has nothing to do with your
physicality has nothing to do with your
physicality has nothing to do with your strength your strength is actually about
strength your strength is actually about
strength your strength is actually about your will so for all of the scars that
your will so for all of the scars that
your will so for all of the scars that we have seen and unseen they make us who
we have seen and unseen they make us who
we have seen and unseen they make us who we are but it’s what you do with them
we are but it’s what you do with them
we are but it’s what you do with them that counts thank you
that counts thank you
that counts thank you [Applause]
”
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