College of Letters and Science graduate Griffyn Albers, of West Bend, offered the following remarks at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s morning spring commencement ceremony on May 12 at Kolf Sports Center:
“To Chancellor Levitt, distinguished members of the faculty, family, friends, alumni and most importantly, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh class of 2018, it is beyond an honor to be here with you all today.
“So I am going to be honest with you, because we’ve known each other for like 15 seconds and I feel like we can be honest with one another. I only get 5 minutes to throw some inspirational jazz at you, so imma need you to fasten your seat belts and mentally prepare, honestly, you may wanna do some stretches while you’re at it.
“First and foremost, congratulations graduates. Geez louise, somehow we did it. I’m not going to stand up here and tell you things will be easy now, in all actuality it’s just going to get even harder from here… but I am going to tell, you that whether you are graduating today at 22 or 62, you, for whatever reason, took some major steps towards lifelong success just by being here and for that you should be incredibly proud of yourself.
“So I am a perpetually stubborn person. I hate when people tell me what to do and I hate when things don’t go my way. I am so stubborn that I didn’t talk until I was almost 3, just because I knew my mother wanted me to. Mom I’m so sorry that I haven’t stopped for the last 20 years. Although my stubborn behavior may seem like a burden, it has been one of the strongest driving forces behind my victories in life. Perseverance is a major highway on the road to success, and to be stubborn, is to persevere. I understand we’ve all got our own struggles, but in all of your futures, I highly recommend that you never turn away from new opportunities, never give up on what you want and never stand down when someone says you cannot do something.
“With that said, please take this into consideration. You can only be deserving of what you are actually willing to put in the work for. Putting in the time, doesn’t mean the same thing as putting in the effort. Just because you spend many years at a job doesn’t mean you deserve a promotion. Showing up and breathing properly, doesn’t get you your tips. And earning a college degree will not mean that you deserve the best office, the highest income and the most flexible scheduling. Our first jobs won’t be in the Taj Mahal. Many of us, myself included, are going to be starting at the bottom rung of the corporate ladder at our first job. But don’t you dare undermine your skills; climb that ladder straight to the top. Start by making a substantial and obtainable goal of success that you are willing to put in the WORK for. Notice I said work, because dreams, wishes and hopes, will only get you so far. Follow that with the realization that you deserve success and happiness, and if anyone stands in your way to question your self-worth, you get rid of them. Life is like an elevator, sometimes on your way up you have to stop and let some people off.
“But don’t forget those who made it further than others on this ride. Because we are lucky enough to live in a world that allows us to share our dreams with one another, seek mentorship, confidantes, shoulders to cry on and let us escape from what hurts us the most. There is nothing more beautiful than a person who takes the time to go out of their way to make someone else’s life just as beautiful. As P.T Barnum said, ‘The noblest art is that of making others happy.’ You are worth it, you have a purpose, you are an amazing human being with feelings and intelligence and laughter to share. I unfortunately never had the privilege of meeting each and every one of you in this room, but I want you to know that these last few minutes, I have been pretending I had. I’ve been talking to you with the same type of opinion and honesty I would a close friend, and though our paths may never cross again, I wish upon you a life in which you can constantly invite new and exciting people into.
“It’s crazy, right? We all sit in this room, together, as a group. A group of individuals. A big ole’ smorgasbord of characters that are living such beautifully unique lives. Ones in which we can express our love, our hate, our cultures, our likes, our dislikes and what fills our hearts with joy. We all come from different backgrounds, different upbringings and different beliefs. We are all, in essence, members of the perpetual Breakfast Club. This room is currently filled with the brains, the athletes, the basket cases, the princesses and, yes, even the criminals. So get off your high horse, because we are all in this together. You are no more important than the person sitting next to you. We are all participating. We are all necessary. And we’re bonded by this universal thirst for knowledge and quest for success. We share our eclectic experiences with one another, whether it be a through a tweet, over a Facebook status, phone call, text, or during a junk-food-fueled study session. On a daily basis, we confide in one another. And in the end, it is our togetherness that truly allows our individuality to thrive.
“Congratulations class of 2018. Get out there, kick some butt, make a name for yourself.
“And go big or go home…except don’t go home, just go big. Thank you.”