Originally delivered at Wesleyan School Commencement Exercises May 20, 2017

Fellow graduates, today is the day that we’ve been counting down towards for longer than we’d like to admit.

From the day that we walked into kindergarten with our little tote bags in hand, to just a few days ago when we boarded the plane home from Trail West, the past 13 years have been a crazy journey, and regardless of when you started here, Wesleyan is part of your story.

Class of 2017, our senior year has flown by. It feels just like yesterday that we were painting our cars and wondering how we’d ever fit the “one” and “seven” of 2017 into the word “seniors.” Since then, so much has happened. We have applied and been admitted to so many colleges across the country, some of us have committed to playing college sports and all of us are moving on from this place that has become our second home.

As we walk across the stage and into our futures, one fact remains true for all of us — no matter where we’re headed, none of us will be returning to Wesleyan as students.

How have you grown, and who have you become in your time here? When you leave this campus today, everything around you will change, but the core values that surrounded you here don’t have to evaporate.

I am not the person I was when I entered Wesleyan 13 years ago. What changed? My knowledge on the world has expanded. I’ve even grown a tiny bit taller. But most importantly, my sense of determination has developed.

When I was in lower school, I didn't care much for studying, practicing, rehearsing or anything that demanded extra effort from me. A higher grade on a test or a victory on the sports field — these accomplishments felt arbitrary. But it all changed in middle school, when I unwillingly found myself in math club. It was through this that I met peers who were excited to learn for the sake of learning — a foreign concept at the time. As I grew more curious, my math coach encouraged me to pursue my interest, and I grew determined. This translated into all aspects of my life.

Determination isn’t about taking home first place; it’s about investing in others and believing in yourself.

In a nurturing community like Wesleyan, we have always felt supported and encouraged. Now, we must light the flame of determination within ourselves. Determination is a beautiful thing, and I have seen it here more than ever.

I have seen it in the classroom. Students with insatiable intellectual curiosity are motivated to listen and to learn. Some are so determined that their learning isn’t just confined to the classroom. Academics should not be a chore, and as we all pursue different paths, I hope the next four years are not a chore, but rather the next step into a field in which you feel passionate.

I have seen this determination and raw grit on the fields, the trails, the court, the stage— the list goes on. Athletes, artists, leaders — you, class of 2017, have all inspired me and shown me what determination is.

From my cross-country teammate who was determined to cut twelve minutes off her time, to my teacher who sacrificed several weekends to host study sessions and so many individuals at Wesleyan, your determination is contagious.

Soon, all 127 of us will throw our caps into the air. For a long time, this day — graduation then college — has been our destination. Whether we realized it or not, so many of our efforts over the past four years have been through the lens of “How will this look on my college app?"

Well, now that we’ve made it, what are you taking with you on this new journey?

This is not the peak, nor a plateau. There is still more mountain to climb. But now it’s time for us to carve our own paths up the mountains. The guides — our teachers and parents — have given us the tools and maps. Now, the course we plot is up to us. It will become easier to settle for less and anchor ourselves down in the wrong place, but we must take on the responsibility of climbing upwards.

Fellow graduates, my encouragement to you is this: do everything you can to keep your flame of determination burning — keep climbing. Our elusive “future” that people so often ask about will be shaped by our own actions.

This sense of determination can be infused in every aspect of our lives, and it even strengthens our community because we want to work to better the path for those around us and those who follow. The question now is “How do we store and call upon this determination as we climb?"

I encourage you to give your all in everything and to develop a genuine desire to do so, whether that is in the classroom or in your friendships. We have nothing to lose when we invest full efforts into our actions.

Colossians 3:23 reads:

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

Our earthly accomplishments will one day blow away with the wind, but our impact on others is a legacy that continues. We aren’t working towards a clearly defined end goal anymore. For many of us, we are going to college for ourselves, for our futures.

But I challenge you, like Paul did in Colossians, to work for a greater purpose. Channel fierce determination into all you do because you seek to glorify the Lord.

As we remember our time here, “2-0-1-7” will always have a nostalgic ring to it. I hope that you remember the other voices shouting alongside you that were just as important to your experience as everything else.

We are a diverse class with varied interests, skills, cultures, and backgrounds, but most of all, we are a determined class — a class ready to make our mark.

Class of 2017, it’s time to embark on our journeys. Fill your canteens, tighten your laces, cast a wave to friends and family — start climbing, keep climbing and don’t stop until you’ve impacted everyone you possibly can.