Chapter 2: Graduation Ceremony

It was finally time.

I walked up to the podium with confidence making brief eye contact with the Apollo River himself. I gave him a slight bow of the head as a sign of respect, and he gave me one back in return.

I felt so giddy inside, being acknowledge by someone you've admired from a distance was surreal, but I wasn't the type to show those types of emotions in public.

I looked out into the group of graduating students and see my girls giving me a thumbs up "I got this." I said to myself. Smiling I took a deep breath before beginning "I wasn't quite sure whether it was appropriate to bring my purple and gold foam finger, so unfortunately, I abstained from doing so." I opened with a joke to get a feel of the audience.

"Go Huskies." One of the students yelled from the audience. I wiped away my fake tears "Harry the Husky would be so proud of your school spirit." I grew more confident after hearing the light laughter coming from the audience.

"I'd firstly like to extend my gratitude to both the friends and the families of all the students celebrating in this commencement. Without your support, many of us would not be here today, and I am no exception. I'd also like to extend thanks to the professors and administrative professionals, as well as Apollo Enterprise for playing a key part of making this school the prestigious institution of higher learning that it has come to be. To be the Summa Cum Laude of the University of Washington graduating class of 2018 is an honor beyond my limited understanding.

In all seriousness, this University has provided for me and so many others the opportunity to pursue higher learning in a way many of us thought not possible. Beyond the pragmatic and vocational aims of this school, there is a real and powerful ambition towards the serious pursuit of something which the word “knowledge” does not even begin to describe.

Now that the "Thank You's" are done, let me take advantage of the remaining hour and a half I must speak to try and approach a topic which I, as someone who knows absolutely nothing about absolutely everything, wish to explore. There has been much talk recently about how much things are changing, and how necessary it is to take drastic steps to attempt to manage that change successfully. What I would like to talk about is where institutions like this one fit into this general feeling that the world is changing before our eyes.

There is an analogy I came across when attempting to write this speech that I feel is very poignant. To change is to endure a trauma, for we are both the artist crafting our lives and the marble it is crafted out of. This change happens whether we have a plan for what we want our statue to look like or not.

One of my favorite things about this school is the number of students here who understand the concept of the words "day in, day out." The automatic and tedious process of letting your life unfold before you, merely reacting as the hammer strikes rather than seeking to take control of the places it strikes. This is where the true value of an education lies, not in some set of soft skills or an economic credential, but in the ability to be aware that you fundamentally are steering the wheel that orients your life. You may not have all the choices you desire, and sometimes the roads you travel might not take you where you want to go, but it is fundamentally your choice when to take the next turn. I don't mean to imply that it is easy to take ownership of your perspective on the world, or that it is a tangible thing that once acquired will never leave you. In fact, it is so difficult to do so that it requires a near continuous process to have both the serenity to accept the things you cannot change and the courage to try to fix the things you can. To pursue higher learning is to remain hungry for something transcendental, to have faith that you are the one holding the chisel in your life, and you fundamentally can make the statue you are carving actively your own.

This is not to say to rejoice in your own suffering, but to work to become aware that your momentary struggles should not dissuade you from pursuing a meaningful life. This work doesn't end at a place like the University of Washington but in fact starts here and hopefully will be able to follow you the rest of your worldly days.

The world that is coming may prove difficult in ways that we this evening cannot even imagine. It is likely that just as things have gotten better in the past, they could very well become worse in the future. Whether it be climate change, economic recession, war or political instability, there will be challenges that face us that have many portions that are fundamentally out of our control as individuals going about our daily lives. This is where the value of higher learning begins to truly matter. Whether or not we realistically can solve the problems we face is affected by the way we choose to view those problems in ways we cannot ever fully appreciate. To be enlightened is not to possess some magical set of esoteric ideas and gadgets which can solve all the world's problems, but to know how to not just survive the burdens of the world, but to thrive in them. To find yourself viewing the problems you come to face with the grace of someone who knows that even in the tedious and terrifying hides a breath of the sacred and it is up to you whether you wish to seek it.

I think my time has more or less ended so I would like to end by congratulating all the students here today, whether I had the opportunity to help you or not and may this be the beginning of a wonderful journey towards carving yourself into the best and most beautiful piece of art you can."

"Thank you, Livia Moon is out." I kissed my fingers throwing up the peace sign with one hand and the other mic drop. The audience stood up giving me a round of applause as I made my way to my seat.

Chancellor Smith picked of the mic while laughing "Livia I am going to miss your peculiar personality walking into my office with a simple

"How are you doing today? Is there anything you need me to do?" or business propositions that would give students the opportunity to figure out who they are and what they want to do with their lives. Because of you, the number of students graduating with job opportunities is at all-time high. Let's give our Livia a true monarch of this University another round of an applause."

I stood up and waved my hand in a royal manner "For four years you have been blessed with the presence that is I, your welcome."

Everyone laughed.

"Oh gosh a character like yours is rare to come by, nevertheless, much like everyone sitting here in front of me, it's time for you to leave the mothers nest and fly on your own."