12/11/2023
๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฃ๐ง๐ญ.
This one is truly special. Allow me to get a little personal with y'all...
In the 4th grade, I won a prize for achieving the highest score on a test. I remember it as if it were yesterday. My teacher, Mrs. B, called me to her desk to collect my reward. I was excited, but little did I know ... Mrs. B would accompany my prize with some choice words. "๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐'๐น๐น ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ป ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ; ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐'๐น๐น ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐," she said. As an 8-year-old black boy grappling with traumas, Mrs. B's lived experience could not fathom... her words struck deep. The worst part about words is that they linger in your mind and resurface at random. For 20 years, I would periodically reflect on a painful 10-second encounter I'm sure she never thought of again.
Her words functioned like a silent motor, propelling thoughts imbued with imposter syndrome within me. That was until June 8th, 2023, when Matt King and Parkway Center City Middle College turned the motor off.
I was invited to be their first-ever external commencement speaker. This was majorโฆ PCCMC is the first-ever Middle College program in the state of Pennsylvania, helping students graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate degree. Just like that, in one swoop, I'm giving a high school and a college commencement speech.
The opportunity meant the world to me! As I spoke on that stage, delivering my speech entitled โJAWNโ (iykyk), something special happened. With each word spoken, I could feel Mrs. B's words that had engraved themselves in my mind for two decades fall away. As I poured into the minds of our future leaders and change activators, something activated in me that has helped me move on from past words spoken, to focus more than ever on the future ahead.
So, thank you, Matt King, for considering me. Thank You, Principal Nguyen, for entrusting me with your students. Thank you, 2023 Parkway Center City Middle College, graduating class for lending me your ears. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for being praying parents. Thank you, Alexis Harris (First State Destinations), for capturing the essence of the day. Thank you, Kevan Turman, for driving and making sure the only thing I had to worry about that day was speaking. Thank you, Paola Renville, for your support.
And thank you, God, you are amazing!
"๐๐ค๐ง ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ช๐๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช, ๐จ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฟ, ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ช๐๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ก, ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐." โ ๐
๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ต:๐ญ๐ญ
