Dear Class of 2021, Five Messages to Frame Your Future (E-Commencement Speech)

First and foremost allow me to be one of many to salute you for all of your amazing academic accomplishments…you are a trailblazer, a champion, and a scholar. In the midst of this global change, it very important to pause as we acknowledge your resilience, intellect, and grit. Many of you are understandably frustrated due to cancelled ceremonies, celebrations, and annual traditions. Others, including myself, are suffering immensely from the loss of loved ones, financial instability and the uncertainty of the future of all industries. Your adjustment and preparation for the future is going to require practical skills and I have Five Messages to Frame Your Future:

Message #5. Team Success or Team Failure? We must first acknowledge the loved ones we lost who supported us on this journey with a moment of silence as we reflect on their contributions to your success.  

Moving forward, you must continue to create a “circle of influence” surrounding yourself with positive energy and doers. Continue to connect and reconnect with those influencers who provide resources and guidance. Work to motivate those around you and vice versa. To quote a fallen hip hop poet, if your circle of friends don’t inspire you, they are not a circle they are a cage. 

Message #4: Continuously enhance and guard your mindset. Believe it or not we talk to ourselves more than we talk to anyone else. Remain optimistic and ensure that your inner voice is an encouraging coach and not a negative critic that hinders active progress towards your goals. Continue to feed your intellect and spirit with information that uplifts and nourishes your soul and growth. Mental blocks exist. Depression and anxiety are real. If you need assistance clinical or otherwise, seek help.

Message: #3: Intentional Choices. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond and process your reality. Be intentional with all future choices and be aware of the potential results and consequences of each decision. Moving forward you will be faced with daily decisions. Will you create an intentional daily routine or will you flounder aimlessly through your day? As it relates to your career, will you pursue the paycheck, or will you pursue your passion and ultimately never work a day in your life? Also, will you focus on your needs or unnecessary wants? Precise decision making will determine what tomorrow will bring. We all know what a bad choice is. Choose wisely.

Message #2: Avoiding Weapons of Mass Distraction. Recent circumstances have all but assured most if not all are “hooked” on their portable screens as a gateway to the outer world and in some ways an escape. You must use all screens primarily as a tool and not a toy. Don’t spend hours upon hours fixated on negative stuff, binge watching junk that does not inspire progress, or circumstances you can’t change that are harmful to your spirit.

And the final message: I Am. I Will. Be clear on who you are and what you plan to become. Write down “I Am…” and list all of things you believe you are…not the societal definition of what some might say you are…but what YOU believe you are……I am intelligent, I am a strong Haitian-American…..I am a super-charged graduate…..anything you put after “I Am…” no one can tell you that you are not.

After you write, your “I Am...” statements, write your “I Will...”, followed by everything you plan to become…….I will become a nurse, I will protect my family…I will accomplish all of my goals. Claim the victory now and focus on all the action items you must complete to accomplish those goals.

In closing, we are very proud of you and excited to share in this victorious moment. All of your studying, researching, reading, test-taking, presenting, writing, and overall engagement has paid off. Life is a journey not a destination which requires continuous growth and elevation. You are unstoppable and will continue to succeed. Remember as you move forward, to accomplish what you never have, you must do something you have never done. Congratulations to you the class of 2021 and I am excited to witness how you shape and create a new reality for us all.