My Hope For You: Best Graduation Speech Ever

My negotiation student Sephanit Nekeatibeb delivered the student address at graduation. She compared life after graduation to the video game Minecraft.

You can watch the full speech at 14.51 – 21.50. My favorite lines are at the end.

❓How did she get this prestigious opportunity? Sephanit asked.

She submitted a proposed speech. Hers was selected. Then, she spent a month polishing and practicing. Her initiative and hard work paid off. Very impressive.

Seph reminds us that the journey continues after school and life is full of surprises.

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Here are some of my favorite lines from her talk:

I’ve had the opportunity to talk to some amazing industry professionals throughout my time here and surprisingly, many of them had this one thing in common. They all “fell” into their current careers and life paths. It wasn’t what they had originally planned after they graduated from college, but it was somehow even better.

And what a comfort that is to hear. Many of us have already experienced life’s way of guiding us to where we need to be. We’ve switched majors, changed schools, moved countries, and landed somewhere we never imagined when we first started our college journey.

Maybe that’s what makes the future a little less scary. Knowing that not having it all figured out is part of the process.

With that in mind, here is my hope for you as you step into this new chapter:

I hope you explore new biomes, even when the terrain feels unfamiliar.

I hope you take risks, even when you don’t feel fully equipped.

I hope you speak up in rooms, even when you feel out of place.

I hope you ask for help when you need it.

And I hope you give yourself grace each step along the way.

Because none of us have everything figured out. We’re not supposed to. We’re supposed to continue to build, to learn, and to keep moving forward.

So as we leave campus today, don’t be afraid of the unknown. Be excited.

Because just like the great game of Minecraft, the world is what you make of it. So keep digging, keep exploring, and most of all, keep celebrating how far you have come… always.

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Congratulations to Sephanit and all our The University of Texas at Dallas graduates!