Good evening everyone,

Standing here today, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude, humility, and reflection. To be
recognized in this moment is not just about achievement, it’s about the journey, the lessons, the
resilience, and the truth I’ve carried with me every step of the way.

I stand before you as a young, Black, educated man who has come to understand his worth not
because the world affirmed it, but because I chose to believe it for myself.

Growing up as a Black man in America comes with its own weight. Growing up as a gay Black
man adds layers that many may never fully understand. There were moments when the world
tried to define me before I could define myself. Moments where I was told directly or indirectly
who I should be, how I should act, what I should like. As a young boy who didn’t fit into the
mold, who didn’t care for sports or the expectations placed on boys, I often found myself
standing alone, labeled as different… as an outcast.

But what I didn’t realize then and what I hold close to me now is that being an outcast was never
a weakness. It was a gift. It forced me to rely on myself. It taught me endurance. It built a kind of
strength that doesn’t shake when the world gets loud. And most importantly, it taught me the
power of staying true to who I am, no matter how uncomfortable that truth might make others.

I’ve seen so many people, friends, peers, people I admire feel pressured to compromise
themselves, to assimilate into spaces that were never built with them in mind. But one thing I
know, deeply and without hesitation, is that I refused to shrink. I refused to bend myself into
something more “acceptable.” My life could have taken so many different paths, and the version
of me standing here today was never guaranteed.

It took time. It took growth. It took unlearning fear and learning courage. It took finding the
strength within myself to say, “I am deserving. I am worthy. I belong here just as much as anyone
else.”

And I would not be standing here without the foundation that was laid for me by my
grandmother. She was my first example of wisdom, of strength, of unwavering belief. She
instilled in me the importance of education, even when I didn’t understand it at the time. I
remember complaining about having to read this book or that book, not realizing that she was
building something in me that no one could ever take away. She planted seeds of discipline, of
curiosity, of self-respect.

She is the driving force behind the man I am today. She is my archetype of resilience and grace.
And though she is no longer here physically, I feel her in everything I do. I know she is proud not
just of what I’ve accomplished, but of who I’ve become. At 22 years old, I stand here knowing
this is only the beginning, and that thought alone fills me with purpose.

To those who say I am an inspiration, I thank you. That means more to me than words can fully
express. And I promise to continue walking in that light not perfectly, but truthfully.

But before I close, I want to speak directly to the students, to the youth, especially to Black and
brown students:

Always remember who you are. Always remember where you come from. There will be rooms
you walk into where you feel like you don’t belong. Where doubt creeps in. Where fear tries to
convince you that you are not qualified, not prepared, not enough. Do not let that voice win.
Because when you don’t see yourself reflected in a room, you don’t shrink, you become the
reflection.

Be bold. Be innovative. Be inspiring. Take up space. Ask questions. Challenge norms. And
above all else, be yourself unapologetically, fully, and without compromise. Because the world
doesn’t need more copies. It needs truth. It needs you.

Thank you.