I'm pleased to present our student speaker,
Conor James O'Kelly.
[APPLAUSE]
Conor-- Conor is a communication major and English minor.
Conor's future plans include writing and producing
in the entertainment industry.
Please join me in welcoming Conor James O'Kelly.
[APPLAUSE, CHEERING]
[CLEARS THROAT]
[LAUGHTER, SHOUTING]
Growing up, my father used to write me small letters and put
them in my lunch box on the first day of school.
As someone with anxiety, these notes were extremely
comforting.
When I became a senior in high school,
I was saddened by the fact that the lunchbox notes would cease,
as you can't have your parents pack your lunch in college.
However, every year, hidden deep in my luggage,
would be one of those famous notes that I so looked forward
to.
This semester, actually, my father hit it in a deep fryer
for my apartment.
So--
[LAUGHTER]
But I realized that the note for this semester might be the last
lunchbox note I get as I transition into the adult
world.
So before I leave UMass Amherst, I thought it appropriate
to leave you all with a lunchbox note of my own creation to help
ease your anxieties.
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
First and foremost, remember not to sweat the small stuff.
I know that when we get caught up in classes and jobs
and internships and even eating at the dining common,
we tend to get swept up in our own fears and worries.
Let me tell you that this is all small stuff, all of it.
I firmly believe the most important aspects of college
are not the grades you receive, the romances you have,
or the partying you do.
[CHEERS]
If you can discover one small piece of who you really are
at the end of year four years here,
it was a successful journey.
Always remember to tell yourself that at the end of the day,
no matter what you do, you're still you.
Remember that life can get hard sometimes.
I can tell you from personal experience,
life has a funny way of laying it on thick.
I can recall when I was a terrified freshmen crying his
eyes out because I hadn't been away from my parents for more
than a few weeks.
Today, I can say that I have made the most out of my years
here at UMass without crying home to my parents.
Once you acknowledge that you will struggle at some point
during your journey, you will grow as a human being.
When asked the question, why do we fall, you can respond--
so we can learn to pick ourselves back up again.
[APPLAUSE, CHEERING]
We all have bad days.
Right?
But its the bad days that help us appreciate the good ones.
Finally, always remember that wherever you are in this vast
world of ours, you are loved.
Whether it is by your significant other,
a family member, or even a small case of loving yourself,
you are truly loved.
We have all felt lonely at some point.
But because you exist in this confusing plane we call life,
you are, and always will be, loved.
I came into this university a pessimist at heart,
feeling as though the world was doomed from its inception.
But now, after four years of discovering others and myself,
I can't help but smile for our future.
The lights may be dim for us.
The nights may seem long.
But it is the triumph of the human spirit that will save us
in the end.
And by simply looking out into the future of our world,
I feel safe.
My father usually ends his notes with a quote of some kind.
One time, he quoted the very last line of my favorite novel,
The Great Gatsby.
However, most of the time it's just silly quotes from Thomas
the Tank Engine.
However, I would like to leave you today with a quote
of my own design.
It is with my hope that you take my words to heart and remember
that home is a small note tucked away safely in your lunchbox.
[APPLAUSE]
This world-- there's a bit more.
Sorry.
[LAUGHTER]
This world was not meant for those who simply wish to live
the dream, it was meant for those who wish to change
the dream.
Thank you very much.
[APPLAUSE, CHEERING]
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