Valedictorian Sridivya Raghavan delivered the class welcome.
Good morning! Thank you for taking the time out of your very busy lives to attend this ceremony.
Standing here before you, I’m conflicted by multiple emotions. I feel honored to have been chosen as the representative of the class of 2016. I am also grateful to my parents, professors, and my fellow classmates. I would not be here today if it weren’t for your encouragement and constructive feedback to help me improve.
Above all, I am terrified and panicked at the thought of speaking to a large audience. I feel like the condemned prisoner facing the lions in the Roman colosseum. I hope that the lions aren’t hungry now, as I hope you all had a good breakfast!
I did my early schooling in India and moved to the United States when my dad’s job brought him here. I became a bookworm, thanks to J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter taught me the joy of reading and believing in magic. Middlesex County College became my Hogwarts. The professors here played a huge role in mentoring me, much like Harry Potter’s. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my professors. My Psychology Professor, Dr. Steven Barnhart, my French Professor, Brenda Cavanaugh, my History Professor, Dr. Terrence Corrigan, my Debate Professor, Louis Dell’Omo, and my Economics Professor, Christine Wathen. Truly, for me, success has started here.
I had a lot of advantages to succeed in the sense that I did not have to juggle jobs and my studies. I did not have to take care of my family and study at the same time. Thanks, mom and dad, for giving me all these advantages so I can stand here before you. At the same time, I have been inspired by some of my classmates who, in spite of setbacks and disadvantages, are graduates today. You all make me proud to be a part of your class.
Now, if there is one thing I would like for you to remember, is that failure is inevitable. What is more important is learning from failure, and getting back up on your feet again. You may have heard about how J.K. Rowling, herself, bounced back from a failed marriage, loss of jobs, and abysmal poverty. She went back to doing what she does best, which is writing novels. Her story is inspirational. The adage that you learn from failure is true. Thomas Edison, for whom this city is named, said “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Think about what you have done right, what you can do better, and what should be rectified. When you are too cautious, you don’t allow yourself to take any risks. Being safe all the time prevents you from the opportunity to learn from the failure. As J.K. Rowling mentioned in her Commencement address at Harvard University in 2008, “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all in which case, you fail by default.”
The fact that we are here today means that we are successful. We do not need to fear failure. Live your life. Go on the next adventure! As Harry Potter taught me, anything is possible with belief and magic. Believe in yourselves and the world will be yours to conquer.
Congratulations, Class of 2016! We did it!
