Commencement Speech for the Fall 2018 Grady College of Journalism Commencement at the University of Georgia
Hi, everyone. I want to just go ahead and get congratulations out of the way. I’m sure everyone’s families are in town or sending letters and we’ve all heard it one hundred times today. But nonetheless, congratulations. We’ve all just graduated from one of the best schools in the country and before us lies an open road of possibility. For me personally, that road is VERY open. I don’t have a job yet. I will pause for a moment to let those of you who are also unemployed text your parents and say SEE. For everyone else who already has a job, please just enjoy the opportunity to gloat. But whether we are employed or not, going on to grad school or not, I want to take a moment to commend the bravery of each of these students graduating beside me today. Yes, bravery. I’m sure during the course of your time at UGA, you experienced it as often as I did. You’re just trying to have a casual conversation with a pre-med student or your friend in Terry and there it is: “Oh, you’re a writer? You just do PR? Oh, you make movies? Must be nice to have it so easy.” Or even worse: “How do you expect to make any money with that?” Luckily, we at Grady are a self-aware bunch. I can’t tell you how many times I walked into Professor Fortmueller’s Industry class to hear her say: buckle up guys, this one’s going to be a downer. And it’s true. Jobs in many of our chosen fields are not easy to come by. Maybe they’re sporadic. Maybe we’ll have to start in the mail room. Maybe we’ll be living paycheck to paycheck, anxious for the ephemeral possibility of the big break. Which is why I want to applaud your bravery. The truth is the work we do is not easy and financial stability is not guaranteed. But the beauty of Grady college is the acknowledgement that some things in life are more important than money. We all recognize the importance of telling stories, each and every one of us. My fellow EMST students tell stories, whether that’s through writing them or lighting them or cutting them up and editing them back together. Ad majors tell stories. Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t start crying every time those Olympics commercials come on. PR majors tell stories, shaping the way we think about people and brands and places. Journalism majors find truth in stories and use stories to illuminate the truth. Storytelling is inextricably linked to all of us and our future endeavors. We’re entering the workforce at a precarious time to be a member of the media. Although we’re getting some of the best and most diverse content in ages, political incivility across the spectrum still paints the media in a negative light. This just goes to show the great responsibility borne onto each of us to use our abilities to exact meaningful change in this world. To tell the stories that have yet to be told, to tell the truth even when it is uncomfortable or challenges the beliefs that we have built for ourselves. That sounds like an intimidating prospect, but our Grady professors have given us the tools that we need to succeed. Yes, sometimes they were scary… (they don’t joke around when it comes to deadlines). But every Grady professor I’ve had the privilege of learning from has fostered a sense of passion that is essential to success in our fields. Most importantly, every professor has stressed the importance of the relationships we form during our time at UGA. If you know the people sitting to your left and your right, great! They will be our greatest assets as we venture out into the world. Not just as networking opportunities, but as friends who can attest to and support us during our creative struggles. If you don’t, say hello. You might be meeting the Lennon to your McCartney, or maybe just someone who can sublease from you in LA someday. We are entering really intimidating fields, but I feel so blessed to be doing it alongside some insanely cool people. Granted, I probably seem like a liability. I’m not a straight-A student. I’m not standing up here because I’m exceptionally honorable or intelligent. I’m standing up here because I had a story to tell, one that I wanted to share with all of you. To our professors: thank you for your endless guidance. Expect some phone calls and emails, even when you think you’ve finally gotten rid of us. To our parents and family members: thank you for years of support. Sorry if we don’t call as often as we should. To my fellow graduates: thank you in advance for all the help we’ll give each other along the way. It’s sad to say goodbye to our time at UGA, but once we walk out of these doors we’re embarking on the next chapter of the most important story we’ll ever get to tell: each of our own. Let’s make them good ones.
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