May 15, 2020 • 13 mins
In this episode of Commencement: Speeches for the Class of 2020, singer, songwriter, and actress Becky G advises seniors to embrace the bright future ahead of them, trust themselves, be empathic and compassionate, and work together to make our world a better place.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Commencement Speeches for the class of twenty is a production
of I Heart Radio. Class of Parents, Faculty, Rising graduates,
Welcome to commencement. You made it. This year is a
(00:22):
little different, a difficult time to graduate because the traditional
graduation day has been put on hold. So we're bringing
it to you wherever you are because this is still
your day, your moment. And now put your hands together.
It's time to be inspired. This year's commencement speaker, the
one and only Becky g. Hello, graduating class of today
(00:57):
is the day. No, it isn't what you envisioned it
to be. If anything, this is so far from it.
You know. I was thinking about how you and the
world will remember the graduating class of The graduating class
of graduated via computer screens and probably did it in
(01:19):
their pajamas. Yeah, yeah, no, how about we try that again.
The class of graduated during a global pandemic. During such
uncertain and trying times, they sacrificed a traditional graduation ceremony
for the safety of others and the ones that they love.
(01:41):
Now that is heroic. See perspective in life is everything.
If we want to be great, we have to model
greatness and the way we think we have to shift
our perspective. No, you're not dressed up walking out senior
closest family or friends watch from the stands. You're not
(02:04):
sitting next to your fellow classmates sharing inside jokes as
your teachers and principles give their speeches. And even though
it's made clear to save all cheers and applause until
the last name is called, you sadly are not going
to hear your loved ones screaming at the top of
their lungs as your name was called. Unfortunately, there are
(02:27):
a lot of things this experience isn't going to be,
But there are also a lot of things from this
entire experience that, put together can never be taken away
from you. Reflect on the journey you have taken to
get here and the lessons you have learned. Yes, it
(02:47):
might be different that you're graduating from home, but it's
a massive accomplishment that you've been able to overcome the
usual challenges of your senior year now the deadlines and
too many final exams and one day to count, to
be able to stand here or sit today as a graduate,
(03:07):
all while being in self isolation, your environment and the
things that happened to you may never be something you
can control, and the circumstances in life will forever change.
But how you let them affect you is up to you.
Whether you let these challenges disengage you or you use
them to make you stronger is up to you. Now
(03:32):
don't judge, but this next part of my speech may
or may not be inspired by a quote I saw
on Instagram. Here goes. Imagine high school looks something like this.
Your school is the ocean, and as we all know,
the ocean is extremely big. Now imagine that each student
(03:55):
was given a boat to sail through this very big
ocean with. It's easy to say you're all in the
same boat, but the truth is is that you're all
in the same type of boat, just headed in different directions.
As you've navigated the different routes and different bodies of water,
you have all more than likely encountered different weather on
(04:17):
your way to the final destination. Some boats sailed by
quite easily. Other boats might have run into a small
storm here and there, and others potentially faced a hurricane
that they weren't sure they'd make it out of. To
summarize the high school experience with the one size fits
(04:37):
on mentality just wouldn't be right. Every single one of
you have had your own obstacles, sacrifices, losses, and triumphs
that have shaped who you are today. Your hard work
and dedication mixed with every hurdle you jumped and every
memory you made while working towards achieving this cell to
(05:00):
find success of graduating is what that pretty little piece
of paper with your name on it represents success. Now,
that's another concept I would like to take a moment
to talk about, because, as I just said, now it's
self defined. You see, success is subjective. What success means
(05:22):
to me may not be what success means to you,
and the way we each get there may not always
be the way we envisioned it. Most people think that
success is an exponential line straight to the top, but
in reality, that line goes up, then down, it spins
(05:44):
back around itself, goes up a little more, and might
even make a few side steps before it gets to
the top. The experience I've had in my own career
has taught me that our journeys aren't always meant to
be easy. And I can tell tell you that there
were more than a few valleys and peaks along the
way but every day I wake up and work on
(06:08):
mapping out the uncharted waters that my ship has to
sail on, and I learned to trust the decisions I
make to ensure my line goes forward daily. At the
end of the day, that line is mine, that journey
is mine, and nobody is going to care more than me,
just like your line is yours. This is your journey,
(06:32):
and nobody is going to care about it more than you.
To me that self confidence and trust is the ultimate
definition of success. Now, I think it's safe to say
that today you've made it safely across the ocean. So
(06:53):
take a few days in the sun to relax and
bask in your accomplishments after this long journey. But I
want you to also remember that these moments are fleeting
their temporary, the good and the bad ones, so make
sure to take it all in and enjoy every moment.
I'd also like to remind you that this next chapter
(07:16):
in life will inevitably come with more obstacles, sacrifices, and loss,
but I promise you that they are also met with triumphs.
It's the nature of life. But you will always have
this moment to reflect on as a marker for your
success as far, and I hope it will always serve
(07:37):
as a reminder that your hard work and dedication got
you through. Hopefully it will also aid you in transforming
many more less than fair situations into beautiful things in
your life, just like you transformed the impact of COVID
nineteen on your education into that special diploma you will
soon feel the weight of in your hands, even fits
(08:00):
delivered instead of handed to you today. This next quote
is easily found in books, smugs, t shirts, and maybe
even that one family member's Facebook page that always has
a status update no matter what. It's nothing new, but
we've all heard that slow and steady wins the race.
(08:20):
The reason why everyone can relate is because that perspective,
in my experience, really does help a lot. Society may
creep in with this pressure to make you feel like
you have to have it all figured out now, like
you should have the answer to everything now, to the
point where it may even cause anxiety feeled thoughts to
(08:43):
make you feel like you have to have it all
figured out yesterday. However, when that happens, I want you
to remember, slow and steady wins the race. It's a marathon,
not a sprint. So remember to be kind to yourself,
have patience, love yourself, drink some water, dig deep when
(09:05):
you can. One of the most important lessons I've learned
throughout my own journey is that you must know who
you are, and in my experience, you can't find out
who you are without knowing who you're not. You can't
know what's right for you without having figured out what's
wrong for you. In order to know these things, you
(09:27):
have to experience life, which is different than just living
in It's important to explore, it's important to feel, to
live for yourself and not for anybody else. Also, don't
be afraid of messing up, because you can always try again.
There's a reason why there is any racer on the
(09:50):
other side of the pencil. And although you may never
be able to technically erase all of the mistakes you
might make in life, you're of making it count will
be by learning and becoming a better person for it.
And once you know better, you have the responsibility to
be better. Part of that better you that's out there
(10:12):
in the world takes shape and finding your purpose. The
word purpose might sound very heavy, but it's really simple
when you break it down. It's your why. Why do
you work so hard? Why do you care so much?
Maybe it's to make your loved ones proud. Maybe it's
(10:35):
to prove the ones who doubted you wrong. Maybe it's
to help others just like you. Maybe it's a little
bit of all of that put together. And maybe you
don't know that that why is what will get you
through even the toughest of battles, and what you'll turn
(10:55):
to for inspiration to keep pushing on the days you
don't really feel like doing much at all. For me,
my why is my family. My why take shape in
the form of my three younger siblings, my parents, and
the arrest of my big old Mexican family. They are
(11:16):
my compass north and the reflection of my values and
the measure of my growth. As I continue to mature,
I've learned that my path is not the path of
least resistance. In the career I've chosen constantly test me
in ways I couldn't have imagined. But in the times
(11:36):
that I've felt stuck, lost or uninspired, my why it
is right there as a light to show me the
way through even the darkeness of days. That question why
might be vague and daunting, but if I've learned anything
thus far, it's that simply asking yourself the question is
(11:58):
a good enough start. If you have it, hold on
to it. If you don't, I promise that it will
come in time. You've got nothing but a bright future
ahead of you, along with the resources and the know how.
So go out there, trust yourself and find it. Graduating class,
(12:22):
you did it, and I'll tell you one thing. During
one of the most difficult times we've faced on a
global scale thus far, we have all learned that a
little empathy, a little kindness and compassion towards one another
goes a long way. Use that same empathy and compassion
(12:44):
moving forward and continue to make a positive impact in
the world. We're all in this together. We are so
proud of you. Congratulations and keep pushing m You can
(13:06):
find reflection of incredible commencement addresses from all your favorite
speakers at the Commencement Podcast on I Heart Radio or
wherever you listen to podcasts.
Commencement Speeches for the class of twenty is a production
of I Heart Radio. Class of Parents, Faculty, Rising graduates,
Welcome to commencement. You made it. This year is a
(00:22):
little different, a difficult time to graduate because the traditional
graduation day has been put on hold. So we're bringing
it to you wherever you are because this is still
your day, your moment. And now put your hands together.
It's time to be inspired. This year's commencement speaker, the
one and only Becky g. Hello, graduating class of today
(00:57):
is the day. No, it isn't what you envisioned it
to be. If anything, this is so far from it.
You know. I was thinking about how you and the
world will remember the graduating class of The graduating class
of graduated via computer screens and probably did it in
(01:19):
their pajamas. Yeah, yeah, no, how about we try that again.
The class of graduated during a global pandemic. During such
uncertain and trying times, they sacrificed a traditional graduation ceremony
for the safety of others and the ones that they love.
(01:41):
Now that is heroic. See perspective in life is everything.
If we want to be great, we have to model
greatness and the way we think we have to shift
our perspective. No, you're not dressed up walking out senior
closest family or friends watch from the stands. You're not
(02:04):
sitting next to your fellow classmates sharing inside jokes as
your teachers and principles give their speeches. And even though
it's made clear to save all cheers and applause until
the last name is called, you sadly are not going
to hear your loved ones screaming at the top of
their lungs as your name was called. Unfortunately, there are
(02:27):
a lot of things this experience isn't going to be,
But there are also a lot of things from this
entire experience that, put together can never be taken away
from you. Reflect on the journey you have taken to
get here and the lessons you have learned. Yes, it
(02:47):
might be different that you're graduating from home, but it's
a massive accomplishment that you've been able to overcome the
usual challenges of your senior year now the deadlines and
too many final exams and one day to count, to
be able to stand here or sit today as a graduate,
(03:07):
all while being in self isolation, your environment and the
things that happened to you may never be something you
can control, and the circumstances in life will forever change.
But how you let them affect you is up to you.
Whether you let these challenges disengage you or you use
them to make you stronger is up to you. Now
(03:32):
don't judge, but this next part of my speech may
or may not be inspired by a quote I saw
on Instagram. Here goes. Imagine high school looks something like this.
Your school is the ocean, and as we all know,
the ocean is extremely big. Now imagine that each student
(03:55):
was given a boat to sail through this very big
ocean with. It's easy to say you're all in the
same boat, but the truth is is that you're all
in the same type of boat, just headed in different directions.
As you've navigated the different routes and different bodies of water,
you have all more than likely encountered different weather on
(04:17):
your way to the final destination. Some boats sailed by
quite easily. Other boats might have run into a small
storm here and there, and others potentially faced a hurricane
that they weren't sure they'd make it out of. To
summarize the high school experience with the one size fits
(04:37):
on mentality just wouldn't be right. Every single one of
you have had your own obstacles, sacrifices, losses, and triumphs
that have shaped who you are today. Your hard work
and dedication mixed with every hurdle you jumped and every
memory you made while working towards achieving this cell to
(05:00):
find success of graduating is what that pretty little piece
of paper with your name on it represents success. Now,
that's another concept I would like to take a moment
to talk about, because, as I just said, now it's
self defined. You see, success is subjective. What success means
(05:22):
to me may not be what success means to you,
and the way we each get there may not always
be the way we envisioned it. Most people think that
success is an exponential line straight to the top, but
in reality, that line goes up, then down, it spins
(05:44):
back around itself, goes up a little more, and might
even make a few side steps before it gets to
the top. The experience I've had in my own career
has taught me that our journeys aren't always meant to
be easy. And I can tell tell you that there
were more than a few valleys and peaks along the
way but every day I wake up and work on
(06:08):
mapping out the uncharted waters that my ship has to
sail on, and I learned to trust the decisions I
make to ensure my line goes forward daily. At the
end of the day, that line is mine, that journey
is mine, and nobody is going to care more than me,
just like your line is yours. This is your journey,
(06:32):
and nobody is going to care about it more than you.
To me that self confidence and trust is the ultimate
definition of success. Now, I think it's safe to say
that today you've made it safely across the ocean. So
(06:53):
take a few days in the sun to relax and
bask in your accomplishments after this long journey. But I
want you to also remember that these moments are fleeting
their temporary, the good and the bad ones, so make
sure to take it all in and enjoy every moment.
I'd also like to remind you that this next chapter
(07:16):
in life will inevitably come with more obstacles, sacrifices, and loss,
but I promise you that they are also met with triumphs.
It's the nature of life. But you will always have
this moment to reflect on as a marker for your
success as far, and I hope it will always serve
(07:37):
as a reminder that your hard work and dedication got
you through. Hopefully it will also aid you in transforming
many more less than fair situations into beautiful things in
your life, just like you transformed the impact of COVID
nineteen on your education into that special diploma you will
soon feel the weight of in your hands, even fits
(08:00):
delivered instead of handed to you today. This next quote
is easily found in books, smugs, t shirts, and maybe
even that one family member's Facebook page that always has
a status update no matter what. It's nothing new, but
we've all heard that slow and steady wins the race.
(08:20):
The reason why everyone can relate is because that perspective,
in my experience, really does help a lot. Society may
creep in with this pressure to make you feel like
you have to have it all figured out now, like
you should have the answer to everything now, to the
point where it may even cause anxiety feeled thoughts to
(08:43):
make you feel like you have to have it all
figured out yesterday. However, when that happens, I want you
to remember, slow and steady wins the race. It's a marathon,
not a sprint. So remember to be kind to yourself,
have patience, love yourself, drink some water, dig deep when
(09:05):
you can. One of the most important lessons I've learned
throughout my own journey is that you must know who
you are, and in my experience, you can't find out
who you are without knowing who you're not. You can't
know what's right for you without having figured out what's
wrong for you. In order to know these things, you
(09:27):
have to experience life, which is different than just living
in It's important to explore, it's important to feel, to
live for yourself and not for anybody else. Also, don't
be afraid of messing up, because you can always try again.
There's a reason why there is any racer on the
(09:50):
other side of the pencil. And although you may never
be able to technically erase all of the mistakes you
might make in life, you're of making it count will
be by learning and becoming a better person for it.
And once you know better, you have the responsibility to
be better. Part of that better you that's out there
(10:12):
in the world takes shape and finding your purpose. The
word purpose might sound very heavy, but it's really simple
when you break it down. It's your why. Why do
you work so hard? Why do you care so much?
Maybe it's to make your loved ones proud. Maybe it's
(10:35):
to prove the ones who doubted you wrong. Maybe it's
to help others just like you. Maybe it's a little
bit of all of that put together. And maybe you
don't know that that why is what will get you
through even the toughest of battles, and what you'll turn
(10:55):
to for inspiration to keep pushing on the days you
don't really feel like doing much at all. For me,
my why is my family. My why take shape in
the form of my three younger siblings, my parents, and
the arrest of my big old Mexican family. They are
(11:16):
my compass north and the reflection of my values and
the measure of my growth. As I continue to mature,
I've learned that my path is not the path of
least resistance. In the career I've chosen constantly test me
in ways I couldn't have imagined. But in the times
(11:36):
that I've felt stuck, lost or uninspired, my why it
is right there as a light to show me the
way through even the darkeness of days. That question why
might be vague and daunting, but if I've learned anything
thus far, it's that simply asking yourself the question is
(11:58):
a good enough start. If you have it, hold on
to it. If you don't, I promise that it will
come in time. You've got nothing but a bright future
ahead of you, along with the resources and the know how.
So go out there, trust yourself and find it. Graduating class,
(12:22):
you did it, and I'll tell you one thing. During
one of the most difficult times we've faced on a
global scale thus far, we have all learned that a
little empathy, a little kindness and compassion towards one another
goes a long way. Use that same empathy and compassion
(12:44):
moving forward and continue to make a positive impact in
the world. We're all in this together. We are so
proud of you. Congratulations and keep pushing m You can
(13:06):
find reflection of incredible commencement addresses from all your favorite
speakers at the Commencement Podcast on I Heart Radio or
wherever you listen to podcasts.
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