00:00I'm inspired to be here with all of you today. Looking around this room, and as I saw the videos,
00:05I'm inspired not just by what all our students have been able to accomplish, but by the kind
00:10of community we've been able to build together. Each of you has contributed in your own way
00:16through your work, your leadership, and most importantly, the ways you've supported others.
00:23And to make IU a more welcoming, inclusive, vibrant, uplifting community. And for me,
00:29that's what I think I'll carry forward the most. When I first arrived at IU, I didn't know exactly
00:34where I would fit in or what my journey would look like. For the longest time, my biggest dream was
00:40just to go study in America. I'd grow up imagining the campuses, the energy, and the endless possibilities,
00:47but it really wasn't a dream that I thought would come true.
00:54As I saw in the video, IU really gave me something that I hadn't expected.
00:58It gave me a space to reinvent myself, to step into a new identity, and I decided I was going
01:04to make the most of it. I decided I wasn't going to be the shy, sick kid who sat on
01:11the corner,
01:13was afraid to be seen, just held back by a sense of self-doubt, never spoke up.
01:17My first year at IU, I said yes to everything I wanted to do. And one of them, as I
01:23mentioned,
01:23was applying to become a producer of the Women of IU podcast. Now, as someone whose voice was like
01:30minus 10 decibels when she spoke, it required a certain level of audacity to apply to host
01:36a podcast. My interviewer, Janet Lair, who's sitting right there, she said she saw something in me and
01:43decided to take a chance. Through that role, I was constantly pushed out of my comfort zone,
01:48had to talk to a lot of people, lead conversations, and learn how to produce and edit in real time.
01:54And I saw that again with Stacy Ballard. When I first got involved with the Kelly Institute
01:59for Social Impact, she constantly, and began leading service trips, she constantly pushed me
02:05to have difficult conversations with my team, challenged my own negative self-talk,
02:09and helped me become more visible. Throughout my time at IU, I found many more Jeanettes, Stacys,
02:17Luisas, and Michelles, who've helped me grow into the person I am, and who saw something in me
02:22when I wasn't able to see it myself.
02:27Sorry, I don't want to get too emotional.
02:30With that newfound courage that my mentors installed in me, I decided to take a passion project
02:35that I had started, focused on bridging the digital divide and expanding technology
02:40access for underserved communities into a global non-profit initiative.
02:44I wanted to expand it to countries in Africa, but I knew nobody in Africa, had no connections,
02:49no experience, and I was a 19-year-old cold emailing people for partnerships being so annoying.
02:56And I found a lot.
02:59But the people that I've met at IU, not only did they help me find the courage
03:05to keep trying, but they made me realize the importance of giving myself plenty of opportunities
03:12to fail if I wanted to ever give myself a real chance at accomplishing anything worthwhile.
03:23To go from those shaky beginnings to speaking at conferences, winning leadership awards, and
03:28receiving international recognition for my work was something that's unimaginable to the 19-year-old
03:33award. She was so shy when she first stepped on this campus and barely could talk to anyone.
03:38I'm so, so grateful to every person at IU who invested in me and helped me grow into the person
03:44I am today. I truly, truly could not have done this without you. I don't know if all of you
03:50expected
03:50to be here your senior year, but I know I did it. And yet IU has a way of pushing
03:56you, of putting you in rooms,
03:57roles, and moments that challenge you to grow into someone you could not fully see at the beginning.
04:03And somewhere along the way you begin to realize that you were capable of far more than you once
04:08believed was possible. So as we move into this next chapter, I hope you keep seeking out the
04:14unfamiliar. You say yes to opportunities that feel intimidating. Be brave enough to try things you
04:20don't feel fully qualified for yet. And most importantly, invest in building meaningful
04:25relationships. Because the people you surround yourself not only will shape who you become,
04:30but will also help you see yourself in a different light. And when things feel uncertain, I'm sure
04:35they'll do. Remember everything you've already overcome and all that you managed to accomplish.
04:40Let that be your reminder. Let that be your fuel to keep believing in your wildest dreams,
04:45because dreams do come true. Thank you.
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