thank you.

it is truly honor to be here and to address all of you. and i give a heartfelt thanks to adrian college and its extended community, including president ckan college board of trustees and campus staff faculty, alumni and students who supported invitation to be here secondly, i congratulate is in iving an honorary degree in humane letters from this

prestigious. honorary degrees are given to individuals who have achieved utmost distincti professionally and philanthropically which mr. nicolay has exhibi level. th achievement.lations tu ■ñi would be remiss if i didn't acknowledge what a beautiful day and, what a beautiful campus you all have. it is beyond welcoming and impressive. the thousands of pink flowers everyw a especially wonderful. that's definitely noe fortunate been able to call this place home. i want to speak on three main points today that hope will be inspiring and useful to the graduating class of 2024. i know you imagined yo finally escaped, lectured by be elated to podium so i can hear that my will be brief. the of courage.revolves nd courage is the essential quality

that bridges shift from what was to what is or what will be. this is something i had to learn fromernce in the two years that have passed since i was sitting that chair at my college graduation. allow me to give very brief background on who i am. i grew up an athlete dedicating 18 years of my life to my sport of swimming. it's impossible to put into the amount of hours in dedication and the sacrifices that had to be made in order to compete at an ultimately be successful at the highest level. butj as docking said i don't hae to explain this to you. you all know what this is contig my dreams because of a hop i was fortunate enough to receive to swim study at the university of kentucky. proudly my career as a 12 time ncaa all-american, a five time sec champion, the sec butterfly and making me one of the fastest americans of all

time. tirial qualifier and sec scholar athlete of the year. as lear of the year. but again, all of that, to reiterate, it's a lifelong journey and one that wouldn't have been possibleover 50 years. my junior year in college, i placed seventh in the country in the 200 yard freestyle. i set a goal right then and there to win a national title my senior mean becoming the fastest woman in the country in my respective but in march of 2022, at our national championship caps, we on prevented that dream from becoming a reality for many wasn't for females, but instead for anyone who merely claimed the identity of a female. didn't seem fair to me. for many reasons. so many reasons that n' time to outline all of them in brief speech intended to celebrate and inspire you all but the unfair competition, the exploitation in our private, the

silencing and the threats that we faced if we dared to oppose or even question this injustice, compile. and i felte longer silent. i waited for so long for someone else to say something, someone else to us and our sex based protections. but no one did. so iec unapologetically stand for truth, both in a biblical ande . i didn't want to be seen as disrespectful. ntedi o be liked. i thought twice before i spoke to an issue that was deemed controveiake i imagine many of r have done. but i chose to be courageous. courage is a virtue that's often commonly being conflated. fearlessness. but make no mistake, these words ar not synonymous. and they're not interchangeable. being fearless means lack fear. but being courageous is quite the opposite. having courage means you're willing to do right. fair.

just and moral thing. despite the fears that you face, it is the strength to confront ity d to pursue your dreams with unwavering ion. as you stand on the threshold of post-graduate in life. whether you acknowledge, it or not, each of you have already demonstrated courage. you chose to pursue knowledge and commit to your studies not necessarily knowing where they would%@ lead. you invested in futures and your dreams and in the betterment of society. now you face the world outside this academic haven. the concept of courage must not be left behind in your textbooks. it should be as alive in today as your ambition to change the world for the better. the kind of courage i speak of is not lerou it the quiet resolve to persist. the rmn to uphold your values when they're tested. consider this every major change in history began with a single act of courage.

whether it was rosa parks resolved to, remain seated, or malala yousafzai determination to advocate for education. these weret hinged on personal courage. these were choices made in the face of fear. no guarantee of success. but with an unwavering believe in. what was just you too, will face nt these. you will find yourself at a choice is not always the easiest one. it could be in yourla, within your community, or even within personal relationships. in thoseen challenge you to choose courage. courage is contaou uplifts. may you embrace each new challenge as an opportunity, not shy away risk and remain true to your both humility and boldness. as aristotle once said, courage because it is the quality which guarantees all others have the ag follow your passions,

even if they lead you down. unconventional pat have the courage to speak the truth, even your voice shakese the courage to embrace failure as a stepping stone to success rather than stumbling. my second point revolves the importance of faith. my faith is central and all that i do above anything else i want to live christlike life. when i taught campus today. i was delighted to see the chapel in center. exactly where it should be as a beacon of hope, an eternal for wonderful realization grave and hell for the lives of each of you who for the students who graduate. the professors who tea t friends in attendance. faith justet beliefs. but the transformative principle that ien

shapes, our worldview, and leads us in times of both uncertainty and triumph. it's built on the cornerstone of love, grace and redemption themes that resonate through the teachings of christ and the scriptures. as you step forward into a world that often values achievement over ethics and profit over people remember the lessons you were called be lights in the rkne exemplars of grace and truth in a desperate for both. this doe mean you won't face doubt or fear. indeed, faith is often forged in the complexity of uncertainty and despair. yet in those moments remember that faith is the assurance of things. hope for the convictions of things notee i didn't feel prepared for the scenario that thrusted into. i didn't understand our nation's ess really civic at all. and my public speaking courses in college. my face turned the color of a

tomato. at the beginning of my advocacy journey often ask god why. i'm not equipped for this. i came to understand pretty quickly, actually that i was wrong in my thinking that god calls those who are already equipped. our god equips the cold. and if he brings you to it he certainly bring you through it just as he did with moses, who led the israelites out with, aaron and his staff, just as he did joshua, who promised a victory over the canaanites. and just as he did with esther before, was brought before the king. so trust is calling for you. god has given you the ability to practice, live by faith so that you may purpose in understand te power of faith. it's crucial that it's rooted in something secure. and there is nothire or firm than belief in the love our heay or y. and trusting in his promises for

their the one eternal thing that can always count on. so as step into a world that often guided solely by the pursuit of personal gain or immediate satisfaction, the principles of christian faith offer a different path. e illuminated by the light of service humility and compassion. class of 2024. as you go forth, take with you not only the intellectual and practical tools you have honed, but also the spirit, your faith. be bold in your aspirations, steadfast in your commitments, and generous in your love. let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your n. let your faith act, both as an anchor and a compass. for my third and finaloifeel coa fundamental value that defines our collective destiny. it's thed the very essence of wt

means to be human freedom. freedom evokes a sense of poss aself-determination. as graates, you are about to enjoy the most immediate form of freedom you've yet experienced. the freedom to forge your own way. to choose paths that may lead to undiscovered passions. and to make decisions that define who you are and who you will become. i want to spend a moment speaking specifically to the critical value and necessity of freedom of speech, the substantial to who we are as a nation and something of the world. people from all over moved to the united states. they can think, speak and freely without fear of tyranny, when we stifle and censor viewpoints as we are doing, everyone does a disservice both the trying to convey a message

or perspective and those being denied hearing said incite. we risk silencing voices that may help us progress and we risk not being able to respond rationally to what may be false or dangerous ideas. just as important as speaking freely is listening to others points of view. by opening our lives to those we ■k with. we grow and, we learn. and we evolve. and we refine our arguments for and against our points of view. by speaking freely and listening to others, we can also find much commonround, which allows us to reconcile some of our differences or accept them and never imagined that in the unit iould face such resistance. censorshipvitriol and violence. in many instances. aneratn to silence me. i have been spit on. i have been vilified. i have been dox.

out loud. physically there have been endless negative an incorrect. misrepresenting me personall thn this school surrounding my appearance at adrian college. to my understanding, there was a petition circulatingith er 1700 signatures last. time i checked to disinvite me einghe commencement speaker today. i ask you who my presence. what are you so afraid of? having your perspectives challenged? being encouraged to engage in independent thought. the freedom of thought and expression should be cherished by all. an where are increasingly polarize and dissent is often methhostility. never underestimate the power of your voice to spark change. challenge the status quo, speak unpopular. for it is through dialog and that. we grow as individuals and as a

society. that is how we unify and advance. freedom is not static. it is a living, breathing ideal that must bended by each genera. as you stand on you inherit the mantle of freedom, the responsibility to safeguard it for yourselves and for future generations. to once again congratulate the for making it s day. today is about you all of. i know that you've worked hard. you've delayed gratification to get things done. you stayed up late. you woke up ea some mistakes. and you learn from them. all of these things have taught you valuable skills and knowledge have allowed you to develop and fosterriendships the for a lifetime. and a final thank you to president. again, the board of trustees for upholding the mission statement

and that mission statement being d the dignity of all people. class of 2024. the awaits your talents your passions and your unique contributions. as you move on from adrian strengthen your faith and never lose sight the importance of our freedoms. thisnow is the time. unleash your skills, knowledge and talents and make a difference. congratulations and may all of your journeys be filled with joy, fulfillment and endless possibility. thank you you.