Kania Johnson, a senior majoring in Family Social Science, delivered the student commencement address at the College of Education and Human Development’s commencement ceremonies Wednesday.

Good evening faculty, staff, alumni, family and friends, and the phenomenal class of 2019! It is my pleasure and a great honor to be standing in front of you all today. When I decided that I wanted to try my hand at this speech, I rehearsed it what felt like a million times. I couldn’t decide if I needed to be humorous, heartfelt, moving, or all the above. However, in the end I decided to be my most authentic self, a first-generation transfer student.

Today, May 8th, 2019, marks a moment in time when our many different paths arrived at the same place. Just think about it…we have faculty and staff, family and friends, and you all, the class of 2019 here. Each person in this room has been on a unique journey that brought you here today. I would like to think of today as the binding of one great book, our book. Each of our unique journeys represent a chapter in the book. The fascinating thing about our book is that each of our chapters end with us being here at this celebration.

So graduates, I want you to take a moment and think about what it took for you to be moments away from crossing the stage and receiving your hard-earned and well-deserved degree.

Tonight, I want to honor our accomplishments by celebrating the POWER of YOU! I’ve enjoyed being at the University of Minnesota challenging myself in courses and being a part of a research project about how professionals understand racial and ethnic inequalities in the Twin Cities. I’ve also had the pleasure to learn that our campus is full of resilient and remarkable people. Individuals trailblazing the way so that generations after them will know that they can pursue a college education.

I’ve seen peers attend class after finding out they lost a loved one, and peers trying to keep their anxiety or depression together long enough to get through an exam. I’ve seen peers run between classes and work two or more jobs just to have a place to sleep and something to eat. I’ve been that peer. This isn’t close to half of the remarkable people I’ve come across in my short time here.

I’ve also been surprised by my own resilience working three or more jobs, taking 21 credits, and having my car broken into, all while still managing to finish fall semester strong.

We have conquered what felt like the impossible at times by pushing past barriers, leaning on friends and family when times were hard, and channeling our inner greatness to reach a moment that is more than receiving a fancy piece of paper with our name on it. It is proof that we can persevere even when we feel like we can’t. We have persevered through personal and family challenges, and for some of us institutional challenges that are a result of our underrepresented identities.

However, our ability to persevere is not only a result of our inner strength and resilience but it is also a reflection of our commitment to serve others. Many of us will go on to be teachers, social workers, counselors, health and wellness coaches, business leaders, and more, and it’s important that we understand why. Each of us have found our way to CEHD because we knew we wanted to support others in being their best selves. We have also found ourselves here because we had a village of people supporting and lifting us up, reminding us to be our best selves. My village is my family, friends, mentors, my elementary school gym teacher, my high school librarian, and the list really will go on. My village, our college, and my dream of supporting and reminding people to embrace their unique strengths has led me here today. I also feel confident in saying that your village, our college, and your dreams have led you here as well.

Songwriter, Paul Williams says “every act of kindness is a little bit of love we leave behind.” I thought this was such a profound and beautiful way to describe serving others. It made me think about each one of you and how we all wish to leave a little bit of love with the communities we serve. Some people may say that aspiring to make the world a better place is wishful thinking, but I’m here to tell you all it’s not. I believe we can make as much change in the world as we wish if we aspire to spread kindness and put love first wherever we go.

So, choose to be a part of someone’s village, reminding them that they have something to contribute, especially when you find yourself down or lost throughout your journey. This genuine love and compassion will energize us and will continue to fuel our commitment to serve others. I once heard someone say that we were all given dreams for a reason. Our dreams have led us to this celebration today and will continue to illuminate our paths even after this moment passes.

Soon we will begin embarking down our new path and while on this journey please never forget to “leave a little love behind.” Nelson Mandela once said “it always seems impossible until it is done” I’ve shared all these things with you to say that you are strong, you are tenacious, you are exceptional, and in a few moments, we will be done. Congratulations, triumphant class of 2019!