well....I guess it's over

well...today was convocation. it hardly even seems real that it is over. after all that work and planning and it is over. I think that the whole thing went well...a little uncoordinated, but everything that needed to happen happened. and when I got up to give my speech...well lets just say I was super nervous. but I tried really hard to just breathe and enunciate. I did not look up very much...well not really at all. but I am proud of what I wrote. and I appreciate all of my friends who listened to me read through it on wednesday and gave me feedback. it really helped. a lot. thank you!

I just can't believe it. I am done. I guess I am in shock.

I don't have any pictures...which is probably a good thing. I didn't look good. and the actual ceremony didn't have the hype that graduation at BYU did. I think that part of the reason for that is 1- this is the second time I've done this. 2- being part of the planning takes away the mystery. 3- being the one "in charge" today meant that I was running around...and I really didn't get a chance to enjoy it. well, I enjoyed it, but not in the way I thought I did. and 4- it was really short...setting up, the actual ceremony, and the reception. they were all really short. but it was good.

anyway...

here is my speech. I hope you enjoy it!

I would like to start by thanking my classmates for voting for me as the class speaker. It is kind of amazing, especially taking into account that I went to great lengths to avoid speaking over the microphones during class. But I really consider it a great honor. Thank you again for this opportunity.

I would also like to thank everyone who has come today to show your support for all that we have accomplished over the past two plus years. Each of you have done something for us that has made our lives a little less stressful – and we could not have made it here today without your love and support.

Each of us came into nursing for a different reason and via a different path.
· One came because she happened upon a gruesome car wreck.
· Another because of the kind words from a nurse named Linda.
· One was raised in a country where the life expectancy was in the late 40’s, and very little health care available, and wanted to make a difference.
· One wanted a family member to be able to take care of their aging parents.
· One played softball and needed a more practical career.
· One worked in a laboratory environment but missed social interaction
· One happened to take an anatomy and physiology class and loved it
· Another was laid off and realized it was a great time to go back to school
· A few had family or personal illnesses that sparked their desire to learn more
· Others wanted a job that they could find work no matter what, so they could provide for their children and families.

Some came for the money, others for the job security. But we all had something in common. Each of us felt a strong desire to help others – to give of ourselves to those in need.

And we had ideas of where this journey would take us.

When we started the program we were overwhelmed. Classes were full of assignments, projects, quizzes and tests. Clinicals made us put the things we learned in class into action. At times it seemed like we had gotten in over our heads. But little by little we started applying the knowledge that we learned to the experiences we were having.

Along the way we each had our ups and downs. There were days when we laughed, and days when we cried. There were days when we thought that it would be better to give up and walk away, and days when we realized that we were actually meant to be nurses.

And just a few short weeks ago all of us had the opportunity to act and feel like real nurses. Suddenly that IV start wasn’t as hard as it once was. Or we were able to teach a worried family about the progression of a disease. And we knew the medications that we were giving without having to look them up. We realized that we actually can DO more than we thought we could, that we KNOW more than we thought we did. We realized that this was actually all worth everything we have had to endure.

We still have a lot to do…

And our paths may not lead us directly to the place we thought we were going to go, there are stops along the way – places for us to learn more about ourselves and more about helping others.

It is hard for me to stand up here and say, “I know what it is going to be like – where I will end up,” because I don’t know. I haven’t been there yet. But I do know that that as new nurses my class will take every opportunity to learn what we can with every step that we make. We will try to leave everyone a little better than we found them.

And to my classmates, in the words of Kobi Yamada:

Believe in your dreams.
Believe in today.
Believe that you are loved.
Believe that you can make a difference.
Believe that we can build a better world.
Believe when others might not.
Believe there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
Believe that you may be that light for someone else.
Believe that the best is yet to come.
I believe in you.

Thank you.