Hi Folks,
Since some of you have been asking for my text for the valedictorian speech at the University of Tartu, I am sharing it here today. The following text is straight from the paper I had in my hand during the ceremony. The text must have been changed a little bit during delivery. I also managed misreading the text at some point during the actual speech. My apologies! Please also excuse the inconsistency between the video and text here.
| Dear Faculty, Family, Friends, and Fellow Graduates, Good Afternoon. Today I stand here to share my views on academics at the University of Tartu, the little wisdom I have gained in this one and a half year, and the warm wishes for the class of 2012. Thank you for making me eligible, and giving me the opportunity to speak my mind and express my gratitude. Without the support of you all, I wouldn’t have been here. Thank you very much. I was thrilled when I was given the chance to say my mind as a reward to relentless hard work. It seemed like a piece of cake until 10 AM in the morning today when I had absolutely no idea what to say. I only have two stories to share. My mother kept telling me the first story throughout my academic life since high school. The first story talks about a boy who was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point he asked: “Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?” His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson: “I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.” Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special. “But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!”, he said. “That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.” “First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will. Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, it’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person. Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice. Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you. Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. In just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action.” These five points are the message for all of us – the people of understanding. The second story is more of an outcome of a reflection on how I proceeded with the daunting task of finishing my graduate studies with my own batch. Based on my experience, the only message that I would like to give to my class fellows, who’ll join us the graduates soon is: choose your battles wisely, you cannot fight them all. Once you have decided on the battle you want to pursue, enjoy the process. It is the process that matters, not the outcomes. There is a very well-known story of a young Zen student. He asked his master that if he works hard how long would it take him to achieve Zen. The master answered, “Ten years”. The student asked, “What if I work harder, how long would it take me to achieve Zen”. The master pondered over the question and replied, “Twenty years”. The student, being very keen of achieving his goal, asked again that if he works really really hard, how long would it take him to achieve Zen. The master responded, “Thirty years”. The student, who was very perplexed with his master’s replies, posed yet another question, “I do not understand. You tell me that the harder I will work the longer it will take.” The master said, “When you have one eye on the goal, you have only one eye on the path.” Last but not the least, while you enjoy the process, plant the seeds of dedication, passion, and honesty within you. Refuse to stand by anything which does not reflect you. And always remember that the length of shadow is not always equal to the height of the person. Now that we are leaving the protected world for real challenges, I would like to quote Allama Iqbal, who is well known throughout the world as the Poet of the East. He says, tundi-e-baad-e-mukhalif sae na ghabra aye uqab yae tu chalti hai tujay ooncha uranay kay liyae meaning O eagle, do not get intimidated by the opposing winds. They blow to make you fly even higher. Fly higher, class of 2012, you have got the wings! Many congratulations! And many congratulations to the faculty on finishing yet another term of Software Engineering program successfully. I am highly in debt to Prof. Marlon Dumas for his constant support and encouragement that allowed me to dream and realize my aspirations, Prof. Ulrich Norbisrath for his patience, guidance, and faith in my abilities. |