EUGENE TSSUI SPEECH: LINCOLN UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT, MAY 28, 2016
GRADUATES, PARENTS, AND FRIENDS, AND FAMILIES FROM MANY PLACES OF THE WORLD…
WELCOME. LINCOLN UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR, MIKHAIL BRODSKY, AND CHAIRMAN, ALLAN
SAMSON, AND THE BEAUTIFUL ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, REENU, EFFIE AND PEGGY, AND
BOARD MEMBERS, ALAN, GARY, JOHN, EMMANUAL, AND MICHAEL… AND THE STAFF AND
CREW THAT HAVE MADE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE. LET US TAKE A MOMENT TO REMEMBER
THIS UNIQUE PLACE IN TIME IN OUR LIVES… WE WILL ALL NOT COME THIS WAY AGAIN.
WE ARE THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE LAUNCHING OF A NEW GENERATION, A NEW QUALITY OF
HUMAN BEING WHOSE FUTURE DREAMS, HOPES, ASPIRATIONS, AND ACHIEVEMENTS WILL
BE INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO MOST OF US HERE TODAY BECAUSE THE FUTURE WILL BE RE-
INVENTED BY THESE YOUNG GRADUATES WHO SIT HERE BEFORE US…
GRADUATES, I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO LIVE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY AND BE A COMPLETE
STRANGER. I KNOW THE FEELING OF LONELINESS AND ISOLATION AND JUST WANTING TO
GIVE UP BECAUSE NOBODY IS THERE WHO UNDERSTANDS. I KNOW YOUR FRUSTRATION IN
LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE AND HAVING TO TRANSLATE EVERY WORD INTO YOUR OWN
FAMILIAR LANGUAGE. I REMEMBER BEING EMBARRASSED AND CONFUSED, AND WANTING
TO RUN AWAY. I REMEMBER CRYING INSIDE FROM FEELING TOTALLY ALONE…
DO YOUR REMEMBER THE NEWNESS OF EVERYTHING? THE STRANGE SIGHTS,
SOUNDS AND SMELLS, THE EXPECTATIONS THAT WERE SO PUZZLING, AND THE COMING TO
GRIPS WITH PANIC AND HEARTBREAK… AND THEN THINKING OF YOUR MOTHER AND
FATHER, YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND THE FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS OF YOUR
HOMETOWN. YES, YOU WERE A STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND. AND NOW, YOU ARE NO
LONGER A STRANGER. YOU HAVE FACED YOUR CHALLENGES AND PREVAILED. YOU HAVE
REACHED FOR EXCELLENCE, CHALLENGE, AND NOT GIVEN IN TO MEANINGLESS MEDIOCRITY.
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY HAS GIVEN YOU A TESTING GROUNDS TO DEVELOP YOUR ABILITY TO
QUESTION AND SPEAK FROM YOUR HEART. LINCOLN UNIVERSITY HAS GIVEN YOU A
WINDOW TO THE WORLD THROUGH WHICH YOU CAN SEE THE TRUTH. LINCOLN UNIVERSITY
HAS GIVEN YOU A PLATFORM FROM WHICH YOU CAN REACH OUT TO AFFECT YOUR
COUNTRY AND THE WORLD. NOW YOU HAVE THE TOOLS TO MAKE RIGHT WHAT IS WRONG.
GRADUATES… YOU MUST NOT FORGET THOSE TIMES OF DIFFICULTY AND CHALLENGE.
THAT EXPERIENCE PREPARES YOU TO STAND UP FOR YOUR PERSONAL CHARACTER, YOUR
IDEAS, AND YOUR DIGNITY. WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE RIDICULED, CRITICIZED,
EXPELLED, AND TOLD NOT TO OFFEND ANYONE WITH YOUR IDEAS AND PERSONALITY?
SUCH CONFLICT TEMPERS YOUR CHARACTER TO FACE THE COUNTLESS UNKNOWNS OF YOUR
FUTURE. WITH YOUR MBA DEGREE YOU’VE ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING UNIVERSALLY
MEASURABLE. NOW COMES THE TIME TO TEST YOUR COURAGE TO FACE THE YEARS AHEAD.
THIS IS YOUR TIME OF TRANSITION FROM STUDENT TO PROFESSIONAL. FROM APPRENTICE
TO MASTER. YOU ARE THE MASTER OF YOUR FATE… YOU ARE THE CAPTAIN OF YOUR SOUL.
I’D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH A FEW PRINCIPLES BY WHICH TO FORGE YOUR LIFE’S PATH:
ONE: YOUR HEALTH IS THE MOST CRUCIAL SUBJECT IN YOUR LIFE. YOU MUST LEARN TO
DEVOTE A PART OF YOUR DAY, EVERY DAY, TO MAKE YOUR BODY AS STRONG AS IT CAN
BE AND AS LIGHT AS IT CAN BE. THIS STRENGTH-TO-WEIGHT DYNAMIC MAINTAINS THE
HEALTH OF ALL OF NATURE’S CREATURES. IT IS UNIVERSAL LAW. 39% OF THE CHILDREN
AND 71% OF THE ADULTS IN THE USA ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE AND ARE THEREFORE
PREVENTED FROM FULLY ACHIEVING THEIR LIFE’S DREAMS. TWO BILLION PEOPLE IN THE
WORLD ARE IN THIS STATE OF PHYSICAL COLLAPSE. BE A BEACON OF HOPE TO HELP THOSE
AFFLICTED WITH THIS DISEASE. BE THAT PERSON WHO STRIVES FOR EXCELLENCE OF BODY,
BECAUSE YOUR BODY IS THE SUNSHINE, UPON WHICH, YOUR MIND AND SPIRIT, GROW.
TWO: LIVE SIMPLY AND DON’T EVER THINK THAT THINGS ARE GOOD ENOUGH. THE RICHEST
INDIVIDUAL IS NOT THE ONE WHO HAS THE MOST, BUT THE ONE, WHO NEEDS THE LEAST.
DEVOTE YOURSELF TO A CAUSE GREATER THAN YOURSELF–THAT IS WHERE THE TRUE
MEANING OF WEALTH CAN BE FOUND. DON’T EVER THINK THINGS ARE GOOD ENOUGH.
THEY AREN’T. THERE IS ALWAYS THE NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT. THE PERSON WHO THINKS
LIFE IS GOOD ENOUGH IS ALREADY DEAD. THEY HAVE LOST THE CAPACITY TO QUESTION
AND SEE NEW POSSIBILITIES. KEEP YOUR LIFE SIMPLE AND QUESTION EVERYTHING…
ESPECIALLY YOURSELF. LIVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE… AND SEE THE WORLD BEGIN TO CHANGE.
THREE: DESTROY THE “I CAN’T” EXCUSE IN YOURSELF. LEARN TO LIVE WITHOUT EXCUSES.
YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IMPOSES YOUR OWN FOOLISH LIMITATIONS. DON’T LISTEN TO
THOSE WHO SAY, “IT’S IMPOSSIBLE.” NEVER THINK YOU ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH. THOSE
THAT ARE CRAZY ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THEY CAN CHANGE THE WORLD ARE THE ONES WHO
DO. YOU DESERVE TO SUCCEED BECAUSE YOU ARE DESIGNED TO VISUALIZE WHAT YOU CAN
DO BEFORE YOU DO IT. DON’T EVER SAY YOU CAN’T DO SOMETHING OR THERE ISN’T TIME.
MAKE TIME AND DO IT! COMMIT YOURSELF TO EXCELLENCE IN EVERYTHING YOU DO!
YOU ARE THE NEW GENERATION OF YOUTH… THE GENERATION THAT WILL LEVEL THE
ROTTING WALLS OF CLASS AND CASTE. YOU ARE THE GENERATION TO GIVE A VOICE TO
THE VOICELESS, THE WEAK, AND THE FORGOTTEN. YOU ARE THE YOUTH THAT WILL LEAD A
REVOLUTION OF THE HUMAN HEART. THIS IS YOUR TIME, TO CLEAR THE PATH OF HUMANITY
FROM THE IRON FEET OF OPPRESSION AND DOMINATION. THIS IS YOUR TIME, TO CARRY
THE JUBILANT LIGHT OF HOPE INTO THE FILTHY DUNGEONS OF IGNORANCE. BE THE NOBLE
STEWARDS OF FREEDOM, ORIGINALITY, AND EVERY PERSON’S RIGHT TO FIGHT… FOR RIGHT.
IT IS YOUR DREAMS THAT DARE TO CREATE WHAT HAS NEVER BEEN CREATED BEFORE. IT IS
YOUR DREAMS THAT DEFY THE UNQUESTIONED STUPIDITIES OF TRADITION. IT IS YOUR
DREAMS THAT MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE… POSSIBLE.
