Red Hot Tamales Luggage Tag And Speech

I was invited this spring to speak at my high school cum laude ceremony on the topic of academic excellence. My thank you token or memento took the form of a luggage tag which was fitting since my topic was the components of your virtual suitcase for the pursuit of excellence, academic and otherwise.  Here is an excerpt of the speech.  (A photo of the tag back is shown at the end of the excerpt.)

Speech excerpt

Academic excellence is also born of tedium and repetition and sometimes even isolation.  This rule that academic excellence often requires at least some monotony is seldom highlighted. Nevertheless you will find that the ability to be dedicated to learning is a quality admired in and expected from graduates of this school.... The journey is sometimes long dusty and cramped but the scenic route is sometimes worth the effort.

Also, excellence is a transferable skill.  If you learn excellence in one place it can be used in other endeavors.  Yes if you learn to climb high and deliver an A plus effort you just might repeat that again when you need to at other times. In this fashion you might see that the scholar athlete is born.

Understanding this trait of diligence and dedication is also the key to understanding your ability to make a valued contribution to your community.  No matter how bright the individual, the race is won by those with the fierceness to work to achieve at the highest levels without fear or embarrassment.  

This learning environment which exists here is one reason why there is a stamp of excellence for every graduate.  As a graduate you will have a branding which as you go forth in the world will serve you well.  Remember no one ever gets anywhere completely on his or her own.  Group travel has its perks.

Finally, seek personal satisfaction. Yes there should be something in it for you.  A smile, a discovery, something that makes you sigh with relief or shout for joy.  This component of your suitcase is where you get to throw tradition to the winds and follow your own path.  It is the pink sequin scarf that you slip in at the last minute that coordinates with everything in your travel bag. It is the source of innovators and iconoclasts.  Personal fulfillment.  

It is even better than its related cousin inspiration.  Inspiration is the overrated lightweight - satisfaction is the heavyweight contender.  Yes as Brando is so famously quoted - I could have had class. I could have been a contender.

A common mistake in academics is an over reliance on grades and a narrow vision for academic excellence.  You can meet the grade again and again.  But the key is to know why you want to be excellent.  If you know why excellence is important to you, you will be able to reach that standard in your life without regret.  

Reach for the stars but carry a map and look for your own special constellation. You will achieve meaning and purpose and academic excellence as well.

The speech closed with a quote from the poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann; versions of the poem in translation are found at the following links: http://allpoetry.com/poem/8574007-Desiderata_-_Words_for_Life-by-Max_Ehrmann and http://www.businessballs.com/desideratapoem.htm and http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~gongsu/desiderata_textonly.html.