Most graduation speeches are safe, humdrum talks about thanks, friendship and the value of education – but Lydia Owens (pictured above) was about to tear up that script.
As her gowned classmates watched, the institution’s top-performing student seized her chance: “When tragedy struck my life, it was not my grades nor my accomplishments that helped me navigate through that loss. When everything else in my life felt uncertain, the only person I could depend on to stay the same was Jesus.”
Two years ago, when Lydia was 16, her mum died. The tragedy deepened her faith and gave wisdom rare for a teenager.
She was about to share both: “I realised the many years I spent placing my worth in my academics meant absolutely nothing in light of eternity.
“My worth is not found in my successes or my failures. My worth – and your worth – is found in Jesus because he is the only one who will ever satisfy us.”
With her classmates at Woodmont High School, South Carolina, suddenly paying attention, she continued: “When you decide what success means to you, understand that the things you will accomplish in your lifetime do have value. However, your successes are not what make you valuable, because you are so much more than how well you perform.”
The video of the speech went viral, with more than 1.5 million views.
Top marks, again, for the star student, with the finale still to come: “If you believe you are only good enough if you succeed, what happens when you fail?
“Placing your identity in the things of this world will disappoint you because they are only temporary.
“If you accomplish all your dreams or none, you are valuable.”
