Schools

Stevenson Grads 'Venture into the Unknown Future'

Nikhita Luthra delivered the "gubernator" speech at Stevenson High School's 2013 commencement ceremony June 6 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.

Lizzie and I were in the same world history class in ninth grade. Maybe it’s because of Mr. Lyon’s influence that I too think about oceans, boats, and bodies of water when I reflect upon the dynamic future. When I was a little girl, I loved Ariel, the main character from the Disney classic, The Little Mermaid. She was such a dreamer. I identified with her idealistic vision of the unknown future. And now, as I stand here, about to cross this stage and leave my own home, I can’t help but feel her faith in the future. I belong to a group of students who, with our sheer determination and innovation, will alter the course of history. Perhaps it is slightly idealistic of me to think like this. I find this spirit of unyielding optimism particularly crucial through this season of change, as we venture into the unknown future.  

You see, when I was a little girl, I always pretended I was a mermaid. I used to ask my mom to dye my hair red. I remember being in the pool, imagining that in those twelve feet lay the whole ocean. Of course, I could never explore the bottom of that ocean, because I had my floaties. So, I had my father teach me how to swim. The first time I took off my floaties, you can imagine what happened. There was panic, hyperventilation, and unfortunately not any transformation into a mermaid. But oh well. I had my dad right there. And so, I didn’t need much convincing to try again, to maintain a sense of optimism that one day, I will learn how to swim.  

Having a safety net like my dad allowed me to try swimming again, to remain optimistic and resilient. And all of us, like so many other graduates this year and Ariel, are dreamers, visionaries, implementers. We have been given the resources to find solutions when we feel dissatisfaction. Because of the support we have from our school and community, we can instill change when we find shortcomings or weaknesses in our society. They make it easy to stay optimistic and idealistic.  

Maybe this optimism, this idealism is misguided. After all, we will face many challenges ahead, and the future may not be as rosy as we think it is. For example, after leaving home, the first time that Ariel was faced with dining at a human dinner table, she didn’t have anyone to tell her that a fork is not actually called a “dinglehopper,” and that a fork should be used for eating, not combing hair. We too, like Ariel, will face foreign situations. How will we overcome them? Will we feel just as inspired to improve society when perhaps we are exhausted and homesick from college life? Will we feel just as inspired in four years when we enter the workforce or go to grad school?  

I guess my real question is, how do we continue to actually implement our dreams without the safety net of our community, parents, and school? To answer that question, I once again look towards Ariel’s coming of age journey. You see, at the end of the movie, although she has left her childhood home, the ocean, she is on a boat waving goodbye to her family, who swim in the water next to her. This image isn’t far from what I imagine will take place for my family this fall. So these boats that Lizzie talked about in her speech — let’s not forget that although we are now the captains, we aren’t alone. Yes, we are leaving home, but home isn’t leaving us. That safety net will always be there for us. And let that safety net provide us comfort as we face new challenges. Let it give us the strength and courage to take risks, to try new things, implement our dreams. Because of this safety net, we can continue to stay inspired, slightly naive, and even a little bit blindly optimistic of our own potential. Thank you, and good luck to you all. 


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