黑料正能量

Good morning President Crosby, members of the Board of Trustees, esteemed guests, faculty, staff, parents, family members, and friends, and of course, good morning to the graduating students!

My name is Kyzier Kelly, the Student Government Association President for the Class of 2026. I grew up in Jackson, New Jersey and yes its where six flags is. It is also where wrestling became my first love. Also where I grew to love volleyball. Growing up was full of challenges and this university was no exception. But I guess we made it to graduation.

So first, I want to give thanks to God for blessing me with the life I live. There have been moments where things didn鈥檛 go as planned, times when I didn鈥檛 understand why certain obstacles were placed in my path鈥攂ut looking back now, I can see that every challenge had a purpose. Every setback helped shape me into the person I am today.

I want to thank my family. There鈥檚 no way I could have made it this far without your constant support, love, and belief in me鈥攅ven during the times I didn鈥檛 fully believe in myself. You鈥檝e been my foundation, motivation, and reminder of what truly matters in life. Everything I do is a reflection of the values you鈥檝e instilled in me.

To my friends, thank you. Thank you for the laughs, the late nights, the real conversations, and even the tough moments. You鈥檝e pushed me to grow, think differently, and become a better version of myself. You鈥檝e been there through the highs and the lows, and I wouldn鈥檛 trade those experiences for anything.

To my brothers鈥攖he men鈥檚 volleyball team鈥攚e鈥檝e been through so much together. From wins that felt like we were on top of the world to losses that tested our resilience, we stayed together through it all. That bond is something that goes beyond the court. That bond is built on trust, sacrifice, and shared struggle. I have nothing but love for each and every single one of you, and I truly believe that all of you are destined for greatness in this next phase of life.

As I stand here today, I can鈥檛 help but reflect on the journey. Not just mine, but ours. Because every single person sitting here has their own story鈥攆illed with challenges, growth, and moments that have defined who they are.

One thing that has stayed with me throughout my journey is a quote from my high school volleyball coach, Mr. Ulrich. He used to always say, 鈥淐ontrol the controllables.鈥�

At the time, it sounded simple. Maybe even repetitive. But over time, I realized just how powerful those words are.

鈥淐ontrol the controllables.鈥�

There鈥檚 so much in life that we can鈥檛 control. We can鈥檛 control what people think about us. We can鈥檛 control unexpected setbacks. We can鈥檛 control every outcome.

But what we can control is our effort. We can control our attitude. We can control how we respond when things don鈥檛 go our way.

And that mindset changed everything for me.

There were moments in my college journey where things felt uncertain. Times when I faced adversity鈥攑hysically, mentally, emotionally. Moments where I had to question myself and ask, 鈥淎m I strong enough to get through this?鈥�

And the answer didn鈥檛 come from outside voices. It came from within.

It came from choosing to keep going. It came from focusing on what I could do, instead of what I couldn鈥檛. It came from controlling the controllables.

That鈥檚 something I want everyone here to take with them as we move forward.

Because life after this鈥攚hatever path you choose鈥攊sn鈥檛 going to be perfect. There will be obstacles. There will be moments of doubt. There will be times when things don鈥檛 go according to plan.

But in those moments, remember this: You still have control over how you show up.

You have control over whether you quit or keep pushing. You have control over whether you let failure define you or teach you. You have control over whether you settle or strive for more.

And that鈥檚 where growth happens.

Being Student Government Association President has been one of the greatest honors of my life. It鈥檚 given me the opportunity to lead, to listen, and to serve. But more importantly, it鈥檚 taught me that leadership isn鈥檛 about a title鈥攊t鈥檚 about impact.

It鈥檚 about how you treat people. It鈥檚 about how you uplift others. It鈥檚 about how you leave a place better than you found it.

And I hope, in some way, I鈥檝e been able to do that.

As I mentioned before, today is about all of our journeys. In some way, shape, or form, we have all had an impact on each others lives.

Whether you realize it or not, you鈥檝e influenced someone. You鈥檝e inspired someone. You鈥檝e made a difference.

And as we step into this next chapter, I challenge you to keep doing that.

Keep showing up. Keep pushing forward. Keep believing in yourself, even when it鈥檚 hard.

Because where we鈥檙e going in life isn鈥檛 just determined by talent or opportunity鈥攊t鈥檚 determined by consistency, resilience, and mindset.

And if there鈥檚 one thing I know about this class, it鈥檚 that we are resilient.

We鈥檝e faced challenges. We鈥檝e adapted. We鈥檝e grown.

And now, we鈥檙e ready.

Ready to take everything we鈥檝e learned and apply it to the real world. Ready to chase our goals. Ready to create the future we鈥檝e been working toward.

So as we leave this chapter behind and step into the next one, I want to leave you with this:

Don鈥檛 be afraid of failure. Don鈥檛 be afraid of change. And don鈥檛 be afraid of stepping outside your comfort zone.

Because that鈥檚 where life really begins.
Continue to control the controllables. Continue to believe in yourself. And continue to strive for greatness in everything you do.
I鈥檓 proud of all of you. I鈥檓 grateful to have been part of this journey with you. And I can鈥檛 wait to see the incredible things you all accomplish.

Thank you.