everyone has their own definition of the
word identity some may say the words
your reputation the way about their seat
to me and edit it means how you see
yourself how you identify yourself
whether that be a gender sexuality or as
simple it’s a personality if you draw
away you see result is what you have had
as a first night experience you could go
through this life-changing event or have
a short conversation that sticks in your
mind harder this stays with you
therefore impacting the way thing and
the decisions you make to myself I feel
have a very caring and kind person
little girl very quiet Who I am today
the sultan’s when I passed but one
specific event she needs me more than
others when I was 8 years old my father
and I still doesn’t don’t passed away at
the time I was so young I barely knew
how to function like a normal meeting me
let alone deal with all these emotions I
was a happy extrovert evolve sunshine
but suddenly this huge event changed
since I’m the youngest of seven kids I
didn’t know my father – well I do least
amount of time to be with him which made
everything worse it didn’t hit me until
I was in the middle of being ten I had
matured enough and had time to actually
take in whole life and they have a
different my life had been and would be
without my father he wouldn’t be there
to help me or repres Emerick when I was
hurting or helped me when I needed
comforting I went into heaven to talk
about my relationship problems look over
at time during graduation or heaven
walking down the aisle at my own wedding
he wouldn’t even be there to meet his
grandchildren all of these beautiful
visions I had in the future would be
missing a huge part my father being
there that was the time of my life that
I completely broke down my whole
personality flips and I became a new
person I was introverted
lazy pessimistic and all around not
healthy I loved my life started being
hurt it became sad and easily offended
of course I still had my bubbly side but
I would randomly snap at my
friends pretty good just a small thing
that I’m going mean I was also fragile I
was very scared confrontation there’s a
specific memory that I still see my mind
so typically I was talking to my
elementary school teacher mrs. Bosma she
had come to talk with me about my
request to quit their club a
conversation last a few seconds of her
asking me why I want to quit and a few
minutes of me crying she felt so bad she
made me cry but really it wasn’t her
fault at all
I was just didn’t state of mind that
made me think everyone hated me and I
was somehow giving them a reason to do
so at that moment I fell like the end of
the world now what just seems silly it
just an 11 at a time a great finger
immigrant I changed him the next year of
my life but not not drastically age 12
is a time of reflection I felt this on
my own feelings it kept everything to
myself at the community closed off and
shy this is also the time when I realize
how different my life was from other
people’s I didn’t know what other people
would be going through so I constantly
convinced myself that being mean to
someone even jokingly would be taking it
too far
I hated the way I felt and the thought
of other people having these emotions
made me feel sick no one should ever
have to feel deal with the things I did
and still there are many people who’ve
been through way worse so I wanted to
make sure no other this hopeless decided
I wanted to make people laugh or smile
anything that made them happy this is
why I think I got my caring trade from I
want to take care of everyone else
before myself and making other people
happy uni feel better they let me know
that I was making a difference even if
it was just a small to smile but doing
anything to make a person happy means
that I forced myself to always say yes
it didn’t matter whether I was having a
bad day or sugaring with anything at all
I didn’t want to let my friends down I
don’t want to have them stare at me like
I should ruin missed their life I used
to feel so guilty for just small sins I
did that shifted other people’s moods so
I gave in to them and still and were he
saying no I don’t want to make myself
sound like this terrible depressed
person that hated her friends in her
life because I’m not I never was sure I
had my moments where we should all just
disappear I still did today
but that’s part of me never came to the
surface I was scared that people would
use making securities and vulnerability
against me which is why I choose to stay
quiet hidden in your background if I
were to describe working through my
emotions it would be close to this
imagine swinging on a rope to get from
one platform together you’re confident
that you can make it to the other side
and go you grip the Rope and lift up
your legs only to swing halfway there
now you’re stuck in the middle trying to
find your way you try to push your body
in one direction but no matter how far
this or it’s never far enough to get
your feet to the platform this is how I
was I defense I’d swing close to find my
way when we’d to get less again I felt
like every single thing I did would
later turn around and make life
miserable for me I was constantly trying
to find my balance between my emotions I
was lost in myself desperate to feel
sane again now if you ask anyone in my
class on my teachers to describe me they
most likely say I’m very shy too quiet
and it’s true I’m always the one person
in class and never raises their hand to
answer or ask a question fortunately
most of the teachers I’ve had understand
this they realize that I’m not
comfortable being the center of
attention I’ve had people in my life
that I think it’s stupid that I get this
nervous as you can see so far I’ve been
tripping over my words and my body’s
been shaking my breathing isn’t great
sitting either I’m not used to having
all eyes from me except when I’m to me
even then my shaking isn’t very
controlled so for the people mr.
Newman’s have never met me or my family
you probably should know that we all
love music when my dad died I didn’t
have anything you there to help me other
than my family but when I got a phone
music became my escape I once read that
music has drug-like effects it calms
nerves and changes of brain chemistry
music was a huge help for me through my
grieving process the Chinese songs that
I relate to or songs I could live
through since then I’ve always had music
– I thought I saw some music down my
back having some more for singing mean
you can all go a little bit
I participated in show choir tonie’s in
addition to chrysalis even getting some
of them I met new friends from choir
just from being or bombing over Africa
dance I also had a great opportunity to
perform a song in the intermediate
schools morning announcements we had an
assignment to do where we write a book
and it’s a bring in a memento their
character would have I read the book
that Blackbird fly by an exotic Italy
this book a main character named Apple
was a Filipino girl living with her
mother in America she had recently moved
there after her father’s death she was
addicted to the Beatles and did a great
love for music and playing guitar I
thought is crazy how I found a book that
had a main character who was so much
like me I brought in my ukulele since a
lot since it was a lot easier to carry
that with me than a guitar of course
makes me seriously asked if I could play
something from the class and without
thinking it through
I said yes I sing the song house of gold
by 21 pilots in apparently I was haunted
enough to play for the whole school even
though it was just a video recording the
thought of everyone staring at me nearly
healed to see my teacher knew how
reserved I was and was incredibly
impressed that I had this new voice that
was so strong when the day came that
everyone saw it
I got a ridiculous amount of support and
compliments each one slowly building me
up at this point in my life I was
getting better at being myself now jump
to age 13 this is why I’m in seventh
grade and I start doing things by myself
I can’t join people I trust in my whole
life at some point I need to get over my
fears of getting hurt in social
situations public speaking and hurting
people’s feelings I need to mature and
be confident with who I am when I need
that push of inspiration I think of me
dad he was just a strong hearing and
brain person all I wanted in my life is
to make him proud and I realized that
this thing’s holding me back keeps me
from doing that so I don’t worry I’m
saying no more often I’ve been
participating in volleyball in summer
school I’ve been taking chances to
public speak about what I’m passionate
about and that’s part of why I’m here
today I want a chance to talk about what
I want to talk about and be myself but
the weird thing is I think I like being
the way that I am somehow I I know most
of you guys will understand this but
it’s like somehow
I find this party to be fascinating my
whole life has been changed by this
event and I still want to cling to it I
find a comfort in nostalgia and change
is scary but that shouldn’t affect my
life so much though this may be my
identity I don’t want to feel like this
my whole life so today I stand here
before you miss a fourteen-year-old girl
still in seventh grade evolving into the
person I want to be I’m kind funny smart
iiin talented and I’m beautiful I am
scared shy introverted I’m sensitive and
I’m vulnerable I don’t want anyone to be
ashamed of their feelings and went
through this phase and at the moment I’m
trying to work me wait a bit I’m sure
that talking about it would be a huge
help
so when someone asks you if you’re okay
don’t just say good because you don’t
think they’ll care if they really do
care about you they shouldn’t just
expect a one-word answer and the same
goes from we don’t ask someone else
listen to that and support them if you
think they need it because it’s so hard
to explain what you’re going through
when you don’t think that the person
will understand but after talking about
it it feels like a huge weight has been
lifted off your body and you can breathe
clearer you won’t regret it because I
know I don’t this event to my past amuse
me but I can’t let it hold me back into
everyone listening you may go through
huge event the changes you as well
whether it be good or bad easy or
challenging it will have some sort of
impact on you wait you shouldn’t let
that hold you back from being yourself
take it learn from it change from it and
then live your life as a person whom you
come to be or it turns you want to be
because what you go through in the past
mr. Shanker what makes you you
you [Applause]
word identity some may say the words
your reputation the way about their seat
to me and edit it means how you see
yourself how you identify yourself
whether that be a gender sexuality or as
simple it’s a personality if you draw
away you see result is what you have had
as a first night experience you could go
through this life-changing event or have
a short conversation that sticks in your
mind harder this stays with you
therefore impacting the way thing and
the decisions you make to myself I feel
have a very caring and kind person
little girl very quiet Who I am today
the sultan’s when I passed but one
specific event she needs me more than
others when I was 8 years old my father
and I still doesn’t don’t passed away at
the time I was so young I barely knew
how to function like a normal meeting me
let alone deal with all these emotions I
was a happy extrovert evolve sunshine
but suddenly this huge event changed
since I’m the youngest of seven kids I
didn’t know my father – well I do least
amount of time to be with him which made
everything worse it didn’t hit me until
I was in the middle of being ten I had
matured enough and had time to actually
take in whole life and they have a
different my life had been and would be
without my father he wouldn’t be there
to help me or repres Emerick when I was
hurting or helped me when I needed
comforting I went into heaven to talk
about my relationship problems look over
at time during graduation or heaven
walking down the aisle at my own wedding
he wouldn’t even be there to meet his
grandchildren all of these beautiful
visions I had in the future would be
missing a huge part my father being
there that was the time of my life that
I completely broke down my whole
personality flips and I became a new
person I was introverted
lazy pessimistic and all around not
healthy I loved my life started being
hurt it became sad and easily offended
of course I still had my bubbly side but
I would randomly snap at my
friends pretty good just a small thing
that I’m going mean I was also fragile I
was very scared confrontation there’s a
specific memory that I still see my mind
so typically I was talking to my
elementary school teacher mrs. Bosma she
had come to talk with me about my
request to quit their club a
conversation last a few seconds of her
asking me why I want to quit and a few
minutes of me crying she felt so bad she
made me cry but really it wasn’t her
fault at all
I was just didn’t state of mind that
made me think everyone hated me and I
was somehow giving them a reason to do
so at that moment I fell like the end of
the world now what just seems silly it
just an 11 at a time a great finger
immigrant I changed him the next year of
my life but not not drastically age 12
is a time of reflection I felt this on
my own feelings it kept everything to
myself at the community closed off and
shy this is also the time when I realize
how different my life was from other
people’s I didn’t know what other people
would be going through so I constantly
convinced myself that being mean to
someone even jokingly would be taking it
too far
I hated the way I felt and the thought
of other people having these emotions
made me feel sick no one should ever
have to feel deal with the things I did
and still there are many people who’ve
been through way worse so I wanted to
make sure no other this hopeless decided
I wanted to make people laugh or smile
anything that made them happy this is
why I think I got my caring trade from I
want to take care of everyone else
before myself and making other people
happy uni feel better they let me know
that I was making a difference even if
it was just a small to smile but doing
anything to make a person happy means
that I forced myself to always say yes
it didn’t matter whether I was having a
bad day or sugaring with anything at all
I didn’t want to let my friends down I
don’t want to have them stare at me like
I should ruin missed their life I used
to feel so guilty for just small sins I
did that shifted other people’s moods so
I gave in to them and still and were he
saying no I don’t want to make myself
sound like this terrible depressed
person that hated her friends in her
life because I’m not I never was sure I
had my moments where we should all just
disappear I still did today
but that’s part of me never came to the
surface I was scared that people would
use making securities and vulnerability
against me which is why I choose to stay
quiet hidden in your background if I
were to describe working through my
emotions it would be close to this
imagine swinging on a rope to get from
one platform together you’re confident
that you can make it to the other side
and go you grip the Rope and lift up
your legs only to swing halfway there
now you’re stuck in the middle trying to
find your way you try to push your body
in one direction but no matter how far
this or it’s never far enough to get
your feet to the platform this is how I
was I defense I’d swing close to find my
way when we’d to get less again I felt
like every single thing I did would
later turn around and make life
miserable for me I was constantly trying
to find my balance between my emotions I
was lost in myself desperate to feel
sane again now if you ask anyone in my
class on my teachers to describe me they
most likely say I’m very shy too quiet
and it’s true I’m always the one person
in class and never raises their hand to
answer or ask a question fortunately
most of the teachers I’ve had understand
this they realize that I’m not
comfortable being the center of
attention I’ve had people in my life
that I think it’s stupid that I get this
nervous as you can see so far I’ve been
tripping over my words and my body’s
been shaking my breathing isn’t great
sitting either I’m not used to having
all eyes from me except when I’m to me
even then my shaking isn’t very
controlled so for the people mr.
Newman’s have never met me or my family
you probably should know that we all
love music when my dad died I didn’t
have anything you there to help me other
than my family but when I got a phone
music became my escape I once read that
music has drug-like effects it calms
nerves and changes of brain chemistry
music was a huge help for me through my
grieving process the Chinese songs that
I relate to or songs I could live
through since then I’ve always had music
– I thought I saw some music down my
back having some more for singing mean
you can all go a little bit
I participated in show choir tonie’s in
addition to chrysalis even getting some
of them I met new friends from choir
just from being or bombing over Africa
dance I also had a great opportunity to
perform a song in the intermediate
schools morning announcements we had an
assignment to do where we write a book
and it’s a bring in a memento their
character would have I read the book
that Blackbird fly by an exotic Italy
this book a main character named Apple
was a Filipino girl living with her
mother in America she had recently moved
there after her father’s death she was
addicted to the Beatles and did a great
love for music and playing guitar I
thought is crazy how I found a book that
had a main character who was so much
like me I brought in my ukulele since a
lot since it was a lot easier to carry
that with me than a guitar of course
makes me seriously asked if I could play
something from the class and without
thinking it through
I said yes I sing the song house of gold
by 21 pilots in apparently I was haunted
enough to play for the whole school even
though it was just a video recording the
thought of everyone staring at me nearly
healed to see my teacher knew how
reserved I was and was incredibly
impressed that I had this new voice that
was so strong when the day came that
everyone saw it
I got a ridiculous amount of support and
compliments each one slowly building me
up at this point in my life I was
getting better at being myself now jump
to age 13 this is why I’m in seventh
grade and I start doing things by myself
I can’t join people I trust in my whole
life at some point I need to get over my
fears of getting hurt in social
situations public speaking and hurting
people’s feelings I need to mature and
be confident with who I am when I need
that push of inspiration I think of me
dad he was just a strong hearing and
brain person all I wanted in my life is
to make him proud and I realized that
this thing’s holding me back keeps me
from doing that so I don’t worry I’m
saying no more often I’ve been
participating in volleyball in summer
school I’ve been taking chances to
public speak about what I’m passionate
about and that’s part of why I’m here
today I want a chance to talk about what
I want to talk about and be myself but
the weird thing is I think I like being
the way that I am somehow I I know most
of you guys will understand this but
it’s like somehow
I find this party to be fascinating my
whole life has been changed by this
event and I still want to cling to it I
find a comfort in nostalgia and change
is scary but that shouldn’t affect my
life so much though this may be my
identity I don’t want to feel like this
my whole life so today I stand here
before you miss a fourteen-year-old girl
still in seventh grade evolving into the
person I want to be I’m kind funny smart
iiin talented and I’m beautiful I am
scared shy introverted I’m sensitive and
I’m vulnerable I don’t want anyone to be
ashamed of their feelings and went
through this phase and at the moment I’m
trying to work me wait a bit I’m sure
that talking about it would be a huge
help
so when someone asks you if you’re okay
don’t just say good because you don’t
think they’ll care if they really do
care about you they shouldn’t just
expect a one-word answer and the same
goes from we don’t ask someone else
listen to that and support them if you
think they need it because it’s so hard
to explain what you’re going through
when you don’t think that the person
will understand but after talking about
it it feels like a huge weight has been
lifted off your body and you can breathe
clearer you won’t regret it because I
know I don’t this event to my past amuse
me but I can’t let it hold me back into
everyone listening you may go through
huge event the changes you as well
whether it be good or bad easy or
challenging it will have some sort of
impact on you wait you shouldn’t let
that hold you back from being yourself
take it learn from it change from it and
then live your life as a person whom you
come to be or it turns you want to be
because what you go through in the past
mr. Shanker what makes you you
you [Applause]
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