“I’ve always been a rule follower. When they said not to chew gum, I didn’t chew gum. When they said not to use your cellphone, I didn’t use my cellphone. But today, in the spirit of defying expectations, and for perhaps the last time at this podium, I say..."
Early College High School valedictorian Alem Hadzic has gone viral after he took the stage at his graduation ceremony to deliver his speech—just hours after his father's funeral.
Hi, I'm Sarah! I am a young, female pastor striving to embrace all of what that means while acknowledging that my identity extends both deeper and beyond those labels. In the words of Mary Oliver, "I believe in kindness, also in mischief. Also in singing, especially when it is not necessarily prescribed." Read more of my work over on my blog.
'"Many people expect a pastor like me—a 29-year-old with enough piercings and tattoos to make them think I might have an “in” with my peers but not enough to totally freak them out—to know how to fix it, or even to be a draw.'
