“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.
"You are about to be surprised little lady. My tirade I am about to have right here, well, it is not one in which you will be put in your place and reminded to be respectful."
"On your wedding day, I felt so torn... I knew I couldn’t stop you from beginning your own journey. I let you go, and I thought of the people who told me not to blink. And you drove away."
"If you truly want to know how to help your daughter feel confident like I do... then, we have to experience for ourselves the confidence that comes not from winning a pageant or wearing a size two, but the confidence that comes from Christ, alone."
