“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.
"I was once the person that would say 'that kid wouldn't act like that if they were disciplined'. But oh did God have a plan of teaching me a lesson I didn't know I needed to learn, and making me eat those words."
And with an eye-roll, my daughter turned away... She can roll her eyes in a complete circle like a hamster wheel. “You’re in trouble,” I have heard from bystanders, friends, and family. “I am in trouble,” I, myself, have even said on multiple occasions.
"I’ve learned strong-willed toddlers grow up to be strong-willed teens. And that’s more than okay. It’s actually a blessing and I wouldn’t change it if I could."