Hello.
My name is Noe Jurado and I am the Spring 2020 WIU Centennial Honors College Convocation
Speaker.
These unprecedented times of uncertainty may have stripped us of this incredible ceremony
in person.
Nonetheless, everything we have sacrificed and worked for was not in vain.
WE have earned these awards, medallions and accolades.
Thus, I invite you to celebrate with me today.
I want to tell you a story of a little boy who, at the age of 9 was forced to be the
man of the house to help raise his sister.
This little boy is someone I admired, someone I looked up to.
His story began with an undocumented single mother who sacrificed everything in order
to put a roof over his head and food on the table.
He was blessed.
He was thrust into an overcrowded educational system and exposed to drugs and violence.
However, it was here he found the only role model he could ever count on, a school social
worker, who supported him in every way and steered him away from wrong.
He was blessed.
As you can see, he was unable to live a normal childhood because he was a victim of circumstance.
Yet, his family expected him to be a man, to move his family out of poverty all while
having the pressures of his environment.
He knew ALL EYES WERE ON HIM, that little boy was the center of attention and no matter
what he did, there was always a problem to be solved, there was always something negative
to be said, even his own thoughts ate him alive at times.
Yet, he still felt blessed.
Con cada lucha ganó sabiduría, y con cada lucha desarrolló una autenticidad sin complejos.
When I came to Western Illinois University, I kept the story of this little boy close
to my heart.
I was curious as to why he always felt so blessed living in the circumstances he was
in.
It wasn’t until recently that I understood why he felt so blessed.
Over the last four years, we’ve grown, we’ve reflected and possibly gained an entirely
new outlook on life.
As for me, some of the most monumental experiences as a Leatherneck have included being involved
in the Multicultural Center and learning in the Department of Art.
The Multicultural Center is where I’ve met some of the most caring and supportive, yet
tough individuals on this campus.
I saw the passion, the dedication, and the commitment to aid Western’s students, in
meaningful and unapologetic ways.
Meeting these friends has now made me want to do the same.
The Art Department is where I learned genuineness.
My major has taught me how to express myself through a different lens and to see people
with different lenses.
It wasn’t just art in a new perspective, it was life in a different perspective, an
authentic perspective.
Perhaps you can relate to similar experiences.
Perhaps you’ve been involved in organizations which helped you to see new perspectives and
meet new people.
Perhaps your time here has been life-changing, like mine.
You see, being here has helped me to learn lessons from childhood which didn’t make
sense at the time but I have exceptional clarity on today.
I finally have come to understand why that little boy, now standing in front of you today
as a graduate, is so blessed.
My authenticity began when I realized my role in my family and becoming the man of the house.
My father’s absence taught me value.
No te preocupas, ya entendí que hiciste todo lo posible con las cartas en tu mano, and
even through your absence I learned to appreciate the little things and enjoy every moment of
my journey.
Mi madrecita, que sacrificaste tanto, por ti aprendí humildad.
And because of everything you gave up for us, I am standing here a college scholar with
plans to pursue my MBA.
Crystal, my sister, my mini me.
The love I have for you steered me in the right direction, taking care of you made me
realize I wanted to be a role model and change people’s lives because you changed mine.
My authenticity continued to develop when a social worker I met, Jennifer Gisburne,
helped me to find hope.
I found, through hope, that I was academically gifted.
She believed in me and made me believe in myself enough to pursue academics at Western
Illinois University.
It is here, at WIU that my authenticity has allowed me to discover that I am unapologetically
authentic.
I am standing here today because others believed in me, pushed me and gave me hope.
I am standing here because my faculty and friends continued to believe in me.
There were times when I felt like giving up.
BUT, I STAYED because I was finally able to understand that little boy and was not afraid
to be myself.
Unafraid, to develop an unapologetic authenticity.
Now that you know my story, I ask you to now reflect upon yourself, your journey, your
story.
Who are you and where do you want your life to take you?
Authenticity is the connection between what you are saying, how you are saying it, and
what you know – based on your experiences.
Authenticity allows people to see what you see and feel what you feel.
Living with authenticity means living a life without pretense or lies.
It means being honest with yourself.
At the same time, if living with authenticity allows others to share in our experiences
in meaningful ways, living unapologetically allows you to live without fear.
Living unapologetically means living a life where you know your worth, you know your value,
and with your head held high you know that you need not live in fear.
I know my worth.
I know my value.
I am a College Scholar pursuing higher education.
I have fire in my chest, I see beauty through the smoke.
I am an artist, telling stories through different forms of art.
Con uña y diente, I make magic with the dirt.
I am an activist, without fear, fighting for social justice and equality.
However you cook me, I come out raw.
My name is Noe Jurado and I am a first generation Mexican-American.
That little boy, dragged through the mud, is unapologetically authentic and I hope you
too might also discover your own unapologetic authenticity.
To my fellow graduates congratulations on your achievements to date, and good luck in
all your future endeavors.