Transcriber: Maureen Bautista Reviewer: Hiroko Kawano
If you know me, you know my sister.
Many of you may actually be expecting her to walk in at any moment
to give this speech alongside me.
Because we're twins, right?
We do everything together.
Womb to the tomb.
I hate to break it to you all, but tonight, I stand here alone.
I know, surprising -
the twins are doing something separate,
but, yes, I stand here alone.
Now, with this, many of you may be questioning why.
Why, Kat, have you decided to be up here alone?
Well, as a twin,
uniqueness is something I can honestly say I've always struggled with.
Many failed to identify
not only the physical differences between my sister and I
but our personality differences as well.
Yeah, I know in my heart that we are different.
And I stand here alone tonight to prove that not only to you all
but to myself.
Because as much as I can stand here and ramble on
about the idea that we're two separate, unique individuals,
I still struggle to figure out what exactly makes us so.
To much of my own surprise,
when people ask me, "What's different about you guys?"
I have a hard time finding a valid answer.
We just like so many of the same things.
We talk about the same things, hate the same things,
are passionate about the same things, do the same things.
We just make sure not to wear the same things.
And I can assure you it's pure coincidence:
we don't strive to be the same.
It literally just happens.
So the least I can do is cut my hair short.
Shorter than hers, that is.
My shorter hair makes me feel, well, different, unique.
It reminds me that I am my own person,
that I'm the rebellious one, the risk-taker,
the daredevil who tries not to think too much,
the crybaby, the clumsy one,
the one that all too often puts her foot in her mouth.
My shorter hair is a physical reminder that I am indeed different,
that I am my own person,
that I am one-in-a-million,
not one in a pair, not a part of a unit,
but I am just Katherine De Jesus.
Just Kat, just me.
My sister and I are always being compared.
And as twins, I understand why that is.
But I still await the day
where my test scores and accomplishments aren't compared to those of my sister.
I await the day where it's not always
"You got 2 points higher than your sister" -
"two points less," "two points more."
I await the day where I am compared to who I used to be.
Excuse me if I sound a little bit selfish,
but I await the day where the weight of my achievements
aren't measured according to those of my sister.
Competition is basically nonexistent between my sister and I.
I am extremely proud of what she's done,
and I know she is proud of what I've done.
But I don't care whether I'm better than my sister.
I want to know if I'm better than the person who I was yesterday
because as an individual, which I am, I aim to improve myself.
Nonetheless, I think I've always stood by my sister because it's easier that way.
It's easier to have my best friend, my womb mate, always there for me,
always there to help me make decisions,
there to help me pick out what to wear, what to buy,
what to order at a restaurant.
It's even easier to start conversations; we don't have to say anything.
People just go on up to us, be like,
"Oh my god, you're twins. What's that like?"
And the conversation goes from there.
It's easier, far easier than being alone.
The fear of being alone: it's mortifying.
But it isn't until we're alone that we grow up,
that we learn just how strong we are, just how capable we are,
just how comfortable we can get with the uncomfortable.
I have loved every single moment, every memory, every award, every title,
every laugh, every cry
I've been given the privilege to share with my sister.
But now I am ready to begin a new chapter, a new book.
I am eager to start making a name for myself, to distinguish myself.
I'm eager to see that it is my story that I tell,
and I sure do pray it's a good one.
Of course, that begs the question,
what story does Katherine De Jesus - not Kimberly and Katherine - want to tell?
What story do you - not your parents, not your friends, not your teachers -
want to tell?
We will never have the answer to this question until we stand alone,
until we listen to our own voices, our own brains, our own hearts,
our own guts.
I hate to be cliche and cheesy and all,
but I couldn't think of any other quote more fitting
to explain what I'm trying to say.
When writing the story of your life, remember that it is you who holds the pen
or the pencil or the crayon or the highlighter or the Sharpie -
whatever you prefer.
Because the one thing you'll always have that nobody else does is you,
your heart, your soul, your essence.
Those things are yours and only yours.
They form who you are, your identity.
So, who are you? Who am I?
I didn't realize how difficult this question would be
until I tried answering it myself.
So, who am I?
Yes, I am a twin, but I am more than just that.
I am Katherine De Jesus.
I'm a Black Hispanic female, first-generation American.
I'm an artist, a filmmaker.
I am a hardcore, BuzzFeed, anything-superhero enthusiast.
I'm an absolute dork, a bookworm.
I'm many things,
but more than anything, I'm really just me,
me being a girl who just wants to be happy,
who wants to do what she loves.
I'm just a girl with the hunger to excel, to learn, to grow.
I'm a girl who desires something different, something good,
something my heart told me
I would start finding in standing here alone.
Thank you.