THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR THAT VERY
GENEROUS, KIND INTRODUCTION. IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S SORT OF A
TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE BINGO CARD OUT THERE, I'LL TRY
TO WEAVE THAT IN AS WELL. THANK YOU YOUMNA FOR
SAVING ME. I FORGOT MY PREPARED REMARKS TODAY AND INSTEAD
GRABBED ACCIDENTALLY MY SIX PAGE HAIR CARE MANUAL.
PERFECT HUMIDITY LEVEL TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH CLASS
COMMITTEE, CLASS OF 2022 FOR INVITING ME TO JOIN YOU FOR THIS
TREMENDOUS HONOR. WHEN I GOT THE INVITATION TO BE
YOUR SPEAKER, I FELT A PANG OF RECOGNITION, FOR MY EARLIEST
DAYS HERE IN THE YARD, LOOKING AROUND, AND WONDERING HOW I
COULD POSSIBLY BELONG HERE. I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT
POLITICS. WASN'T A JUNIOR SQUASH CHAMPION,
HADN'T WRITTEN A BOOK ON ASTRONOMY, THOSE WERE ALL MY
ENTRY WAY MATES. AND JUST LIKE THEN WHEN I WAS
FIRST ASKED TO JOIN YOU TODAY WAS, WHAT MAKES ME QUALIFIED
JUST SIX MONTHS INTO MY NEW JOB FOR THIS INCREDIBILITY HONOR.
I'M STILL TERRIBLE AT SQUASH. MY SECOND THOUGHT WAS, ACTUALLY
THIS IS KIND OF AWKWARD BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY TOLD ONE OF THE
HARVARD GRAD SCHOOLS THAT I WASN'T AVAILABLE TO BE THEIR
GRADUATION SPEAKER! TRUE STORY!
BUT I WANTED TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL BECAUSE THIS IS TRULY ONE OF
THE MOST SPECIAL EVENTS FROM COMMENCEMENT WEEK.
IT'S INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH ALL OF YOU IN THIS
MOMENT. IT'S A MOMENT OF POSSIBILITY.
AS YOU REFLECT ON ALL THAT YOU HAVE BEEN IMMERSED IN, IN PERSON
AND OVER ZOOM OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH THOSE WHO HAVE GROWN
ALONGSIDE YOU. SIX MONTHS AGO I WAS SWORN IN AS
AN UNUSUAL MAYOR OF BOSTON. THERE'S NOT MUCH AROUND THAT IS
OLDER THAN HARVARD, BUT BOSTON
IS. FOUNDED IN 1630 AND UNTIL SIX
MONTHS AGO, WE HAD NEVER IN NEARLY 400 YEARS ELECTED A WOMAN
OR A PERSON OF COLOR AS MAYOR! [APPLAUSE]
>> AND IT HAD BEEN NEARLY A CENTURY SINCE A HARVARD COLLEGE
GRAD BECAME MAYOR OF BOSTON. BUT 15 YEARS AGO, I SAT IN YOUR
VERY SEATS. SO MAYBE WHAT QUALIFIES ME MOST
OF ALL TO SHARE SOME INSIGHTS AT CLASS DAY IS THAT I'M PROOF THAT
YOU CAN GO FROM HAVING ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT YOU WANT
TO DO AT CLASS DAY TO MAYOR OF THE GREATEST CITY ON THE PLANET!
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] >> SINCE IT'S ONLY BEEN 15
YEARS, I CAN ALSO TELL YOU THAT YOU LIKELY WON'T REMEMBER
ANYTHING FROM THESE SPEECHES. EXCEPT FOR ASTRONOMY RESEARCHERS
OUT THERE, YOU SEEM TO REMEMBER EVERYTHING.
BUT IF THERE IS ONE WORD YOU MIGHT HOLD ONTO FROM YOUR TIME
HERE, LET IT BE THE WORD THAT'S ON YOUR SHINY CLASS RINGS
ON THE SWEATSHIRTS YOU'LL RETURN TO FOR COMFORT AND COZINESS,
THE HATS YOU'VE BEEN HASTILY GIVING TO FAMILY MEMBERS AS YOU
DASH HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS FROM THE COOP.
VERITAS SO LET'S GO WITH THAT. MY TRUTH IS, I CAME TO HARVARD
FOR THE CLAM CHOWDER, I HAD NO GRAND CAREER PLANS OR EVEN A
CLEAR ACADEMIC PASSION BUT I DID HAVE A LOT OF CLAM CHOWDER AT
ANENBERG. I'M THE OLDEST CHILD OF IMMIGRANT
PARENTS FROM TAIWAN. WE PILE INTO THE MINI VAN AND
DRIVE OVER AN HOUR TO GET TO THE CHINESE GROCERY STORE THAT HAD
THE RIGHT VEGETABLES AND SPICES. BUT IN THE RARE INSTANCES WHEN
WE DID GO OUT FOR DINNER MY PARENTS WOULD INSIST ON OLD
COUNTRY BUFFET, IT'S BEFORE YOUR TIME NOW BUT THERE USED TO BE IN
VARIOUS SUBURBAN STRIP MALLS AND ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET, OF
THINGS YOU WANTED LIKE MAC AND CHEESE AND ROAST BEEF.
THEY CHARGED KIDS BY THEIR AGE WHICH TOOK FUN OUT OF THE
BIRTHDAYS. BUT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MEAL
WAS AFTER THE MEAL I WOULD STILL FIND ROOM FOR SOFT SERVE ICE
CREAM AND A GLORIOUS BOWL OF CLAM CHOWDER. WHEN I LEARNED THERE WAS ALWAYS
SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM IN THE DINING HALLS AND CLAM CHOWDER, THAT WAS
IT. TO THIS DAY I'M STILL CURRIER
HOUSE THROUGH AND THROUGH. MY TRUTH IS THAT I WAS
DISAPPOINTED ABOUT GETTING QUADDED AND CONFUSED WHY OUR
MASCOT WAS A TREE AND OTHERS HAD ANIMALS THAT WERE FEARS AND
REGAL OR AT LEAST CUTE. I'M UP TO PLANTING TREES IN
BOSTON TO CREATE THE URBAN HEAT EFFECT, AN ON SE DAYS I BLURT
OUT, "FEAR THE TREE!" [APPLAUSE]
>> HERE'S ANOTHER TRUTH. I MET MY FUTURE HUSBAND AT
HARVARD YALE AND THE TRUTH IS HE WENT TO YALE!
LOVE KNOWS NO BOUNDS EXCEPT FOR
ONE. WE STILL HAVE NEVER SAT ON THE
SAME SIDE AT THE GAME. AND THE TRUTH IS, AT MY
COMMENCEMENT I WAS SCARED.
SURE. THERE WAS THAT SLIGHT NERVESNESS
ABOUT ENTERING THE REAL WORLD. BUT IT WAS MORE THAN THAT.
A TOOU MONTHS EARLIER, MY MOM -- A FEW IS MONTHS EARLIER MY MOM
HAD STARTED TO SHOW THE SIGNS OF MENTAL ILLNESS, PAIR 90 A,
DILUTIONS, HEARING THINGS NO ONE ELSE COULD HEAR.
IN THE CULTURE I GREW UP IN. WE COULDN'T BRING OUR BUSINESS
OUT TO THE PUBLIC. I COULDN'T TALK ABOUT IT OUTSIDE
IF FAMILY, AND MY MOM REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT WAS HAPPENING
MUCH LESS AGREE TO SEEK TREATMENT.
MY COMMENCEMENT WAS ONE OF THE LAST PUBLIC EVENTS SHE ATTENDED
BEFORE A MAJOR BREAKDOWN. AND I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT HER,
AND ABOUT MY FRIENDS AND THEIR FAMILIES NOTICING HER STRANGE
BEHAVIOR, IT STILL TOOK MONTHS AFTER THAT FOR US TO GET HER TO
SEEK TREATMENT AND MONTHS AFTER THAT FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO TALK
ABOUT IT WITH MY FRIENDS. IT WAS STILL A TRUTH THAT WAS
TOO PAINFUL TO SHARE BECAUSE OF THE STIG PLA THAT WE MUST ALL BE
A PART OF BREAK. THE TRUTH IS AMONG MY BLOCK IN
GROUP I WAS THE LAST PERSON ANYONE THOUGHT WOULD END UP IN
POLITICS BUT MY FAMILY'S CHALLENGES, MY MOM'S JOIN WITH
MENTAL HEALTH SET ME ON THIS PATH.
STEPPING IN AS A CAREGIVER TO MY MOM, RAISING MY SISTERS SHORTLY
AFTER GRADUATION, OPENING A SMALL BUSINESS, AND SEEING HOW
SO MANY OF THE SYSTEMS WE HAD TO INTERACT WITH, WEREN'T DESIGNED
FOR PEOPLE LIKE MY FAMILY. AND ALSO, SEEING THAT WE CAN ALL
HAVE A ROLE IN FIXING THEM. YOLL HR THE WISE, WORLDLY
ADVICE TOMORROW AT COMMENCEMENT MORNING EXERCISES SO I'LL JUST
GIVE THREE THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT VERITAS IN THE
YEARS SINCE LEAVING THE YARD. FIRST, YOUR OWN DEEP TRUTH SETS
THE FOUNDATION FOR YOUR HAPPINESS HEALTH AND IMPACT.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. FIGURE OUT WHAT GETS YOU EXCITED
TO WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND JUST AS IMPORTANT, LISTEN TO
YOUR BODY AND KNOW WHEN IT'S TELLING YOU YOU'RE NOT OKAY.
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH FRIENDS. IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE WORK
THAT RESPECTS UR TRUTH. THAT NEEDS IT.
AND NURTURES IT. AND ENCOURAGES YOU TO BE THE
TRUEST AND MOST JOYFUL VERSION OF YOURSELF.
I NEED SOME QUIET TIME BY MYSELF AT THE END OF EACH DAY WITH TWO
KIDS THAT IS QUITE DIFFICULT. AND EVERY ONCE THAT WHILE I NEED
A HIKE IN THE WOODS. FEAR THE TREE!
I FIND MY GREATEST MEANING IN BUILDING COMMUNITY AND HELPING
CHANGE PEOPLE'S PERSPECTIVES ON WHAT'S POSSIBLE.
SECOND, SEE WHAT IS TRULY REAL. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTFOR LIVED
EXPERIENCE. SURE, YOU CAN GOGGLE ALMOST
ANYTHING NOW. OR WATCH A TIKTOK EXPLAINER
VIDEO BUT IF YOU ARE TRYING TO SOLVE A PROBLEM IN THE WORLD
UNDERSTAND WHAT IT PEOPLES LIKE
FIRST. SEEK OUT THOSE CLOSE TO THE
CHALLENGE AND THOSE THAT WILL BE MOST IMPACTED BY ITS SOLUTION.
I TAKE THE T TO WORK BECAUSE MY OWN DEEP TRUTH IS THAT I'M A
TRANSIT NERD. BUT ALSO BECAUSE THERE'S NO
BETTER WAY TO GET EXPERTISE IN TRANSIT POLICY THAN TO
EXPERIENCE THE SYSTEM YOU'RE TRYING TO IMPROVE DAY IN AND DAY
OUT. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PEOPLE WHO
KNOW MORE ABOUT PEOPLE ABOUT A CHALLENGE OR A SOLUTION.
SEEK THEM OUT AND ASK QUESTIONS. SOME MIGHT BE SITTING RIGHT NEXT
TO YOU HERE TODAY. AND MANY ARE IN OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, DOING THE WORK ON
THE GROUND. THIRD: TELL THE TRUTH WHEN IT'S
HARD. I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT
ADMITTING TO A DEEP LOVE FOR CLAM CHOWDER OR EVEN WORKING TO
BREAK THE STIG PLA ON MENTAL ILL OWNERS BRING SHARING OUR
STORIES. IN THIS AGEOF INFORMATION,
OVERLOAD AND MISINFORMATION, CURATED SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS THAT
TOUT CONNECTION OFTEN DRIVE US FURTHER AND FURTHER APART.
IN POLITICS AND IN FAMILY AND IN WORK, SPEAK YOUR TRUTH AND HOLD
TRUE TO THE URGENCY YOU FEEL. BECAUSE FUNDAMENTALLY, SPEAKING
TRUTH IS THE ONLY WAY TO BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR TRUST.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE MISSING IN OUR SOCIETY AND OUR DEMOCRACY
TODAY. YOU KNOW ALL THE FACTS AND
STATISTICS ON CLIMATE RISKS, HOUSING AND CHILDCARE COSTS, OUR
CLOSING WINDOW OF TIME TO ACT. YET FROM PANDEMIC, PUBLIC HEALTH
TO STUDENT LOAN DEBT, BASIC REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND GUN
VIOLENCE WE'RE HAVING TO FIGHT THROUGH A TIDAL WAVE IN THIS
COUNTRY OF MISINFORMATION, BEFORE WE EVEN TREECH BARRIER OF
PROVING THAT OUR POLICY SOLUTIONS WORK.
TO TACKLE THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE TODAY WE NEED TO BUILD
TRUST IN THE URGENCY OF OUR CHALLENGES BY SEEKING THE TRUTH
OF THE EXPERIENCES OF THOSE ON THE GROUND.
SPEAKING THE TRUTH WHEN IT'S HARD AND BUILDING THE COMMUNITY
TO SOLVE IT. WE MUST TRUST IN POSSIBILITY.
INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY TO DO THE THINGS THAT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE.
THAT PEOPLE SAY ARE TOO PIE IN THE SKY OR RADICAL TO BE DONE.
AND BOSTON IS A CITY WHOSE HISTORY IS ROOTED IN DOING JUST
THAT. TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
TODAY WE'RE PROUD OF OUR MANY FIRSTS.
BOSTON IS LOAM TO THE FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THE COUNTRY,
FIRST PUBLIC PARK, FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL, FIRST SUBWAY SYSTEM
ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES. BUT WHAT WE OFTEN FORGET IS THAT
THE OPPOSITION TO THESE FOUNDATIONAL PUBLIC GOODS THAT
WE DON'T GIVE A SECOND THOUGHT TO TODAY, WAS ONCE F FIERCE AND
IMAGINATIVE IN ALL THE WRONG
WAYS. BEFORE THE FIRST SUBWAY LINE IN
THE COUNTRY BUSINESS OWNERS ALONG TMONT STREET FORMED THE
ANTISUBWAY LEAGUE, TO OPPOSE THE CREATION OF ANY SUBWAY LINES
ANYWHERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. THEY CREATED TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF SIXTHS FROM BUSINESS OWNERS AND RESIDENTS WHO WERE AFRAID.
THEY WERE AFRAID OF EVERYTHING FROM BRINGING A CURSE ON THE
CITY FOR WHAT MIGHT BE UNDERGROUND, DIGGING UP
EXTENSIVE SWATHS OF THE GROUND AND POTENTIALLY FORCING SNAKES
LIVING UNDER THE EARTH TO TAKE OVER THE SURFACE AND THEN TAKE
OVER ALL OF BOSTON. THESE WERE ACTUALLY IN THE
DOCUMENTS IN THE BOSTON ARCHIVES.
AND TODAY, WE DEPEND ON THIS
SYSTEM. WE'RE LEADING THE WAY IN PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION'S VISION FOR A FAIR, FREE SYSTEM, THAT SERVES
ALL. SO TO BE BOLD, AND CREATIVE,
HARVEST YOUR IMAGINATION TO FOCUS ON THE GOOD WE CAN DO WHEN
WE WORK TOGETHER. AND LET'S LET GO OF OUR
INSTINCTS TO PROTECT THE STATUS QUO.
AND HARNESS YOUR LEADERSHIP AND CAR I MA AND KNOWLEDGE, IF WE
AGREE TO GET OUR HANDS DIRTY AND BREAKER GROUND, RATHER THAN
WORRYING WHAT SNAKES MIKE LURK BENEATH THE SURFACE.
MOST OF ALL, REMEMBER, I ENDED UP AS THE GREEN NEW DEAL MAYOR
OF BOSTON DUE TO A LOVE OF CLAM CHOWDER, A REVERENCE FOR TREES,
FIND THE PLACE WITHIN THAT SPACE AND CAN YOU BE YOUR TRUEST SELF
AND IF IT DOESN'T EXIST, BUILD IT.
I KNOW BETTER THAN TO TRY TO TELL YOU NOT TO DO IT ALL.
BUT I WILL ENCOURAGE YOU TO FIND THE TIME EVERY NOW AND THEN TO
JUST BE. LIE IN THE SUN.
HUG YOUR FRIENDS. FACETIME YOUR FAMILY AND PICK UP
THEIR PHONE CALLS. READ A FEW PAGES OF A BOOK.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND EVERYONE YOU CARE FOR THEREAFTER
WILL BE GRATEFUL THAT DID YOU. AND WHEN YOU'RE READY -- THAT
YOU DID. AND WHEN YOU'RE READY SEEK THE
TRUTH, SEE WHAT'S REAL WHAT'S NECESSARY AND WHAT'S NOT.
THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE NEAREST
WHATEVER ISSUE YOU'RE TRYING TO SOLVE BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF
THOSE ON THE PERIPHERY. AND WHEN YOU FIND THAT TRUTH,
SWIM THROUGH WAVES OF MISINFORMATION AND DISBELIEF,
AND INCREDULOUSNESS AND TELL IT, TELL THE TRUTH WHEN IT'S HARD
AND UNCOMFORTABLE AND COMPLEX. AND TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN,
HOLD PEOPLE THROUGH IT, IF THEY NEED TO BE HELD, BUT TELL THE
TRUTH. TELL IT SO WE CAN BUILD AND
REBUILD THE TRUST THAT'S NEEDED FOR OUR BRIGHTEST FUTURE.
YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. CHOOSE TO MAKE WHAT YOU DO
IMPACTFUL, JOYFUL, AND TRUE. FOR ALL ROOTING FOR YOU CLASS OF
2022. CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK.