Now, I’d like to introduce a member of the Class of 2021. The president of Student Government
for the past academic year, Anagha Kikkeri.
Anagha, it’s been a real pleasure working with you this year. You’ve had a presidency
unlike any other at UT — with perhaps the exception of mine…
[pause]
I think one of my favorite recent memories was seeing you and other student leaders at
the Orange and White game, here on the field back in April.
It was a great reminder of how much I appreciate and enjoy our student leaders, especially
when we get to spend time together in person.
Graduates, please welcome Anagha Kikkeri.
Thank you President Hartzell for that introduction.
437 days ago, the winds of a changing world scattered us all over the state, the country,
and the world. But today we are back, together again, and seeing so many unmuted, in-person
faces brings me joy. To those faces half covered in front of me and to the faces separated
by a screen hundreds of miles away, thank you. Thank you for your support for us graduates
during this milestone of our lives.
Today is the first ever, socially distanced, in-person graduation. But class of 2021, are
we not the class of many firsts? The first class to start during a hurricane, the first
class to endure through a once-in-a lifetime winter storm, and the first class to finish
a whole year during the COVID-19 pandemic.
And among us are other living, walking Firsts: First generation college students. First generation
immigrants. Or the first generation to fake technical difficulties on zoom to get out
of class.
Throughout my four years my family has supported me, encouraged me, and emboldened me. Thank
you to my family, I love y’all. And today I am going to share three lessons
from my family that have guided me through life.
My family taught me, “What was hard to bear is sweet to remember.”
When I first came to the forty acres, I was unsure of my identity. Growing up people told
me I wasn’t American enough, Texan enough, or Indian enough. I’ll never forget one
moment. In middle school, my parents asked me if the bullying at school had stopped.
I looked them in the eye and said, “I’m doing great, I’m basically white now.”
Pain filled my parents eyes as they saw their daughter’s identity slip away. Many years
later, during my time at UT, I embarked on a journey to find out who I am. Today, after
hills and valleys, arm in arm with faithful friends who forever changed my life, I know
who I am. We each took our own journeys at UT. We each learned great lessons and gained
friends along the way. We are a class of unparalleled problems. We all overcame mountains in these
last four years, and while the journey was hard, the memories are sweet. [pause]
My family taught me, “We can’t change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust
the sails.”
While my parents could control that I grew up in this country, they could not control
the racism that we endured. But, they ensured that we always knew that we ultimately controlled
our own destinies. I cannot change how people choose to define me. I cannot stop people
from trying to tell me who I am. But I can grab a pen and write my own story. Here at
UT I grabbed a pen and wrote who I am. Here at UT I learned how to adjust, to persevere,
and to say: I am proudly an American, I am proudly a Texan, and I am proudly the first
Indian woman Student Body President at the University of Texas at Austin. [pause]
We are a class of unparalleled perseverance. We adjusted to college life in our childhood
bed, to Zoom university, and to social distancing. The wind blows out of our control and the
powerful play goes on, but we may contribute a verse. Pen in hand, what will your verse
be? [pause]
My family taught me, “Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow but a vision.”
My grandparents and parents came to this country with the dream that one day I could stand
here before you. Over these last four years, so many of our dreams have come true. Yet,
there are still so many dreams waiting to be realized. We are a class of unparalleled
potential. Yesterday is a great memory, tomorrow is a great opportunity. [pause]
As we leave yesterday and enter tomorrow, I would like to read you a quote from my religious
text, the Bhagavad Gita, which I feel applies greatly to our time ending at UT.
"What you have taken, has been from here. What you gave has been given here. What belongs
to you today belonged to someone yesterday and will be someone else's tomorrow. Change
is the Law of the Universe.” Class of 2021, We have been a part of history,
we are currently making history, and we will continue to be makers of history. [pause]
Every day in college my parents have sent me a motivational text. So I will leave you
with what they sent me this morning, a quote by former First Lady Michelle Obama: [read
from phone] “Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something
to own.” Our stories have only just begun. So, class of 2021 grab your pen and write
your story.
Thank you so much for everything UT and congratulations to the Class of 2021. We Did it! Hook Em!