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Chasing Rainbows
Yale Graduation Speech
Writer, Speaker | 2021 Graduation Ceremony
I gave the 2021 Class Day Commencement Speech at Yale University.
The Goal
The serious refection captures the spirit of the graduating class—its experiences, difficulties, and triumphs—in an inspiring and concise speech on Class Day. As the first in-person graduation since Covid, I wanted to make sure that my speech reflected optimistically on how our class persevered amidst the collective hardships of attending college during a pandemic.
The Story
In my speech, I compared our Covid-disrupted senior year to the experience of chasing a rainbow. Right when we thought we were going to reach something big, bright, and beautiful, it slipped away from us. Yet, even before the pandemic, it was impossible to do everything that we wanted to do. In a place as big as Yale, there will always be opportunities missed, rainbows un-reached. So maybe the important thing isn't that we catch the rainbow: "Yale’s about discovering how you want to chase it. And it’s about running and jumping and laughing with the people you love the entire way."
Here is a recording; my speech begins at 48:37.
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