High School Graduation Speech: The Power of Sacrifice

After 170 days, I was experiencing one of the most exhausting and exciting periods of my life. I was nearing the end of my junior year at my public high school.

On paper, I had won the game. I had straight A's in the prestigious IB program. I had received an award for volunteering. I had won a state competition in business and competed in the finals in Atlanta. I was running a successful business and managing a podcast.

Yet, I felt like garbage.

How come? I believed that I was on the right track. Everyone around me—teachers, peers, society—told me I was winning. So why did I feel unfulfilled?

Over that fateful summer, I dropped everything and pondered a single question: What am I missing?

Two months later, I discovered the answer. I didn't need to add more. I needed to sacrifice something else.

Redefining Sacrifice

"Sacrifice" sounds like a horrible word. We imagine a character in a movie unnecessarily dying so others can live. But the way I see it, we can never grow without it. If our parents never made sacrifices, we would not be standing here today.

We tend to believe sacrifice is a net negative—a loss. But it is simply the trade of something good for something better. It is the loss of the lesser in order to gain the greater.

Like how I sacrificed time to write this, or how my mom and I sacrificed money to buy a plane ticket. While it may not feel "worth it" in the moment of pain—whether it's studying for hours or grinding on a project—reflecting on your progress later creates an incredible feeling of power.

The Great Trade

So, what did I give up?

I gave up the safety of my traditional school. I gave up the "prestige" of the IB program. I walked away from the path that guaranteed approval.

In exchange, I gained freedom.

I researched and found The Pearl, a democratic high school, just days before my senior year began. I transferred in September. I gained the freedom to choose my own classes, design my own projects, and set my own deadlines without the arbitrary structure of a bell curve or a bell ringing.

Not everyone will understand the sacrifices you make.

I had moments where I doubted myself. 99% of the people I talked to told me I made the wrong choice. They said I was ruining my future. They said I was throwing away my potential.

But through these past months, I learned that not only did I choose the right path for my goals—I wish I had started earlier.

The Lesson

Whatever you are holding onto because it feels "safe" might be the very thing blocking you from what feels alive.

Sacrifice isn't about losing. It's about making space for the win.

We have all sacrificed to get to this moment in time, and there is only going to be more up ahead. But you are strong enough to face it.

(Adapted from my graduation speech, June 5, 2023)