Full Sail University Broke My Glow Stick
-
Upload
ryan-mickley -
Category
Documents
-
view
197 -
download
1
description
Transcript of Full Sail University Broke My Glow Stick
Speech: “Full Sail University Broke My Glow Stick” Event: Full Sail University Graduation Ceremony (June 2, 2011) Purpose: Advanced Achiever Award President Garry Jones, administrators, professors, family and friends, and fellow
graduates‐ thank you for this incredible opportunity. I am truly honored to speak on
behalf of my program for this commencement ceremony.
I stand before you today prepared to talk about glow sticks. Yes, glow sticks. You
see, Full Sail University broke my glow stick and I know that I am not alone because
I see the neon light shining forth from my fellow graduates sitting in front of me.
During our time spent at Full Sail, we were forced to answer five essential questions:
Who am I? Where am I from? Why am I here? What am I capable of doing? And
where am I going? Knowing the answers to these five questions has enlightened us
and revealed our true potential. I invite you to review your answers to these
questions as I review mine.
Who am I?
I am an over comer. When I was 12 years old, I was diagnosed with a learning
disability known as slow processing speed. The disability is considered a mix
between ADD, dyslexia, and irregular neural activity. Basically, my thought process
doesn’t play nice with the traditional methods of education. Methods that involve
standardized tests as the measure of a student’s success. But thanks to the project
based learning and real world education we received at Full Sail, I have been
empowered to overcome my disability. Remember this, when you know who you
are, you will know what to do!
Where am I from?
In early 2010, Carol Cox, one of our course directors, connected me with a Full Sail
alumni and employee, Gustavo Hernando. Through Gustavo, I rediscovered the
Kingdom of God and was baptized in the Holy Spirit. I now know that I am an
ambassador of God sent from Heaven to earth. That’s where I am from.
Why am I here?
My purpose in life is to establish the Leadership Branding Academy where I will
teach high school and college students how to develop, implement, and maintain
their personal brands based on servant leadership principles. This purpose was
made apparent and confirmed through the establishment of the Student Branding
Society here at Full Sail. At this time I would like to recognize course director Rob
Croll for his unwavering commitment to our newly established club. Mr. Croll is the
Faculty Sponsor for the Student Branding Society and has been my mentor
throughout this program. His dedication to his students is immeasurable. Mr. Croll I
am forever grateful for your support and guidance. Without you, the Student
Branding Society would never have happened and my purpose in life might not ever
have been revealed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
What am I capable of doing?
On Tuesday, January 12, 2010 over 500 students, alumni, and faculty gathered in the
Full Sail parking lot to create the World’s Largest Flashlight Logo Lit By Humans.
That night, the Full Sail family came together to break a world record and take our
rightful place in the history books. But something else happened that night. That
night, I realized the importance of being a part of something that is bigger than
myself. I decided to start volunteering at the local senior center to give back to our
community. For over a year now, I have been the computer instructor at the Lake
Mary Senior Center. It was here that I discovered that I was actually a very talented
teacher and became zealously dedicated to using this gift in my career endeavors.
Finally, where am I going?
Well‐ I’m gonna fly with the eagles! I love our alma mater’s logo because it reminds
me to be like an eagle. Eagles are the leaders of birds because eagles never flock‐
only pigeons flock. No other bird flies higher than the eagle because eagles have the
capacity to set their pinions into the wind currents to propel them to otherwise
impossible heights. Eagles actually fly into storms because they can use the storms
to fly higher than the other birds. When an eagle is at its peak height in flight, it
never meets another bird‐ except an eagle. I look around this auditorium and see
nothing but eagles, which tells me we are flying at the right altitude. I would like to
take this opportunity to thank those eagles closest to me for their love and support
during this academic adventure. To my parents Rod & Lyra Mickley‐ thank you for
your investment in my future. To my lovely wife Allison, thank you for being my
rock. To my lead actor Rush Roberts, thank you for being the star of my creative
videos and taking a few lumps along the way. And to my supporting cast and crew in
the audience, I am forever grateful for your love and support.
So you might be asking yourself, “Wasn’t he going to talk about glow sticks?” Indeed
I am. If we take away one thing from our time spent at Full Sail, remember this‐ Full
Sail University broke your glow stick.
[SLOW]
Glow sticks are useless until they are bent, broken and shaken up. Then and only
then do they live up to their full potential and light up the night. So Full Sail
University‐ thank you for breaking my glow stick and revealing the potential that
once lay dormant inside me.
Congratulations Class of 2011. Thank you and God Bless.