Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics
Commencement speech
Briana Clifton, Locust Grove, OSSM Class of 2001
May 26, 2001
It has been said that life is a great adventure. It’s not where or when you arrive, it’s the journey that counts. I know many of us began our adventure here at OSSM because we saw it as the most direct path to our target destination—be it Harvard, Caltech, or Smith. Many of us claim that had we known how many times the mud on this path would bog us down, or how many times we would stand at the base of a cliff and wonder if we could ever make it to the top, we might not have chosen to journey this way. But all of us here today not only chose to come this way, we made a resolve to reach the end of this path wherever it may lead.
Since the beginning of our junior year, my roommate, Lauren, and I have encouraged each other when times were tough. We would quote from one of our favorite movies A League of Their Own. “It’s supposed to be hard; if it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. It’s the hard that makes it great.” Though I have spoken those words a hundred times over the last two years, I don’t believe I ever truly understood them until a few weeks ago. Professor Gleason stopped me and asked how I did this, OSSM. “Isn’t it hard?” he inquired. I quickly responded that “Yes, it was too hard” but as soon as those words left my lips a strange feeling came over me. I couldn’t help but smile as I realized that “too hard” was exactly the reason I was here. Before embarking on this journey, I, like so many of us here today, looked down this path. I saw the mud, the cliffs, and the obstacles. Then I looked down the path of least resistance and I knew that reaching the end of it would mean nothing to me.
I believe this is what makes us different. We recognize the importance of the journey. We are not simply willing to be challenged; we insist that we be challenged. We came here knowing that intellectual growth is possible only when you must open your mind to new ways of solving problems and seeing the world. At OSSM, we have learned to examine the world mathematically and empirically. We have learned the world can be viewed physically and metaphysically.
But OSSM has provided us with stimuli for more than just intellectual growth. One of the first things we learned here is that great journeys cannot be taken alone. They require teamwork and cooperation. Someone to pull you out of the mud when you get stuck, and someone to stand at the base of the cliff and cheer you on, or catch you when you fall.
Our journey has taught us that one of the greatest assets in life is the ability to compromise. If you don’t, you can spend your whole year fighting a frustrating and losing battle with your roommate over something as seemingly trivial as whether you have the radio on the KAT or KJ. Long weeks of sleep deprivation taught us “You don’t have to be the best at everything as long as you always do your best.” We have learned our greatest strength lies in our greatest differences. Some of us are good at history and some of us are good at chemistry, but together there is nothing we can’t do.
Along the way we have managed to teach each other a few things. Ryan and Luke taught us there is an appropriate time for everything. 1:00 am is not an appropriate time to change the batteries in your smoke detector. More seriously, though, one of our classmates once told me the story of how she got her name. Her parents are from China and their families insisted that the one child they were allowed to have should not be a girl. But her parents refused to give in to cultural and familial pressure and when she was born they named their little girl, Joy. Thank you, Joy for teaching us that true courage lies not in a defiant act, but in finding happiness by following your heart even when all those around you are against you.
One of the greatest gifts this journey has given us is hope. We know the world can be a better place. I know this is possible every time I sit down to eat with Daniel Birnbaum on one side of me and Jessica Zaman on the other. We know race or religion cannot divide us when we work toward our common goals.
For two years we have lived, worked, and grown together. But now, as we part ways to scatter to the four corners of the globe, I ask of you this one thing: heed the words of Confucius, “Where so ever you go, go with all your heart.”