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If you have ever watched the movie, “The Waterboy”, you will hear Adam Sandler (who plays Bobby Boucher) mention over and over again, “but my momma said, my momma said, my momma said.” My momma, always says, “I want you to be somebody someday.” And I’m sure all of your mommas wish that for you too.

In just a few short months after the bliss of this summer ends, we’ll be thrown out into a world where others might measure our “somebody-ness” by three things: power, fame, and money. Success out there is defined by material things. Class of 2011, material success is not enough. We need to go out there and THRIVE!

Thriving is more than just being successful. It means being full of joy. It means being somebody – but by being the Somebody that you want to be, not what others want you to be. Someone once told me — and no, it was not my momma — that “it’s harder to be successful on the inside than on the outside.” Thriving means inward prosperity, like being open to new opportunities, finding courage, living out your values, learning forgiveness.

I am sure that you’ve been getting a lot of advice from your teachers and family these past few months, but allow me the honor to leave you with three more:

First, just be yourself. Life hits us with a lot of situations and circumstances that causes us to put up a front, to be something that we’re not. But you know what? People appreciate individuals who are simply and honestly themselves. I know I do. We should not have to try so hard to be someone we’re not. Just be you, the genuine you.

Second, go after your passions. Power, recognition, and wealth are not necessarily bad things to have. But those things alone should not define you. Strive for things that leave you fulfilled and happy, even without money or recognition. Work hard because you want to, not only because you have to.

And third, love the people around you with all of your heart. I can guarantee you, that when you look back at all the years you have been in school, friendships are what you remember the most. Not your accomplishments, not your grades, but all the good times you had with your friends. There’s no Facebook for accomplishments, guys – it’s about people, about relationships, about how we treat each other.

And so, I would like to take this time to give a warm thanks to my mom and dad, and all of my family and friends who have come out and supported me tonight, and also to Him who has done exceedingly, abundantly above all I could ever ask or think. And I want you, Class of 2011, to raise up a shaka towards your family in the stands and say “Chee hoo!”

Go out there and do great things, but always remember what truly matters: being you, going after your passions, and treasuring your relationships.

Thank you so much for this opportunity to share my heart with you today. I wish for all of you the most exciting, most adventurous, and most fulfilling futures.