Texas Exes Scholarship Recipient Dinner Speech 2010

When I first stepped onto the 40 acres I was a nervous ball of excitement, but I had a rigorous plan. I would double major in journalism and government, write for the Daily Texan, study abroad, and become an Archer Fellow. I knew that with these qualifications my resume would be robust enough to earn me a good political journalism job after graduation. It was as simple as a to-do list. Check off the qualifications, get the job, be happy.

Three years have passed and I have completed my to-do list, but it is only now that I've realized the "to-do list"... doesn't matter.

Yes, I've written for the Texan and now know the nuts and bolts of constructing a news article. But I also discovered what true pride feels like when I saw my peers picking up a paper to read the story bearing my byline.

Number two on my to-do list was studying abroad in Spain so I could improve my Spanish language skills. I put a check mark next to that one as well, but not because I can write a thoughtful essay en Español. One night as I was on the verge of sleep, my senora peeked her head into my bedroom and whispered "Ahh mi niña". As tears of happiness swelled in my eyes and love filled my heart I realized the monumental power of words, no matter what language they are in.

During my time at UT I have gained far more than book smarts. Yes, I can quote the AP style book and explain the processes of the Electoral College. But I can also describe to you the innocent joy that comes from watching a family of turtles clamor on top of each other trying to bask in every last ray of Texas sunshine and the feeling of camaraderie that swells within me every time the other side of the stadium returns my "TEXAS" with their "FIGHT!".

Last spring, while traveling through Morocco with my study abroad group, our absolutely inspiring guide shared a life-changing quote with me. "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

When I began my journey at UT I was trying to become what I thought the world needed. This University has helped me discover what makes me come alive, and I thank every one of you for that.

To be a student at a university like UT is to be an engineer of the rocket of our dreams. Our outstanding professors build our rockets' shell. We students fill it with unwavering enthusiasm. The leadership of our deans and department chairs points the nose cone in the right direction and these scholarships ignite the fuse, giving us the boost we need to make our dreams come true. Our success is your success.

We students are amazing dreamers, and these scholarships give us the encouragement we need to keep dreaming. This scholarship will cover about a month's worth of tuition, but the intrinsic power of this award will support me for years to come. With this award a distinguished and successful group of people have shown that they believe in me enough to personally invest my future. That show of support is more powerful than any amount of money could ever be.

Scholarships such as this one have put my name in print, propelled me across the world and enabled me to discover what true happiness feels like. Thank you is a far too common expression to encompass the extraordinary gift you have given me. Sometimes all we need is someone to believe in us. Thank you, for believing in me.

Scholar Spotlight: John Kidenda

Former Scholarship Recipient Dinner Speech

"It seemed like only yesterday that my parents were fiddling with my clothes as they sent me off on my 23 hour long ride to school, across both the African continent and the Atlantic Ocean. I could hardly believe how time had flown by, and yet here I was, one full year into my undergraduate studies in Electrical Engineering. The resources available to me here at the University had helped me achieve more than I had dared to hope for in such a short time. From helping organize awareness campaigns for the genocide in Sudan, to getting appointed as Director of an agency in Student Government, this had truly been an exceptionally productive year.

And so as I sat alone outside the interview room in the Alumni Center, awaiting my turn, I struggled to be optimistic, and refused to entertain the thought of not being able to attend UT in the fall.

I steadied my fidgeting feet and started going over the questions I thought that I would be asked during the interview. I rehearsed the answers that, up until a moment ago, had seamed like pure genius but now sounded cheesy and overly scripted to me. I knew how badly I needed this scholarship. I couldn't afford to mess up, not if I wanted to have a realistic shot at returning in the fall. This had to work. I said a prayer under my breath was hardly done before the door opened and I was invited in for my interview.

I guess the fact that I am standing here gives you a pretty good idea of how the interview went. I could literally feel a weight lift off my shoulders as I read the scholarship awards that I had received. I was in the library and had to tell myself to save the victory dance for later, lest I draw more than my usual share of strange looks. At last I had hope for another semester.

Since joining UT, I have become accustomed to living my academic life one semester at a time, never really knowing where the money to attend UT for yet another semester would come from. Yes, mine, as I am sure is the case with many of my peers, has been a college career often visited by the phenomenon known as “registration by faith”. Faith in what? you may ask. And to that I respond, faith, in you.

 Faith that the spirit of giving that you ladies and gentlemen sitting in this audience have consistently exemplified would not fail.

Faith that you would see the amazing difference that your contributions and sacrifices make in my life and in the lives of my peers.

Faith that you would realize the life changing impact of that difference.

And faith that you would keep making that difference; that you would keep on giving.

This faith in your spirit of giving, a spirit that has turned the dream of a college education into a reality for a multitude of aspiring students, has not failed me yet.

And so, as I look forward to yet another exhilarating semester at this prestigious institution, I thank you for keeping that faith alive and bringing me one step closer to being able to say, as we do back in Kenya, HAKUNA MATATA!"