I wrote five different speeches to tell you tonight how Phi Theta Kappa has impacted me. There was the funny version, talking about how much fun we all have as the close group of friends we are. The nerdy version, where I had all these stories about carbon and graphene that showed what big chemistry nerd I am. There was a slightly obnoxious version that listed all the scholarships and awards I've gotten thanks to my work at Phi Theta Kappa. There was even a dark version, with story involving dead animals that, somehow, I thought it was a good idea. I was unhappy with all those versions, so I forced myself to think about THE most significant thing the organization you are joining today has done for me. And I finally realized it. One thing, in …show more content…
Yeah, we were all told that at some point. But what happens if you have someone who you care about constantly telling you how you are going to fail? It is a much harder task, huh? It was the American philosopher and psychologist William James who said that "most people live in a very restricted circle of their potential". That remains the truth over 100 years ago, in a society where leadership is sometimes confused to authority by oppression. We are constantly reminded what we cannot do, and the power it has over ourselves is real. For some, putting others down is an attempt to bring oneself up. The oppressors suddenly feel powerful when they can control the dreams of their oppressed. You want to know a terrible secret? Those were the lessons my oppressor taught me, and I guess for never being presented an alternative way, deep down I started believing that only the aggressive would be respected. But my experience at Phi Theta Kappa showed me how wrong that is. I'm still learning… I think the process of bettering ourselves never ends. However, I can tell you, today, that I am far away from the dark place I one day stood at - and I cannot stress enough how important Phi Theta Kappa was for that