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News Details
Jessica Chadwick - Colorado State University
Commemorative speech - Bill Daniels
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Commemorative speech -- Bill Daniels
The man that forever changed my life I never had a chance to meet. This man had a big impact on my life as well as many others. His influence on young people was like the suns influence on a rose. (Simile) This man, that forever changed my life; I will never be able to shake his hand, hear his wisdom, and most of all I will never be able to thank him for what he has done for me. This man is Bill Daniels.
This man (repetition this man), that I never met, taught me many things. He had many philosophies as well as many virtues, but there are a few that stick out the most. The first is hope. When the time came to stress about college I had no intention to be able to go to anything but a community college. I was first introduced to Bill Daniels through a scholarship. I filled out the paper work and waited for the news to come. When I opened the mailbox to see the envelope with the Daniel’s Fund emblem on it my heart stopped. This letter would decide my future. I sat there for a while, unable to open the letter. When I finally did work up the courage to open the letter, all I needed to read was congratulations and I knew the rest of my life would be different. I sat there with amazement incapable of feeling anything let alone excitement. I called my mom and she felt the excitement for me. I sat there listening to the enthusiasm in her voice and it finally started to sink in; I now had hope of a good education. This experience of earning a scholarship was the beginning of hope. It gave me a new perspective of how my life could go. I was now at a crossroad of life and with my newly established hope I could now choose the right path. (Metaphor)
This man showed me that integrity is one of the most important virtues in life to have. I may have never met him, but he has shown me this through his scholarship. The Daniels Fund is not like many scholarships where they give you the money and that’s the end of it. This man, Bill Daniels, had a specific plan for the young adults he would be giving scholarships to. He called us the diamonds in the rough; the kids everyone over looks. With these types of kids come many hidden virtues. He wanted to bring these virtues out for everyone to see. He did this by structuring his scholarship with many guidelines. Some may see these guidelines as a pain and a waste of time, but I see them as a lesson in integrity. The Daniels Fund requires their scholars to work a certain amount of hours, turn in renewal packets, do self evaluations, and check up on scholars just to see how they are doing. All of these requirements teach me hard work, honesty, reliability, and veracity. All of these add up to integrity and if it wasn’t for this man, Bill Daniels, I would not have had such a valuable lesson. Bill Daniels once said “Integrity isn’t something you get overnight. It takes a lifetime to earn.” He has started that life time for me now I am on my way to be the best person I can be because of this man.
Everyone knows what loyalty is, but this man put new light on the meaning of loyalty. This man said loyalty meant respect. Respect for those around you. No one is your inferior; everyone’s opinion counts equally. The people I work with for my scholarship show this quality of Bill Daniels every day. It would be easy for them to just tell us scholars what to do, but they don’t they find a common ground to work with. My voice is heard and this has taught me that everyone’s voice deserves to be herd. This man gave me a new definition of loyalty that I have learned and now want to pass it down to others. Bill Daniels once said “when you put your life in perspective, you realize how little time there is to make something truly significant out of it. To some people this might mean acquiring a lot of possessions. To others, building a business or owning property. And there are those whose lives won’t be fulfilled unless they achieve fame and fortune. There’s nothing wrong with any of these aspirations, but for me they pale in comparison to individuals who want to leave something more consequential to their legacy. For example, being the kind of person who takes the time to pass on knowledge and values to the next generation. Having family, friends, and business associates remember you as an honest person. And helping others who will be left behind. I believe if you live your life in this way, you’ll leave this world with a clear conscience and with a smile on your face.” I hope one day I will be able to contribute at least a fraction of what this man has. I hope to one day pass these words on to someone else.
I may have never met this man but I feel that I know him through common people. The stories I have heard have had an impact on me and he will forever change my life. This man that I have never met I feel that have known him for a lifetime. Everyone should strive to lead a good life and for most people this is where it ends, but not for this man he carried these virtues out and this man who I never met will forever be in my mind as one man who changed my life.