Laël Ngangmeni delivered the Bard College at Simon's Rock Associate of Arts Class Speaker Address on May 21, 2016. Below is the full text of the speech.
Good afternoon everyone.
A few weeks ago, my physics professor, Mike Bergman, congratulates me about having been chosen to speak today. He then goes on to ask me if I’m nervous about having to speak after a Nobel Prize recipient. At the time, I was too excited about everything to truly process the situation. Now, all I can think about is that I am so glad we all made it through this period of final examinations in one piece! Now that is another accomplishment to add to the list!
Oftentimes when I tell people that I go to an Early College, they either write it off as being just a boarding high school, or they simply ask why I would do such a thing—why would I go to college early? I think we can all relate to this question, since we mostly are “high school drop outs.”
Unlike many of the students with whom I speak every day, I did enjoy my high school! I’ve always loved school and have always found a way to enjoy every place that life lead me to be in. However, I did at times wonder what life would hold for me afterwards and was often curious about college life.
I was born in Cameroon and immigrated to the United States when I was nine years old. Although I scored high on the entrance exam to my new school, we were told that here in the United States, children are placed in different grades based strictly on their ages. Therefore, when I started going to school in the United States, I was put back two grades from where I should have been, had I stayed in Cameroon. For this reason, my parents were always looking for an opportunity to get me back to where I was supposed to be. Therefore, when they heard about Simon’s Rock, they were ecstatic and immediately started the process of getting me enrolled!
As I previously mentioned, I really did enjoy high school. My classes were rigorous, but I was used to working hard, so that was never really a concern for me. I was very involved with extracurricular activities and had many friends who made the whole experience worthwhile. Therefore, when I first heard about Simon’s Rock and my parents told me that they believed it is where I should be, I was devastated. I did not want to leave my school and the city in which I had lived ever since I came to the United States. Everything was familiar and safe and I was comfortable where I was. Nevertheless, I did my best in the application process and the more research I did into Simon’s Rock, the more interested I became.
When I finally received my acceptance letter from this school, a billion emotions raced through me! I was glad that I had made it in and yet also felt remorse at having to leave my home and everything that I held dear behind. However, I knew that it was important to try new things and step out of my comfort zone in order to grow.
A few months after having been accepted, I came to visit Simon’s Rock. My entire family packed up into the car and drove the six hours up to see my future college. Andre, our tour guide of the school, was so enthusiastic and open that he truly made our experience one to remember. If I had any more doubts about leaving high school early, he took them all away. His love for Simon’s Rock, along with his excitement about learning and growing into oneself, was—and still is—so contagious that by the time we went back home, Simon’s Rock was all that I could think about.
Freshman year was a roller coaster! I can clearly picture the crowd of new students and their families gathered together in the Student Union. People’s emotions were written all over their faces and it was an extremely hectic day. However, everything quieted down when our families left. I can still remember being nervous about making friends and settling into this new environment because—believe it or not—I am a very shy person. Thank God for my then-roommate, Monya, for being the bold person that she is and speaking to everyone and anyone for the both of us! Through her, I got to meet and become friends with so many new people and finally started to feel like I had a place for myself at this college.
One thing that did stand out to me, regardless of just having moved to a new place, was the remarkable warmth of everyone at Simon’s Rock! The staff and professors here are so friendly and helpful, and the amount of support and care offered to the students made me feel at home away from home. I therefore never really felt alone or too bad about having left home. Although I did miss my family and the familiarity of my neighborhood, Simon’s Rock was turning out to be a wonderful place!
Another thing at Simon’s Rock that has really marked my life, and I am sure many of you can attest to this, is the constant stress about becoming aware of various issues both in our immediate surroundings and around the world. Before coming to this college, I never saw deeply into different issues. Taking a plethora of classes here and witnessing the passion held by the individuals at this school has pushed me to expose myself to different issues and to learn more about my surroundings. Two classes in particular—Psychology of Women with Eden-Reneé Hayes, and Seminar with Francisca Oyogoa—have helped me to realize a passion within myself for social justice. From my studies with them, I have realized the branch of medicine that I would like to pursue—specifically, women’s health medicine.
The love of learning held by the professors and students at Simon’s Rock is absolutely amazing! Before coming here, I thought that I knew what working hard truly meant and thought that I knew a thing or two about what I wanted from life, but boy was I wrong! The professors here at Simon’s Rock truly expect the best from us and the raw passion held by everyone at this college has forced me to think more critically about everything in order to understand matters more deeply than I previously have.
Thank you so much to those who have supported all of us who are graduating here today! We truly appreciate the various roles that you have played in our lives and can honestly say that without you—friends, family, professors, staff, supporters of the college, who have made today possible for us— we would not be the same people. Thank you!
And to our graduates, I wish you success in all of your future endeavors. Congratulations! Continue to push the boundaries and to pursue your passions! I know many of you will be leaving Simon’s Rock, but wherever you go on from here always strive to make the world a better place by your contributions to society as the legacy of this great institution has taught us. Continue to strive for excellence in all you do, never forgetting that the Rock has had a significant impact on our development as human beings. Now let us take what we've learned and get busy conquering the world!