“This is your life. Are you who you want to be?”
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“This is your life.
Are you who you want to be?” - Switchfoot
Commencement speaker Troy Hansen encourages fellow grads to make a mark in life.
When Troy Hansen addressed Bellevue University’s 2005 Spring Commencement class he began by asking his fellow graduates, “Are you who you want to be?” Troy explained that one Saturday as he was driving the family minivan, his 8-year-old twin sons were doing what most 8-year-old boys do, fighting in the back seat. His 9-year-old daughter was doing what most sisters do in cases like this, egging them on. And Troy’s 5-year-old daughter was singing at the top of her lungs trying to drown out the noise and attract some attention.
“Amidst this mayhem and chaos, a song by Switchfoot was playing on the radio and at that moment the lyric caught me by surprise: ‘This is your life. Are you who you want to be?’ I hesitated, looked in the rear view mirror and thought to myself…what do you think? I knew that those words were deeper than that. Life is about growing and making decisions. We need to be continuously asking ourselves, ‘Are we who we want to be?’
“We as graduates are here today because at some point we asked ourselves that question and it was answered; ‘I want a new job, I want a promotion, or I want to change careers.’ When I answered that question I made the decision to come to Bellevue University, and not only have I fulfilled that original desire, but I’ve opened up other parts of my life. Bellevue University has taken me on a wonderful ride of thought-provoking studies that have kept me thinking…This is my life. Am I what I want to be?
“As graduates of Bellevue University we have all gone through The Kirkpatrick Signature Series, classes covering key concepts on Western Civilization and its values, tradition and change, and freedom and responsibility. Each of these areas opened up new avenues of answering the question, ‘Are we who we want to be?’
“Throughout the Series my classmates and I discussed what our forefathers meant by life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence. We shared a variety of thoughts and different theories, and now that we are graduates we can use this knowledge to affect cultural and community awareness, as well as world affairs. These are all part of answering that question, ‘Are you who you want to be?’
“As college graduates, we need to be aware of what is happening outside of our little worlds. I don’t know how many times I have walked away from a church service or a movie resolving to make a change, only to go back to my normal self a few days later. If you can relate, I challenge you to take control of that question, ‘Are you who you want to be?’ The main thing is to be honest with yourself when answering. Have you finished the day thinking I lived it to the most so when looking back tomorrow you are not saying I wish I would have or could have. Keep that question in your mind and live so that you can stand with a firm pose and say ‘I am who I want to be!’”
