A friend of mine asked me to share the text that I wrote for my speech in the class, taught by Prof. Marshall Ganz, at the J.F.K. School of Government.

What is the biggest catalyst for change? Possibilities. Once your mind sees possibilities, it can’t be stopped. Possibilities that feel real can change your life.

Imagine the millions of immigrants passing through Ellis Island. Huddled in blankets, crowded together with all their earthly possessions. Arriving in New York after a long journey crossing the Atlantic. Standing at the entrance of the harbor, a mighty female statue that welcomed them into the country. A statue that for them represented possibilities.

I want to represent possibilities. You represent possibilities.

When you grow up in the suburbs of a small town, a dream like coming to Harvard seems somewhat unattainable. My family did not have those possibilities. My grandfather fought in WWII. He became a prisoner of war. My father grew up poor on a farm by the countryside. He had to walk hours every day just to get to school. When it it was time for others to go to college, he didn’t have the means to go.

When I grew up, I had my own struggles. I remember how energetic I was as a kid. Optimistic and outgoing. A naturally spirited kid. As I got older things changed. I turned inwards. Maybe I wasn’t in the right environment. Maybe it was the feeling of a stranger as a son of immigrant parents. Maybe it was because I was bullied. Maybe it was because I did not tell anyone how I felt.

I didn’t feel sad. Everyone is sad once in a while. I felt as if there was an absence of hope. As if my happiness was sucked out of my soul. I was afraid of the future. I had no purpose. I was lost. I could not see any possibilities.

One day I looked through old family photos. As I flipped through, I looked at my old self: energetic and joyful for life. Now I had little energy, little joy for life. I was shocked.

How did I let this happen? It was like looking at two different people. It was painful. But I also saw hope. Hope that I could change. My younger self reminded me of the possibilities.

You know in life you always have a choice. You can float or swim. You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond. I could live as I had in the past and stay in the status quo. Or I could create a new self.

And with that began my journey. My journey of possibilities. My doubts and insecurities did not disappear overnight. But over time I grew stronger. I went to college as the first member of my family. I began my career in New York. I got into Harvard. Today I can see. I can see that things are possible.

Think about when you felt uncertain in your life. When you did not believe in yourself. When you did not see possibilities. Perhaps it was when you applied here. When you took the GRE, wondering if your score was good enough. The uncertainty that followed. Opening that letter and the joy that followed.

The realization that a dream was just made possible, despite the setbacks, despite the sacrifices. Sitting here today you proved that it is possible. You all represent possibilities.

But being here is not enough. You have to give back. You know what it feels like when you think there are no possibilities? That absence of hope. That feeling that you have no way out. You know what it feels like. You have had your own struggles. I do not want anyone else to feel like that. You can all live a comfortable life ― have fun, have family, have a nice job. But that’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover that you can empower others.

Just a year ago my sister was in a similar situation. She was about to graduate from high school. She was lost and isolated. She did not see any possibilities. But I guided and supported her. I dispelled her doubts and insecurities. I showed her the person she could become. I helped her apply to colleges in the US and today she is studying in New York on a scholarship. Today she is seeing possibilities.

Think of someone that you care about. Maybe it’s your own sister, brother or a friend. Who do you know in your life that feels isolated or is on the downside of advantage?

Change doesn’t happen overnight. But just as a flower grows if you water it, the person you care about will grow stronger day by day. Find that person and find a way to empower them.

But don’t wait until tomorrow. Think of the immigrants coming to this country today. Passing by JFK airport. They may not see possibilities. They need to be reminded that there is hope. You need to remind them that there is hope.

Pick up the phone, start writing that letter today. Ask not what you can do for yourself. Ask what you can do to empower others.

Show them that they can live beyond what they can currently imagine. Show them that it is possible.

Thank you very much.