I’ve always admired a particular type of intelligence: knowledge carried with grace, ideas challenged with respect, words delivered with clarity, and connections formed without ego. To me, it is one of the most valuable traits.
The deepest cut comes when someone questions my mind. Dismissal strikes at the heart of who I am.
Today I focus on determination, the drive to show up, stay curious, work hard, and push through self-doubt. I also celebrate the people who stood beside me, family and friends who cheered me on and made time to share this occasion.
One of my biggest regrets in life is not giving 12th grade a proper go. I was heartbroken, certifiably lovesick, and couldn’t function. I skipped classes, barely scraped through my final year of high school, and the disappointment still lingers. I often have recurring dreams of a do-over, but I always wake up before I even make it to the classroom. It feels like an unfinished chapter - one where I didn’t achieve the HSC mark I was capable of.
Maybe that’s why I pursued this master’s degree, not just for the qualification, but to settle a score with the past. And now, with the story rewritten, perhaps those restless dreams can finally sleep.
