Meet the Graduates
A speech written and delivered by Reza Corinne Clifton
This speech was delivered on behalf of the 2006 Graduates of the Leadership for a Future (LFAF) program at the May 18, 2006 Annual Dinner of the Institute for Labor Studies and Research at the RI Convention Center. LFAF is organized annually by RI for Community and Justice and the Institute for Labor Studies and Research.
Truth be told, I was a bit nervous before I came tonight and before I got up here, but now that I see that there’s just a couple of you [sarcasm], I feel better.
I’d like to first say a collective thank you to all of you who came out to this wonderful event, who are also supporting us, this year’s Leadership for a Future Class. I want to give a special acknowledgement to Carolina Bernal of the institute for Labor Studies and Research, and to Sarath Suong and Toby Ayers of RI for Community and Justice.
I also want to acknowledge my mother, Judge Rogeriee Thompson, and my brilliant sister, Sarah, who are here to support me and Leadership for a Future tonight.
Finally I’d like to thank and acknowledge all of my fellow Leadership participants who were able to make it out tonight.
Even though I called Sarath last night AND today in a panic about this speech, the funny thing is that I ended up putting together two of them. The theme of one of them is around not preaching to the choir, something that we all easily fall into doing. I think that this group was particular aware of this tendency, yet particularly strong with suggestions on how to combat this. This included not limiting your outreach to executive boards, and making sure that youth stay in the forefront of your mind. These are tips that I would be more than willing to type up and pass along for anyone that wants to review them.
But ultimately what I want to leave you with is some information about the people who were in this program with me. During our retreat, we all made lists of what we each thought we needed and what we believed we could give. The point in this leadership program is to provide us all with the things we need, to help us feel even more confident about the things we can give, and to help us develop other things we can pass on. To give you a taste of who we are and where we were before starting the program, I’d like to wrap up by reading to you some examples of what we said we could give.
I believe I can listen activiely.
I can give my time, my commitment, my expertise, and my willingness to learn.
You can talk to me about your crazy ideas, then I’ll share mine with you.
I can give potentially good songs for human development and growth.
I can serve as a good and strong mentor.
I can give my experience in this country as a Latina.
I can give frequent hugs to Sarath; I can give enthusiasm, a smile, my perception of the world, my voice, my own resources, and an introduction to and insight into the teenage mind.
I can give intergrity. Leaders with power and brains are common. So are leaders with riches and popularity. But a competetent leader who has integrity and skill coupled with sincerity is rare indeed.
I can give my Cambodian language, lessons, culture, and traditions.
I can give Policy resources, draft legistaltion, and state wide resources.
And finally, I can give love.
This is at the start of the program. Imagine where we are now. Thank you.