Sherlyn+K’s+Final+AmEx+Speech+2017

=Sherlyn's America=

I hate speeches. Thinking about them bores me, writing them annoys me, and presenting them scares me. I’m going to keep my speech concise and succinct because it’s the end of the year and I just want to complain. So, here’s my spiel on the America I want to live in.

I’ll start on a small and trivial scale. I want to live in an America where people don’t eat pizza with a fork and knife, or eat bananas or burritos sideways. I want people to say “mischievous” instead of “mischevious”, because that’s how it’s spelt. I want to live with people who don’t send messages one word at a time, or have the voicemail inbox that tricks you into thinking you answered the phone. I’d love to see in an America where doors open only one direction so you don’t look like an idiot trying to pull open a “push” door. I wish to live in a place where people take the 12 seconds to tie their shoelaces, or just two second to pull up their pants. I want to be part of a society where people don’t feel the incessant need to say “like” between everything they say, or take incredulous amounts pictures of themselves as if people actually want to see them. I want to go to a school where I can walk through the hallways without having to navigate around barricades of slow walkers, dodge those random students who stop in the halls. I want to live in an America where all the trivial, but annoying things, don’t exist anymore.

On a more relevant scale, I want to live in a country where schools teach applicable information, and learn in a place where students don’t lose their passion to learn within the first five years of schooling. I want to learn in a safe haven where teachers are qualified to teach, and enjoy their job and students. I wish for an education that focuses on inspiring creativity and innovation, rather than format and outlines. I want to learn in an America that doesn’t tell me what to think and write about, and expect me produce a well written essay on a topic I have virtually no interest in. I want a school system where I don’t have to compete to be the most stressed, or bash heads with students who aren’t in AP. I want to be able to enjoy the classes of my choice, specifically Bioscience, without other students scorning it because it acts somewhat cult like. I want to live in an America where education is a hobby, not a chore.

On a societal scale, I want to live in place where people don’t find the dumbest things funny. I want to grow up with people who don’t dab, whip, fidget spin, or smash your hands obnoxiously against the table. I wish the teenagers of my generation would not make random, pointless things into memes and jokes, or prioritize the Kardashian show over the news channel. I want to live in an America where my peers can be proud of their achievements, but wouldn’t feel the need to unnecessarily boast about religion, talent, ethnicity, or background. I want the people of this country to accept themselves, and spend their lives how they choose. I want to live in a country where my friends take the time to treasure the most beautiful moments in life, and not forget them after the 24 hour expiration on Snapchat. I want to live in an America that understands value.

On a larger (and grander) scale, I want to live in an America where people know what it’s like beyond their countries borders. With people who don’t ask where Alaska is, and proceed to answer: it’s in Australia. I want to see in a society where people know the difference between Korea, Japan, and China because, contrary to popular opinion, they are not the same. I want to live with people who travel to other countries to eat the actual ethnic food of that area, because a “Mexican roll” is not real sushi. The same goes for any food: Panda Express is not legitimately Chinese, as Taco Bell is not really Mexican. I want a place where people don’t scorn cultures of other countries by inciting labels and demeaning titles like “gringo” or “weeaboo” when they don’t understand the meaning. I’d like to see our people stop embarrassing themselves in other countries by attempting to take propaganda posters from North Korea, or destroying a gas station in Brazil. I also wish for a home where people speak a diverse range of languages, and not be ethnocentric ignoramuses. I want to live in a culturally aware America.

On a personal scale, I want to live in an America where I’m not expected to be the sweet girl people think I am. I don’t want people to be surprised at the sassy and somewhat snarky comment that I made. I don’t want my impaired eyesight to be made fun of, because yes, I can see how many fingers you’re holding up. I want to live in an America where other students don’t automatically assume my intelligence based off of my ethnicity. I want my peers and friends to stop overestimating me, because I can’t keep up with their standards, and I can’t be the valedictorian people think I am. I want to grow up in my country where I can be Sherlyn without people questioning my eating habits, anatomical structure, or thinking processes. I want to grow old in an America that brings out the best in me. Thank you :)