To a Mr. Deresiewicz

Mr. Deresiewicz,


I am usually one to become flustered when defending a point of view. My words stumble over each other, and I rarely sound as fluid and convincing as I plan on sounding.


However, reading the speech you gave to a freshman class at Stanford felt like reading my own mind, but in a logical, easy-to-follow, convincing layout. Your words were my thoughts exactly. In fact, your writing style reminded me a lot of the way I write and speak.


Thank you for composing such a powerful, self-affirming speech. You have raised my confidence level by reiterating that I'm not the only one who knows I can make my way even if I major in the humanities. You have gone against what society says is currently Good by speaking out for those of use who know that molds do not hold us all correctly. Your speech inspires and motivates me to follow my passions where ever they lead me because in the end true success is not monetary, is it? What matters is how happy you are at the end of the day and how much love surrounds you when you are home.


That being said, I am sharing the link with my few readers, all of whom are either seniors in high school or freshmen in college. I hope your speech touches them in some way, too.


"What Are You Going to Do with That?" by William Deresiewicz


Most sincerely,
eleanor