Momin Saqib's inspirational commencement speech at King's College London 2017!

Dear students and parents members of the faculty and the Honourable senior vice principal a very good afternoon to you all on this auspicious day today we have gathered here to celebrate this momentous graduation convocation for the school of business and management and the school of politics and economics now before I delve into how amazing this experience has been I would like a round of applause for all of you here for surviving through this tough ride and emerging victoriously. hmm now life at Kings has been a combination of several highs and lows every student at Kings has gone through a period of utter discontentment and utmost failure however what makes this institution distinguished as a world-class organization is its vibrant spirit that drives us all to give our best even in times of utmost despair now before coming here today I I spoke to an individual who described a degree as just a piece of paper to me and I was compelled to think is that actually true and I've competed and I've come to the conclusion that a degree is actually more than just a piece of paper it is a testament to the hundreds of hours spent at King's it is a symbol of prestige it is a reminder of all the experiences and interactions we've had with an intellectually stimulating crowd it is a humble gesture of being rewarded for all your efforts however the question for us to address is what should we take back with us from our life at Kings we should take back with us an encompassing attitude of catering to our society we should be a symbol of change we should be a symbol of the change we want to see in the world we should be representatives and ambassadors of peace and knowledge now we all will enter diverse fields some of you would become corporate slaves while the others would become the entrepreneurs who dominate those slaves however I would just like 

to add here that we should never forget our humble beginnings and the challenging processes we all have been through the world is in a muddled up state at the moment where it requires us all to play the pivotal role of change agents and kings has provided us with a unique identity and skillset that is more than enough to be those change agents some of you would enter politics join the civil service or even become social activists never compromise on the principles and the values you stand by there would be times when it would seem impossible to implement those values but if kings taught us one thing it is to never give up now on a personal note on the journey of our dreams and ambitions we often tend to cloud our judgment and we forget

the contribution of all those people who are responsible for bringing us here be it our professors mentors the support staff at Kings and our parents it is important for a successful life for all these elements to deserve a big proportion of our respect and here I would like another round of applause a big one for all those people who have.

I would I would I would want to repeat the last lines who have sacrificed their present for our future now as far as I'm concerned there is a lesson I would like to share with you back in 2013 I almost flunked my a-levels and got rejected by nearly every university in the United Kingdom there were times when even low to universities wouldn't respond back to my email coming from a family of the stronger laminas of the Oxbridge community I felt out of place I had no future plans and I was in a very undesirable state however it was my dream to study at Kings so I could live 

up to my true potential and honor my family's heritage I took a gap year I took a gap year I worked day and night for my a level and finally I got an offer from King's College London and University College later but as I said earlier the dream was to join a prestigious university and  now being a die-hard fan of the rocky series the lesson is quite evident here it is not about how hard you hit itis about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward how much you can take and keep moving forward success my friends is not final failure is not fatal it is the courage to 

continue that counts ladies and gentlemen I have had the honour of speaking at graduation ceremonies before but I must concede that this is a special one today some of my best friends people with whom I've spent the best times of my university life with are graduating taking with their memories which we work together to cherish for the rest of our lives I wish I could go through all those moments we've spent together in the buildings of King's College London but perhaps I understand now is the time to think about our future and make the big leap 

up the ladder of success normally I would say good luck but but today I am compelled to say this and I promise I mean every bit of it guys you will be missed now don't just go out and say oh I'm a King's College London graduate make sure it's worth it and you better prove it yeah and one more thing imprint this proverb on your heart for the rest of your lives label omnia Vincent work conquers all thank you very much and congratulations