The speaker shares 5 pieces of wisdom, or "pearls", for the graduating class using the mnemonic "CLEAR": C - Close any unfinished business before moving forward in life. Let go of negativity and forgive others. L - Life is about enjoying the journey, not just achieving destinations or milestones. E - Embrace change and take risks. Growth happens outside comfort zones. A - Ask for what you want. Persistence can lead to opportunities. R - Remember your roots and the people who helped you along the way as you achieve success.

1. Transcript from Graduation Speech – University of North Texas
Texas Academy of Mathematics & Science (TAMS)
Gianna Driver-Balme
May 15, 2015
Thanks so much for that very warm welcome. I guess when you’re asked to give graduation speeches, you’re
officially “on the hill,” and hopefully not quite “over the hill!”
I am absolutely thrilled and honored to be here tonight. And I’d like to say thanks again to the team here at
TAMS who invited me and took care of all the logistics and coordination. Thank you!
I haven’t been here since graduation many years ago… in fact, walking around campus earlier today, seeing
McConnell Hall, Bruce, Marquis… it all brought back a flood of memories. I feel, in some ways, like it was only
a few weeks ago that I had chemistry or physics or Dr. Q’s calculus class… but in other ways, as I roamed
around campus today, I realized a part of me has changed since I was here 14 years ago. A big part of me has
learned, has weathered some storms, and has grown. I’d like to share with you some of the nuggets I’ve
picked up in my journey. And I hope these words inspire and help you as you embark upon your journey.
I’m a big believer in “Less is More,” so I’m going to try to keep this short and sweet tonight. There are FIVE
pearls of wisdom I’d like to share. 5 simple things I wish I’d known when I was your age and sitting in this very
auditorium.
To help you remember these pearls of wisdom, I came up with a mnemonic – the word “CLEAR.” 5 letters
C-L-E-A-R.
1. Let’s start with C -- Close any unfinished business today rather than tomorrow, or never. What does
this mean? As we go through life, there will always be misunderstandings. This could be a falling out
you’ve had with a roommate, a breakdown in trust between friends, or maybe it’s awkwardness with
someone who’s been in the same extracurricular activity as you. It doesn’t matter what the source of
friction is, and frankly, it doesn’t matter whose fault it is. Forgive, and let it go. I’ve learned it’s better
to gently confront these issues with forgiveness, and then move on rather than harbor resentment or
bad feelings. You want to close your TAMS career free of any lingering feelings of negativity. Give the
other person the benefit of the doubt, forgive them, let go, and then move on. Life is too short to carry
around baggage like this.
You might be wondering what it means on a tactical level to close unfinished business. Once
you forgive, I’ve found it helpful to write a note, send an email, have a conversation, or use
whatever medium feels authentic and right for you, but clear the air. Forgive the other person,
and then go out into the world.
If you get used to closing unfinished business now, I promise you’ll move through life lighter and happier, and
you’ll earn the respect of your colleagues, classmates, and peers.
So the “C” is for – Close any unfinished business today, rather than tomorrow.

2. 2. L – Life is about the journey, not the destination. We spend so much of our young adult life focused
on achieving certain milestones. For me, it was skipping my last two years of high school, graduating
from TAMS, then graduating from the Wharton School at Penn; then it was achieving a certain title and
compensation package, and so forth. These milestones or these “destinations” are nice, but folks, you
gotta make sure you’re enjoying the ride. Goals are good, and I encourage you to have them, make
them, strive for them. That’s not a bad thing. Just make sure to check-in with yourself and ensure
you’re living in the present, not in “tomorrow.” Make sure you’re having fun along the way. Make sure
you’re living with compassion and humility. Plans and goals are fine, but fill your days with joy.
a. Remember you may or may not make it to your “destination.” And that’s okay. The point of
living isn’t to reach a certain outward, external milestone; life is about the daily interactions we
have with people, the ways we touch the lives of others.
b. Detours happen in life. Unexpected things happen. That’s okay, and that’s all the more reason
it’s important to make sure you’re enjoying the process of living.
Life is about the journey, not the destination.
So we have C – Close any unfinished business. L – Life is about the journey. And now E.
3. E – Embrace change and be brave. Take risks. There’s one constant in life that’s change. Get used to
it and embrace it. Change is opportunity. Some of the change in your life will happen independent of
your choosing; some of the change will be at your initiation. For example, many of you may enter
college with an idea about what you’d like to major in. Pursue that, but if you find yourself a semester
or two in and realize this isn’t feeling right, don’t be afraid to change majors. If you find yourself in a
job after college and realize, after giving it your all, that you’re not happy and thriving, don’t be afraid
to ask the hard questions and possibly go. Every one of us is here today because you embraced change
two years ago—you took a step into the unknown. You left your families, your friends, your high
school, and everything known and familiar to you to come here, to TAMS. That was a risk, but you
were brave and you made it through four semesters of academia, home sickness, dealing with grades
based on bell curves, all of that. YOU MADE IT. You took a chance, embraced the change, and here you
are.
a. As you enter this next phase of your life, never stop being brave or taking risks. This is where
growth and learning happen. Growth happens outside of our comfort zones. It happens when
we’re willing to change and try something new.
b. So whether it’s signing up for a class that’s really hard, joining a dance troupe, taking off and
backpacking across Europe or Southeast Asia, starting an organization, or experimenting with
being an entrepreneur—whatever it is, embrace change, take risks, and BE BRAVE. No matter
what happens, you’ll have learned and grown, and you’ll come out a stronger person.
So back to CLEAR, we have C – Close any unfinished business. L – Life is about the journey. E –
Embrace change and take risks. Now A.
4. A – Ask for what you want. When you do this, you’ll have to get clear with yourself about what it is
you actually want. Once you know what you want, share it with others and ASK for opportunities.

3. a. Whether it’s academically, professionally, romantically, etc., many of my greatest opportunities
have come about because I asked and I was persistent. If you’re in a class and find yourself
wanting to know more or wondering if, say, you could go study or do field research in Africa,
even if nothing exists, talk to your professor and ask. Say what you want. When companies
come knocking on your door trying to recruit you after college, ask for the job you want. Ask for
the responsibilities you want, even if they don’t exist already. When you’re going through
lonely territory in life and need a friend, ask people you know if they have time to chat about
what you’re going through.
b. Those who ask, receive. I remember the summer after TAMS and before I started at Wharton, I
wanted to spend some time interning in the Philippines as a Filipino-American. I sent numerous
emails to various organizations pitching my skills and asking for my dream internship. Through
several degrees of networking, I met the head of the US Department of Commerce at the
Embassy in Manila, and we arranged for a summer internship in the Philippines. That summer
was incredible! And it came about because I was relentless in my asking. So have the courage to
ask the world for what you want and dream about.
So we have C – Close any unfinished business. L – Life is about the journey, not the destination. E – Embrace
change and take risks. A – Ask for what you want. And finally R.
5. R – This one touches me on a very personal level – Remember your roots. As you go out into the
world and achieve greatness, remember the people along the way who helped make your success
possible.
a. For me, a large part of my roots are at TAMS. I started to really discover myself here, although I
didn’t quite realize it at the time… TAMS opened up doors of possibility I never knew existed.
The guides and mentors here, specifically Dr. Donna Fleming, and others, were instrumental
and helped shape the trajectory of my life. My mother has always been my biggest cheerleader,
my advocate, and someone who helped me remember who I was when I started to lose my way
at Wharton. There will always be cul-de-sacs in life; our guides help us get back on the path to
greatness. As you achieve and fly high, remember these guides, these roots, and give thanks.
Remember that you stand on the shoulders of giants, on the shoulders of your friends and
family and those who believe in you. Remember these roots, cherish them, nurture them… your
parents, the friends you’ve made at TAMS, and your network here has prepared you in a unique
way for the world.
To recap the CLEAR mnemonic, we have C – Close any unfinished business. L – Life is about the journey, not
the destination. E – Embrace change and take risks. A – Ask for what you want. And R – Remember your
roots.
In closing, I’d like to share a poem by Flavia Weedn that moves me every time I hear it:

4. Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some people move our souls to dance.
They awaken us to a new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom.
Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon.
They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.”
May your TAMS experience leave footprints on your hearts.
ROCK ON, CLASS OF 2015!!! And Congratulations!