When you have a chance to speak in public as someone with authority, you have to make it as interesting and catchy as possible so you will leave something – perhaps a legacy – to your audience.
This is what Nicholas Selby exactly did, who delivered a speech to the incoming freshmen class at Georgia Tech back in August of 2013. A mechanical engineering sophomore then, he had a video uploaded on YouTube containing his speech which has garnered widespread praise for how badass he delivered it. He had welcomed the 2,700 newbies to the college with his epic monologue, complete with a ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ background music. He was motivational at most, but also showing angst of what it’s like to have the speaking privilege – and of course for making it to his second year.
At one part of his speech he uttered these words, “Our mission as students is not to follow in the footsteps of the astronauts, Nobel Prize laureates or the presidents that graduated before us but to exceed their footsteps, crush the shoulders of the giants upon whom we stand!”
Selby’s voice was rising as he spoke, “If you want to change the world, you’re at Georgia Tech, you can do that! If you want to build the ‘Iron Man’ suit, you’re at Georgia Tech, you can do that! If you want to play theme music during your convocation speech like a badass engineering student, we’re at Georgia Tech, we can do that! I am doing that!”
He got the standing ovation he deserved at the end.
Watch the speech in full here:
