Dueling or Complementing Graduation Speeches?

A couple posts back, I posted my 26 sentence graduation speech spontaneously written in response to my summer writing instructor's suggestion. Another student read hers to the class and I was intrigued by the similariies. We are quite different: I drive a car, she bicycles; I am a retired techie, she is a teacher; we differ in gender and age; she is young enough, probably, to be my granddaughter. Our speeches, however, though differing significantly in word choice, strike a remarkably similar tone. Or so it seems to me. Thoughts?

Mine ABC's of Advice		Katie Murphy-Olsen's A-Z Advice to a Graduate
Always be open to new ideas. Be able to create your own situation, your own story. Centaurs don’t actually exist, but serve useful roles in fiction. Dinosaurs were the stars of Jurassic Park. Every one of you has what you need to be successful in this world. Decide who you want to be/what your person is. Every time you have opportunity, chase your passion. Fight the tendency to give in. Give your best in all circumstances. Have open eyes and ears and being. Illuminate life for others. Judge others not. Kick yourself in the backside when tempted to give up. Live for the moment. Miss no opportunities to be kind. Neglect no one. Oppose the idea that there are groups, us and them. Promote unity in everything. Quit doing things and being with people who suck your energy. Rather, Spend time with people and doing things that give you energy. Together, with and in community, support and build up one another. Unite your skills and your people. Victimize nobody. Whenever you have a win, celebrate it, no matter how small the win. X – let it mark the spot you want to stand, and then stand there. Y are you waiting for my permission to start? Zoom out, now, and get going on your life!		Addressing this group is an honor. Believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. Can you see your beautiful future? Dangle in the unknown-- in your academics, in your life, in your past. Energy will carry your spirit to places you will find peace. Friends--you and me--now will find places in your heart. Growth mindset verses fixed mindset--grow! Heavens are looking at you. Heavens will your way. I believe in you. Just remember you cheerleaders. Kindness and love will be your guides. Learning it will be hard. Learning what you have done was hard. Learning and learning from from your strength. Motivation will follow and push you. Neither right here or over there, we are in there. Obtuse and acute are triangles of learning, balances and degrees. Power and persistence and passion fit together in different ways for different reasons; each is needed, each is hope and each can be influential. Quietness will be helpful. Roughly figure out who you are and be mindful of growth. Study (the world). Sit (patiently). Secure (good people to you). Tenacity will be a good partner. Understand you don't understand everything. Voice your opinion with grace. Why? How? Xenophobia will be all around. You are you. Zigzag until you find what you're looking for.

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