The Only Acceptance Speech I Have Ever Wrote.
Hello. Thank you for the honour of receiving the Wicked Award. I am sorry I could not attend the event.
I am writing this from a place that would not have been possible were it not for the teachers present today and my former classmates who are now jabbing away at life as it aims to do what life does best:
Try to knock us out.
Life had me at a standing eight count when I discovered the Advertising program at Algonquin College. But after two years of studying, presenting, answering questions that put you on the spot, and discovering a new use for the word “CRAP,” I stand firmer on my feet and ready to punch back. I am grateful for the training regiment I found through the Advertising program. Very grateful, in fact.
I am grateful for the discussions that happened.
Whether it was debating the merits of an ad campaign, the social factors that need to be taken into account when creating a brand, or debating a strategic direction while under a 24-hour deadline, each and every discussion I participated in over the past two years moved my mind forward and made me more capable.
To those who disagreed with me and were right all along: Thank you.
I am grateful for inside jokes and laughter.
The ad program at Algonquin College is hard. While I would not have had it any other way, sometimes the only way to get through a difficult situation is with laughter. And the ad kids are a bunch of high quality jokesters.
I busted a few guts. Damn was I lucky.
I am grateful for The Observatory.
Yes, advertising and alcohol go together like milk and cereal. Many of my favourite discussions and laughs took place at The Observatory. Every person who shared a pint with me changed me in some way. It is a place and a memory that will matter to me for years to come.
Cheers to blowing off some steam.
I am grateful for the challenges.
A lot is thrown at you in the ad program — some of it mandatory and some of it voluntary. I did not handle it all the best I could — and that does not sit well with me — but going the distance in a boxing match means you jab, hook, take body blows, and defend yourself for 12 rounds. The sparring I did over the past two years leaves me confident in my ability to stand my ground in the face of the next incoming blow.
So, thank you for keeping me on my toes.
Last week, I read a quote that said, “If happiness is what you’re after, then you are going to be let down frequently and be unhappy much of your time. Joy, though, is something else.”
The sum of it all — my time with teachers and classmates at Algonquin College— gave me joy.
