Another round of hushed whispers rushes through the audience, and even Hannah looks at me with wide eyes. But after a beat, she nods like she’s encouraging me, and I feel my heart swell in my chest. Because if she accepts me, then nothing else matters. And I’d be the biggest hypocrite in the world if I was encouraging her to live authentically and honestly if I wasn’t doing the same thing.

The truth is, I’m not ashamed of having dyslexia. Why should I be? It makes certain things more difficult for me, but it doesn’t define me any more than being a hockey player does. It’s just one part of who I am. Hannah sees that. She likes me for the entirety of who I am, not despite it.

“It’s true. It’s been a constant battle, ever since I was little. A lot of people didn’t think I was ever going to amount to anything because of it, but I did. And I’m here to tell you that every single one of you can do the same thing, no matter what anyone else says. I know it sounds simple, and that’s because it is when you boil it down, but all you have to do is find what matters to you, what really matters, and hold on to it tight. Because once you know what you want, everything else becomes clear and falls right into place.”

My gaze lands back on Hannah, who’s beaming at me with one hand pressed lightly to her chest. She has to know I’m talking about her, even if no one else in the room does. It strikes me what the point of this speech really was all along—being honest with myself about how I’m feeling for her.

“So whatever you decide to do when you leave here, make sure it’s something that matters. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks—not your friends, not your family—because at the end of the day, it’s your life and you only get the one to live. You might as well do what makes you happy, what you really want to do. For me, one of my dreams was hockey. I never let go of it, no matter how many people told me I should or that I was never going to make it. I can’t wait to see the rest of you do the same thing. Thank you.”

I step back from the podium and the audience erupts in cheers and applause. The principal hurries over and puts her hand on my shoulder, then takes the mic to thank me and the students for coming. We’re doing a meet and greet afterward for anyone who wants pictures with me, but it’s going to take some time for that to get set up, so I make a beeline down the aisle toward Hannah.