Lydia Owens, the valedictorian and senior class president of Woodmont High School in Greenville, upstate South Carolina, has gained significant attention online for her graduation speech. In her speech, Lydia shared how she has discovered her value through her Christian faith, and how it has provided her with strength during challenging times in her life. During her three-minute speech, Owens went on to share how her perspective underwent a significant shift following the passing of her mother two years ago. She expressed that during this tragic event, it wasn’t her academic achievements or personal success that provided guidance and solace. Instead, she found her unwavering support and strength in her faith and relationship with Jesus.
Fox News reports:
A high school valedictorian in upstate South Carolina has gone viral for her graduation speech explaining how she has learned to find her value in her Christian faith.
Lydia Owens, valedictorian and senior class president at Woodmont High School in Greenville, told those who attended her graduation how her faith has sustained her amid recent hardships in her life, according to FOX Carolina.
“No matter what your future holds, please remember that your life is so much more than how successful you are,” Owens said in her speech. “Even if you accomplish all of your dreams or none of them at all, you are still valuable, and you are still good enough because you are made in the image of God.”
Owens went on to explain in the three-minute speech how her perspective changed two years ago after the death of her mother, who she said was her biggest inspiration.
“I had that reality check almost two years ago when my mom passed away,” Owens said. “When tragedy struck my life, it wasn’t my grades nor my success that helped me navigate through that loss. When everything else in my life felt uncertain, the only person I could depend on was Jesus.”
Owens told the local outlet that her mom “always pushed me to be my best self.”
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