The original version of this article contained an error and has been changed. See the bottom of the article for additional information.
Ever since she was a little girl, Serena Lee dreamed of graduating from UCLA. Even before she was admitted to the university, she watched UCLA commencement speeches online and aspired to give one of her own someday.
“I didn’t imagine that I would be one of the selected few,” Lee said.
On Friday, she will be talking at the university’s commencement ceremony in front of 10,000 of her peers, friends and family.
Lee, a fourth-year communications studies student, is one of two students speaking at the UCLA College of Letters and Science commencement ceremony in Pauley Pavilion.
After the College Commencement Selection Committee extended the commencement speech deadline, Lee submitted her speech on a whim.
Betty Glick, the associate vice provost for the College Commencement Selection Committee, said the group chose Serena because her “upbeat speech” shared a wide berth of positive UCLA reflections and experiences.
Lee has participated in a wide array of UCLA experiences, from choosing to live in on-campus housing during her time at UCLA to attending Dinner for 12 Strangers and serving as a news contributor for the Daily Bruin.
This year, Lee researched and wrote her senior thesis on “hidden disabilities” – inspired by her own experiences with brain injuries.
In fall 2010, Lee suffered a traffic accident that resulted in a concussion, brain injury, amnesia and short-term memory loss.
She took a year off school to recover from her injuries.
Lee said she never wanted to dwell on the accident or its negative effects on her life. Instead, she said she focused on the kindness her friends and family offered in her time of need.
While recovering, Serena said her good friend, Jeremy Lee, left her countless voicemails of him singing, telling Serena about his day and reminding her of their previous happy memories.
During her time at UCLA, her passion led her to speak for all marginalized groups.
P aul Von Blum, Lee’s mentor and a lecturer in the communications studies, Afro-American studies and honors collegium departments, said Lee’s work ethic and passion for justice are catalysts for her community. He said Lee exemplifies how an analytical and extraordinary intellectual curiosity can change how others view the world.
Von Blum called Serena “easily one of the top 10 students” he has worked with in his teaching career because of her intense interest in pursuing issues others choose to ignore.
In her future endeavors, Lee said she hopes to keep her positive attitude about life.
She said she knows recent graduates who dislike the direction of their post-collegiate life, yet fail to change the way they act day to day. She said she hopes that the real world does not distort her perspective.
“(If) something bad happens to you, turn it into something good,” she said.
During her speech, Lee said she plans to discuss living a brave and fearless life. She said she challenges her fellow graduates to do one thing that scares them every day.
Correction: Lee’s traffic accident occurred in fall 2010. Jeremy Lee left Serena Lee voicemails during her recovery outside of the hospital.