Valedictorian gives moving speech hours after dad’s funeral. ‘My arms are shaking’
His nerves noticeable and shoes messy, Alem Hadzic had good reason for his appearance during his Texas high school graduation.
Soon, as the Early College High School graduate took the stage for his valedictorian speech, attendees at the ceremony learned what Hadzic had recently endured.
“My father died yesterday, May 15, 2024, and I attended his funeral today, right before graduation,” Hadzic said in his speech. “That’s why my shoes are muddy and my arms are shaking, because I had to carry him into his grave and bury him.”
Hadzic said in his speech his father was diagnosed with cancer during his senior year. But he did not share the news of his dad’s condition with many people, saying he didn’t to be treated differently during his last semester.
Gasps were heard as Hadzic shared the tragic news.
“I can’t stand up here and pretend I want to be doing this speech right now. But I cant throw something away that he worked so hard for me to achieve,” he went on to say. “That’s why I’m going to go to college and spend every hour of every day working as hard as I can to achieve all of my goals because that’s what he wanted, and I’m going to do it for him.”
He ended his speech by urging his fellow graduates to work hard for their loved ones just as he did — and plans on continuing to do for his father.
Hadzic will attend University of Texas at Austin and pursue a chemical engineering degree, according to the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District.
He told KDFW he was comforted by the outpouring of support he received after the ceremony.
“They wanted to take pictures with me. They told me how strong I was and it made me feel so much better,” he told the station. “It made me feel so good on such a dark day. It was really what I needed.”
Early College High School is in Carrollton, about a 35-mile drive northeast from Fort Worth.
This story was originally published May 21, 2024 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Valedictorian gives moving speech hours after dad’s funeral. ‘My arms are shaking’."