My Burning Bush

So this is the speech that I walked way from saying....the lord has called me to do this, so I call it (drum roll) MY BURNING BUSH....It was amazing, when I finished with the last word it was this silence among the applause and I lost where I was for a moment until I look over and found my mother with tears in her eyes and my sister fighting them back and then Speaker Hammett touched me on the back to shake my hand and as my good friends Kari and Virigina would say "The Rest is History." So I'll set the mood for you... The speech took place in Montgomery on the 12th floor of the RSA building,one the nicest buildings that overlook the entire city. Every student body president from every university in the state of Alabama are placed within the room, my mother and my sister are wishing me on sitting slightly to my left. In between is every major political player you can think of from lobbiest, to House members, to Senators and slightly to my right is the 12 year Speaker of the House of Alabama: Seth Hammett. He was being celebrated by the Higher Education initiative for the speaker's efforts to bring our education up to what it should be. Therefore thats why I was there, to speak of why I valued my education at Auburn University.After taken all this in i looked directly at the camaras in front of me among the claps I say:

the .... are pauses in my speech so I can remember to break.


Thank you… Thank you…. for your generous applause ….It’s a pleasure to be here…
I was going to start out with a joke about Alabama….but its not much you can say about someone who places their National Championship trophy in Wal-Mart.

Actually tonight I want to be serious with you all about this world and how its changing… Tonight someone will turn on their T.V. and watch in fear as increasing threats continue to hurt our way of life…. They will watch our natural resources grow shorter. They will watch evil plots be planned against this beautiful land because of our love of freedom. And they will also watch our economy and unemployment rates spin out of control….But tonight I stand before you as a Representative of future Auburn Graduates. That in courage will raise our hands in hope that fate will call on us and allow us to guide the ship out of troubled waters…. For we have been blessed with a creed that has given us the ability to do this. And if me and my fellow classmates are faithful to Auburn and this creed then we will do exactly what our beautiful Alma Mater demands of us when we sing it….“To work for thy just fame, and hold as we do now Auburn’s cherished name.” And tonight I want to stand as a witness to tell you all, how this creed has changed my life.

The Creed Starts with: “I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.”

There was once a young man from the mean streets of Bessemer Al…Who’s mother had to do all but hold him at gun point to keep his head on straight….Because she seen something special within him. He attended Auburn University and learned that this is a practical world and if he provides the work…..Then he can obtain what he earns….
Bo Jackson won the 1985 Heisman Trophy due to his hard work. And he inspired me to believe in my work. And understand when my mom and sister had the gun to my back.
That they just wanted me to know that this is a practical world and all I have is what I earn….

The next line of the creed is:

I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.

There was once a young girl….who was wowed by Auburn University at a young age.
And dreamed of coming to school here to gain knowledge to train her hands and her mind to work skillfully….She became involved in as many as ten organizations at Auburn University. Including becoming the SGA student body president all while having a 3.95 GPA. ….Lauren Hayes won a prestigious Rotary Scholarship to attend any historic school within the UK, and inspires me to value my education, which can take me farther in life than the small backyard that I wished to escape from when I was young….. to the far reaches of the world that I never dreamed I would see.

Within the next line the Creed says:
I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

There was once a young accounting student at Auburn. Who made an honest mistake in a project that led the professor to believe that someone had cheated within the group. And the professor was ready to give all the students in the group a zero….but Todd Burlieson went against the chance of being reported to the Academic Advisory board….and admitted his honest mistake …..And earned the respect of his fellow classmates and his professor who instead rewarded him with full credit for his honesty….Todd has pushed me to be honest as I can possibly be, I met him when I was a young Freshman and now our relationship has grown into accountability partners. Who check on each other daily to make sure we both face the mistakes in life with honesty. So I can earn the respect of my fellow man.

This document holds this great belief:

I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid, and in clean sports that develop these qualities.
Last year was a unusual year for our football team….We lost a coach that meant so much to us… but Athletic Director Jay Jacobs stood tall with a spirit that was unafraid and a sound mind that believed that… Gene Chizik could lead our football team like an Auburn man should….. And now Coach Chizik is the only 1st year Auburn football coach to lead the Tigers to a January bowl game. Him and his underrated coaches have put together the current number 4 recruiting class and has a shot at not only the best in school history ….but also the number 1 recruiting class in the nation

Working for Auburn University football team has been one of the greatest pleasures in my life ….and every day I am inspired by their fearless courage to withstand the questions after a disappointing loss….And their clean sports that they display every day and in every game…. And the soundness of Mr. Jacob’s mind to believe in what he stands for…. when everybody else doubts you.

The next line goes something like this:

I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.

As I sleep within the comfort of my bed every Tuesday and Thursday mourning….
My roommate Jordan Wall wakes up to report for his Air Force Physical Training class…
In hope to be one of the many officers Auburn University commission to the battle field. To protect the great law of this land and to protect the rights of others from the greedy who tries to seize it….that’s true service within higher education….I believed for a semester that I could honor America with my service as I attempted to become a member of Auburn University Air Force ROTC….Only to find that I wasn’t cut out for service on the battle fields for America …..but I found success in that failure… a success….. That says I can serve my country through my education and upholding and strictly following the laws of this beautiful land, laid before me by the past hero’s that died for those very laws….

The heart of Auburn Men and Women show in these next lines:

I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.

There was once a young rough man from Georgia…..Who played Defensive Back for the great Pat Dye at Auburn….He cared nothing for his teammates nor anyone else ….until Coach Dye removed him from the football team and took away all he had accomplished in his life…. That night Chette Williams got on his knees with his roommate….Who was the only person who had sympathy for him….And through that sympathy Chette Williams gave his life to God….And cultivates health spiritual lives in our athletes till this day with the same human touch that led him to God….And Chette has been an important part of my life… As he has spiritually guided my life just as he would for a star running back or Quarterback….He poured into my life story to make sure I have strength in the walls of my character.

And this next paragraph is as beautiful as any words every written:

I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God."

There was once a young man from Covington, Alabama ….Who loved his country so much that he was willing to dedicate his life to the service of it….by doing it justly and giving his loving mercy to it….Seth Hammett dedicated his life to the U.S. Air Force….And now he dedicates it to the citizens of Alabama as the Speaker of the House….Speaker Hammett has showed me how to truly represent something and how to serve it justly….

In the not so distance future ….I will stand before my future employer with this creed locked in my heart so tightly that it has become part of my DNA….And I will look him or her in the eye and tell them this …That numerical ink after the words GPA is only a small portion of my experience on the plains of Auburn…probably because its not the highest GPA haha…But more because I have not only been educated in knowledge, but I have been educated in love for my community, I have been educated in love for my community, I have been educated in a bravery that’s not so common, Educated to have a spirit that is not afraid of the dark world that awaits, And that I can face the harsh winds of life and not sway nor stagger because….. I’ve been educated at Auburn

Auburn has believed in me

And Auburn has loved Me
That’s why I believe in Auburn and Love It



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