"Let us welcome to the stage, the person with the highest grade achieved from all grade levels, Hailey Lilian Zy from the 8th Grade."

I heaved a deep breath and slowly let it go before I stood up to the clapping of the people as I went up to the stage.

"Good morning, everyone," I said, and the noise quieted down.

"Look, I don't want to be at the top. Seriously. All I wanted is to prove myself worthy of others. All I wanted, is to be acknowledged."

"As said earlier, My name is Hailey Lilian Alexandra Marie De Claro–Zy. Am I a special kid? Yeah, you can say that. I was born of different gifts ranging from as simple as anagramming to as complex as understanding the most complex science problems. But I was born of different curses as well. I never told anyone (well, any student) of this, but I both have dyslexia AND attention deceit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)."

Now that I told them that, many students who know one or both disorders are gaping at me, while those who don't know just looked confused. I smiled.

"Now you're wondering how in Hades–" I chuckled. "–did I manage to achieve the top with all those – ah, disabilities. Well, because of two things: one, I am determined, and two, I never give up."

"When I was young, my mother wanted me to read to make me slightly above the others when I go to school. As it turned out, I can't read them properly. I told my mom that the letter 'b' in 'bed' was doing a 180 degree. And I didn't even read it as 'bed'. I read it as 'ebbed'." I chuckled as I remembered the memory.

"So worried, my mother took me in a psychologist and – for the lack of a better word – demanded that I get a full psychological test. So I did."

"She – the doctor was a girl – made me play with the alphabet, spelling words and making me read them. I never read them right, but I did arrange the letters to form a different word. My fist anagrammed word was 'study' rearranged into 'dusty'. It's pretty complex coming from my age of two."

At this, many people gaped at me. Some almost had their jaws on the floor. Close them, I thought. Or else a fly might come in. I chuckled.

"After diagnosing me with dyslexia, she then proceeded to give more tests on me. She read a whole book and made me listen to it, trying to sit still. It was a very long book, and from the moment that she said the words 'Once upon a time', I started fidgeting while still listening to her. Not even halfway to the book, I became unfocused and distracted, so I played with the letters on the floor. That is how I was diagnosed with ADHD. Not quite, though. She had me checked yearly to know if I do really have it, as children usually are ADHD."

"Another test was her reading another book. This time, it was actually a short one, and it's about Greek mythology. I listened intently, taking in the story like a sponge hungry for water. After she was finished, she made me recall the story. I told her the story word for word, starting with the birth of Chaos to the defeat of Kronos, or Saturn if you prefer, to the reign of Zeus/Jupiter. To say that she was shocked was an understatement. She was astounded. She read another book, this time on science and made me retell the story word for word. That's how I knew that I was gifted of eidetic memory."

"Ever since then, every strange thing seemed normal for me. Like, for instance, I could solve a complex math problem in seconds if, and only if, my mother read the whole problem for me. I mastered Trigonometry, Calculus, Physics and Chemistry at the age of seven."

"Given that I'm used to being strange, I still wish for normal things, like playing, for example. I never get to do it because people think I'm weird. They think I'm a freak." At this, my eyes turned misty.

"I told my mother of the situation. She told me not to worry. She told me that they're just jealous because I'm special. I believed her. But I also believed that I am a freak."

"Instead of being miserable thinking that I am a freak, I took it as a challenge. I pushed myself as hard as I could, to the point that I skip sleep just to prove myself worthy of attention. I became a consistent top student since I started school, going all the way up to this very moment."

"I achieved a lot, yes. But I also lost a lot. I lost happiness. I lost friendship. But most especially, I lost my father." I teared up on this part.

"See, my father didn't want a freak like me. But it only pushed me to further prove myself that I wasn't useless. And look where I am now, standing in front of you, telling my story." I wiped my tears away.

"I think people actually thought that I will spend my speech thanking people. But what's the point if I don't even have much to thank? And besides, they already know my appreciation to them, as I give back their help back twice as much. So I spent my speech telling my story. This is not only to inspire you, but also to tell you a lesson or more."

"Number one, never give up no matter what. Never give up on your dreams, because no matter how impossible it may be, if you have the determination to do it, it will happen. It has to be."

"Number two, anything is possible if you've got the nerve. It's pretty similar to the first one. What is the purpose of your talent if you don't use it?"

"Number three, never think negatively. A negative mind will only lead you to failure."

"Number four, lastly, your fate is in your hands, not on others. You choose your own fate and your own life."

"With that last lesson, I congratulate you for choosing the path of success and not of failure. I wish you the guidance of Nike, the goddess of victory, to lead you to the success that you truly deserved."

After I finished my speech, I bowed. Silence. The applause that followed after almost made me deaf. I smiled. I'm so glad that I had made a significant contribution to the lives of the students.

As I made my way back to my chair, I heard the speaker talking. "Wise words. Truly wise words," he said.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

None of this are true in my life, and the information is not verified.