Words of Wisdom for the Class of ’22

OneGoal Alumna Huda Ganatra gave a stirring speech for the 2022 Grad Night celebration event audience for OneGoal in Chicago. The following is a transcript of Huda’s remarks about her journey toward achieving her goals and personal happiness.

I began my education by attending a private Islamic academy for girls, surrounded by students with backgrounds similar to mine. So it was difficult and embarrassing coming into public school; to be in this strange place full of strange people where almost no one looked like me.

It was a fish out of water moment, and not just because of the people. Even some of the most simple concepts taught in my classes were presented in unfamiliar ways. Algebra was my first class and after the teacher asked us to write out the four basic operations of mathematics. The look of panic on my face must have been visible to others around me. I was almost to the point of tears when a boy sitting next to me held up his paper for me to see and it said, “addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.” Ahh! Of course, I knew these concepts, but what on earth was an “operation?” Does she mean the board game Operation? I think back to this moment and it’s especially funny to me considering I’m majoring and working in accounting now.

This was an early lesson in asking for help. The boy who showed kindness in that moment was the first of many of my peers over the years who I looked to for support in moments of uncertainty and confusion.

By the time I joined OneGoal my junior year at Roosevelt, every decision in my life was made for me by an adult. I think there is an inherent mistrust of young people when it comes to their ability to make decisions for themselves. You can’t even walk down the hall in school without an adult questioning where you’re going and what you’re up to. But the OneGoal classroom environment was the first place where my agency to own my future was assumed from day one. Not only that, my Program Director, Kara Escalante, gave us the tools, support, and guidance to be confident in the choices we were making. All based on my intentions, identity, and values, and not on a prescribed path or outcome.

But if you ask me right now where I want to be in three years, the answer is I don’t know. But I do know that I will have a lot more opportunities available to me so that I don’t have to focus only on external markers of success like financial security and stability, and I can prioritize my internal happiness.

I’m excited that we are joined tonight by some class of 2022 Fellows. I was in your shoes not too long ago! My advice to each of you this year is to ask for help. There will be moments where you don’t always have control over your success—your circumstances and the barriers you encounter are not always favorable in your pursuit of success, but there are almost always people, opportunities, and experiences available to you to make your life a little better for yourself. You just have to be vulnerable enough to seek them out.

This is something I struggled with! And if you’re anything like me, you’re used to fending for yourself.

OneGoal helped me understand that we cannot and should not be expected to make this journey alone. You are as valuable to your school, your employer, and your program as they are to you, and making the most of that partnership is how we all succeed together.

It may take a few tries, and sometimes you might not get the help you asked for, but what helped me is realizing that I can either settle for the situation to stay the same, or I can actively work to make it better. And vocalizing my needs, relying on community, and embracing what makes me unique, are skills that I think have been instrumental to my growth.

Thank you.