STEPHANIE KLIMASZEWSKI
Staff Writer
April 29, 2006 is a date that will cure many Pepperdine students of the sub-motivational condition known as “Senioritis.” Seniors Jennifer Akamine and John Paul Lam will speak at the ceremony. Qualified by their unique and extensive history of accomplishments, Akamine and Lam will deliver messages of congratulations and inspiration to anticipating graduating seniors and guests.
“I spoke at my eighth grade, high school, and now college graduation,” Lam said, who is known by the nickname JP. His topic for this speech regards “fulfilling your potential.” He plans to pose several questions to graduates like, “How will you be remembered for your time at Pepperdine?” and “With this new beginning, where will you go from here?”
Similarly, Student Government Vice President Jennifer Akamine plans to speak about “living a life worth living: taking your talents and using them for life.”
Such graduation speech topics may seem generic when summed up into a few words. But Akamine and Lam will undoubtedly leave their audience in reflection with lives exemplifying their speech content. The two are avid participants in activities at Pepperdine and in the Malibu community. Their personal experiences will set the tone for what sounds like another standard graduation speech.
Lam has been delivering his message at more than his graduations, using message-delivery vehicles other than speech. Lam delivers his faith-influenced messages in song lyrics. “Love until they ask you why,” exemplifies one of Lam’s messages, because “other people will know you by your love,” he reasons. The music Lam writes is “pop, with a twist of country in writing, and a twist of soul in delivery,” Lam said.
A punk rock band member in junior high school marks Lam’s beginning in musical performance. In high school he sang in an a cappella singing trio. Lam performed solo by 16 years old.
Those who have eaten at Malibu’s Duke’s restaurant on Friday or Sunday evenings may have been serenaded by Lam. He worked there three years, bringing live musical entertainment to customers’ tables. Lam’s friend played guitar while accompanied by Lam on ukulele.
“A huge part of your musical performance is speaking,” Lam said, “I speak a lot when I sing.” Passion for delivering his message keeps him speaking between his songs, and convinced that his graduation speech will exceed the allotted five minutes.
Lam’s primary activities at Pepperdine include musical performance, Songfest and campus ministries. Lam’s post-graduation plans include a trip to Greece and Rome, followed by writing a musical and pursuit of a music career in Nashville, Tenn.
In his fleeting time at Pepperdine, Lam exercises particular involvement. “This last month of school I’ve been going out and taking advantage of everything I possibly can,” Lam said.
Akamine demonstrates a similar urge to participate. She struggles to recall all areas of her participation as an undergraduate: SGA, choir, Chamber music, Pi Phi, Project Serve, Inter-Club counsel, NSO, Heidelberg 03-04, Recruitment counselor and Songfest are a few areas of her involvement.
Akamine favorably recalls activities including Project Serve Panama, which was like “living Survivor,” according to Akamine. She also recalls a victory over Lam’s group in one year’s Songfest competition.
There was a time for Akamine when public speaking felt impossible. “I was not just scared, I physically couldn’t do it,” she said.
A conference Akamine attended her junior year of high school reformed her attitude toward public speaking. When audience members were asked to give their 30-second testimony, she realized the importance of conquering public speaking fears. Akamine confronted her fear of speaking by giving her testimony, and it was the “scariest moment of my life,” she remembers.
“I still get nervous, but I think that’s good,” Akamine said. A primary motivation for persistence includes her desire to inspire. “I love being around inspiring people,” she said. “I realized I wanted to be one of those people. I wanted to be someone who inspired like they did.”
Ronald Reagan is a hero of Akamine’s who has these inspiring qualities. “Beyond just being cool, I admire his values. He is a moral man who knew how to inspire for the right reasons,” she said. “He loved his family, he loved people, and he lived a dynamic life.”
Akamine and Lam auditioned for the five minutes of speech time they will have during the ceremony. Other senior speakers delivered messages on April 12 during the Senior Awards Convocation.
From competing performances in Songfest to addressing friends, family and honored guests at the 2006 Graduation, Akamine and Lam demonstrate their desire to share. With histories of notable accomplishments, Akamine and Lam live lifestyles endorsing their messages of optimizing potential.
04-20-2006