When Matt Easton started thinking about the valedictorian speech he would give at his graduation ceremony at Brigham Young University, he didn’t initially think he’d announce to a packed auditorium full of students from the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences that he is gay.
Instead, he started with a deliberate approach. He watched past speeches online. He realized those that were the most memorable and inspirational came from people who were authentic and shared a part of themselves.
“One thing that marked my time at BYU has been learning and coming to terms with my identity,” he told The Salt Lake Tribune.