Staying True To Yourself!

This past June 17 Bryce Dershem began delivering his high school valedictorian speech before a packed audience, including his nearly 500 classmates, faculty members, and about 2,000 guests at Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, New Jersey.

He had wanted the speech to be personal – a positive message of ‘just believing in yourself, knowing that you’re enough, and embracing your identity.’ 

He said the first few drafts were ‘trash, absolutely trash.’  But he kept writing.

He wanted to connect with others who, like him, had been struggling.  He wanted his message to be personal.

When he began by mentioning his coming out as a freshman, his principal walked onto the stage, grabbed the handwritten speech, and crumpled it in plain view of Bryce and the audience.  

At that point, Bryce said ‘it just broke my heart.’  But he was determined to continue speaking – from memory.  He then received a standing ovation.

Bryce said he had been nervous because he knew that part of his school administration didn’t want him to tell his story, which had included treatment for anorexia,  suicidal thoughts, and various other mental health challenges faced by members of his LGBTQ community, but he felt he had to stay true to himself. 

Following the ceremonies, a female member of the school’s Board of Trustees told him how proud she was of him – that her son had been a victim of suicide during the pandemic.  Bryce said ‘as she and I cried into each other’s arms, I knew in that moment for certain that I had done the right thing in speaking out.’

A complaint has been filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights requesting whether the school district had discriminated against Bryce.

Whatever the outcome, Bryce feels vindicated for finishing his speech from memory.  

At Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, Bryce plans to pursue his dream of becoming a poet, museum curator, or professor.  But he says his main goal is to keep pushing for inclusion and equality.  

‘All I really want is to make people feel less alone.  That’s everything I hope to do.  Just to let every single person know that they are not alone and that their identity is beautiful.’

Please click this link for a video featuring Bryce Dershem by CBS News reporter Meg Oliver.

We thank the Washington Post; USA TODAY NETWORK; and Aiden Rood, Eastside News Features Editor, for their input regarding this MWAH! story.