- Just over 9,500 students graduated from the University of Utah on Thursday.
- Student speaker Gerald Parrott shared his journey of overcoming addiction, homelessness and run-ins with the law to earning a criminology degree.
- Parrott emphasized resilience, stating life is messy but perseverance can lead to success.
SALT LAKE CITY — Arthur Brooks has given many commencement addresses throughout his life, but his speech to University of Utah graduates Thursday was changed at the eleventh hour.
Why?
"I was inspired," Brooks, a Harvard Business School professor and University of Utah Impact Scholar, told the crowd of over 9,500 graduates.
That inspiration came via Gerald Parrott, the ceremony's student speaker, who ended up stealing the show through his deeply personal and inspiring story of how he arrived behind the podium and under the bright lights of the Jon M. Huntsman Center on Thursday.
"I can tell you, this is a lot different than an AA meeting," Parrott, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology, said.
Parrott told a story riddled with battles with addiction, homelessness and run-ins with the law.
"My life mostly consisted of chasing whatever numbed me the fastest. I drank heavily, I used drugs, I neglected my relationships and my family, and I paid no attention to the warning signs that were everywhere in my life," Parrott said. "Eventually, everything collapsed. I lost my job, my marriage ended, I had no stability, and I spent years in addiction, homelessness, repeatedly going to jail, and in a state of mind I can only describe as simply existing."
Then, while sitting in a jail cell, Parrott discovered he was going to be a father. It was a moment that changed everything for him.
"Having my son, Kylo, meant that I now have someone that depends on me. Someone that looks up to me. And I needed him to see what hard work, discipline and responsibility look like. And that led me back to school," Parrott said.
So, he returned to Salt Lake Community College with a 1.67 GPA and an academic probation contract — something that he said "measured how lost I had been."
But Parrott put his head down, got to work, and went on to earn two associate's degrees — one in psychology and one with honors in social work — before transferring to the U. His next goal is law school, where he hopes to advocate for smarter policies on criminal justice reform.
"I'm telling you my story to show you that life does not move in straight lines. Life is messy. There are going to be times when you wonder if you're on the right path, where the effort might not seem worth it, where quitting feels like it's the only option left. I know those feelings well, and not only is it OK, it's human," Parrott said. "If you ever find yourself in a time where everything feels hopeless, just remember, keep showing up, because no matter how impossible things feel, the lowest point in your life might be the moment your real story begins."
To Brooks, Parrott's story, and the U. in general, serves as an example of how "everybody can lift themselves up through hard work and merit and personal responsibility and a great community of people who helped them along the way."
"Here's what I want you to remember as you go forward: There's a lot to be proud of. You have a lot of strengths. Don't be safe. Take a risk in what really matters the most to you," Brooks said.
