A bold high school valedictorian who recently took the stage and delivered a memorable speech filled with biblical truth is surprised her powerful address spread so rapidly.
Lydia Owens told CBN’s Faithwire the reaction to her words going viral has been “overwhelming,” though she’s elated to see her speech pointing more people toward the Gospel.
“It surprised me a lot, the amount of people who were so impacted by it,” she said. “That’s exactly what I’d want to happen. I want people to know Jesus because of what I said.”
Watch the valedictorian share why she spoke so boldly:
Owens, a recent graduate of Woodmont High School, a public school in Piedmont, South Carolina, drew applause during the address from the audience when she reminded her peers they are “made in the image of God,” and their worth should be found in eternal rather than temporal things.
Lydia specifically mentioned how her mother’s death two years ago showed her the importance of leaning into the Lord to find peace.
“When everything else in my life felt uncertain, the only person that I could depend on to stay the same was Jesus,” she said. “My perspective of success drastically changed, because I realized that the many years I spent placing my worth in my academics meant absolutely nothing in light of eternity.”
Christ, she said, is the only person who “will ever satisfy.”
Video of the speech quickly spread, with positive and encouraging comments flowing. Lydia, who said she has received some negative feedback as well, simply didn’t expect the video to have such a massive footprint.
Leading up to her valedictorian address, the teen said she considered for a long time what she would say.
“I could have talked about absolutely anything, but, when I was thinking about it, I knew that I wanted to say something that would leave people thinking,” Lydia said, noting she endeavored to make a positive impact. So, she used her own struggle with perfectionism and overcoming the odds to deliver a timeless message to which others could relate.
“The reason that I’ve been able to work through my struggles with perfectionism is because of Jesus and the reason that I’ve been able to overcome a lot in my life is because of Jesus,” Lydia said. “So, I knew that I wanted to share about my faith.”
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