FIGHTING FOR MYSELF: BAILEY HENNESSY’S GRADUATION MESSAGE

BAILEY HENNESSY

Class of 2025

Hello everyone. This is a huge accomplishment, and I hope you can all take a second to feel how proud you should be. Getting to this point took strength, grit, and heart. I want to tell you about my journey because if you had asked me a few years ago if I'd be standing here today, I would have said, "Absolutely not!"

I started college feeling very lost and I began to start failing some classes and just not doing well. I had no motivation, no direction, and school kind of felt like something I just couldn't handle. And instead of trying, I kind of gave up on myself. So, my mom wanted me to take some classes at Pima [Community College], hoping things would be different. It wasn't. I was still struggling, skipping class, not doing assignments, and avoiding the real issues. I felt disconnected and hopeless.

And then things got even worse. My advisor told me I wouldn't be able to graduate. That moment hit like a brick. Everything was coming down around me. I was exhausted. I felt like I had no options left, like I was watching everything fall apart and I couldn't stop it. And I looked around me and I thought, "Am I the only one? Am I the only one that can't figure this out? Why me?"

And then something shifted. I stopped and asked myself, "Why was I letting this happen? Why was I afraid to try?" That night I broke down. It was one of the lowest points of my life, but it was also a huge turning point because, for the first time, I chose to face it. I stopped hiding from the real reason I was failing, and I started fighting for myself. And I couldn't have done so without the support from the SALT Center and from my family.

The SALT Center changed everything for me. They didn't just help me with academics, they helped me rebuild —rebuild myself. They helped me work through the anxiety, the fear, the burnout. They gave me structure, motivation, and most importantly, people who believed in me.

With their support, I didn't just catch up, I went all in! I took 19 credits, then 21 credits, then 19 credits. I was determined to prove everyone, including myself, wrong. I made the dean's list. I got organized. I found confidence. And once again, I found a joy in learning. I actually started loving school so much that I started missing when I couldn't go to class on weekends, something I thought I'd never say.

And now, I'm here, graduating, and I'm headed to New York City to work at a law firm, and hope to go to law school next year. And, I just wanted to thank Kim. Thank you for helping me find my strength and for showing me that I could do this. You gave me the tools to succeed and the heart to lead again.

And to everyone graduating today, I know the road wasn't always easy but look at us now. We made it, we pushed through, and we graduated. Congratulations again, we did it!

Bailey delivered the above address at our May, 2025 Graduation Reception. We were so impressed by her inspiring story that we asked if we could share it in the Journal. You can also view a video recording online:

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