蘑菇传媒

Speech by Andrew Hercules 鈥�09

Below is a transcription of a speech given to MS/US students during an assembly

Good morning! I鈥檓 Andrew Hercules. I鈥檓 grateful to represent the veterans among 蘑菇传媒 Alumni. I am a Veteran of the United States Army Intelligence Corps. I am a Police Sergeant with the West Jordan Police Department. My most important role is husband to an amazing wife and father to two incredible children. But before all that, I was a 蘑菇传媒 student. I started as a 3-year-old in 1993 and continued until I graduated in 2009. Though it鈥檚 been almost 17 years, this place still feels like home to me. It鈥檚 a special feeling standing here today. I sat in this very assembly hall, where you鈥檙e sitting now, wondering what my future would look like. I never imagined I鈥檇 be back here one day, wearing a different kind of uniform, talking about what service means.

When I sat where you now sit, my biggest concerns were whether I was going to pass Mr. Wade鈥檚 History test. I didn鈥檛 think much about words like duty or sacrifice. But life has a funny way of bringing those words to life. In my junior year, I had a new math teacher. While he wasn鈥檛 new to teaching, he was new to this school. That man was Mr. Sayes. I sat in the front row (of every class, actually). For those of you who have had Mr. Sayes, I鈥檓 sure you鈥檝e seen a photograph of him leaning against a building in his uniform.

While I should have been paying attention to learning how to solve quadratic equations, I couldn鈥檛 help but notice that photo and think about the possibilities service could have on my life. Just under a year after graduation, I joined the U.S. Army as a Human Intelligence Collector, which is just fancy talk for 鈥淚nterrogator鈥�. Which is also fancy talk for someone who asks people a lot of questions. Which, if you know me at all, you know that talking is a personality staple for me. A few months later, I was standing in formation at basic training wondering, 鈥淲hat did I just get myself into?鈥�

Those first few weeks were some of the hardest of my life. 0430 start times, long runs, no sleep, and a whole lot of yelling, most of which was warranted. But something happened in that process. Every challenge chipped away at who I thought I was and revealed who I could be. The best lesson I learned? I was capable of much more than I believed. 

Now, I鈥檒l admit, military life came with a few 鈥渓earning experiences.鈥� For one, I learned that 鈥渉urry up and wait鈥� isn鈥檛 just a saying, it鈥檚 actually the official Army motto. I learned that MREs, Meals Ready to Eat, are actually neither ready nor something you鈥檇 willingly eat. I also learned that if you ever say, 鈥淲ell, at least it can鈥檛 get any worse,鈥� the Army takes that as a challenge. Serving in the Army taught me about teamwork, responsibility, and resilience. You learn quickly that it鈥檚 not about you, it鈥檚 about the people next to you. When things get tough, and they do, you don鈥檛 think about quitting, because the people beside you are counting on you. That sense of connection, that bond, is something I鈥檒l always be grateful for. And that鈥檚 what service really is.聽

It鈥檚 putting others before yourself. It鈥檚 showing up when it鈥檚 hard. It鈥檚 being part of something bigger than your own goals or comfort. But through it all, the long days, the weird food, the unpredictable situations, I found purpose. I found pride in serving our country, and also in serving the people around me. This same sense of pride and purpose is what led me to a career in law enforcement.

Veterans Day isn鈥檛 just a date on the calendar. It鈥檚 a reminder. A reminder that our freedom was not free. It was earned, protected, and passed down through the courage and sacrifice of those who wore the uniform. When we think of veterans, we might picture soldiers on distant battlefields. But veterans are also our neighbors, our teachers, our parents, or our family members. Veterans come from every background, every belief, every walk of life. But they share one thing in common, a willingness to stand up and say, 鈥淚鈥檒l do my part.鈥� And today, we honor that. Not to glorify war or politics, but to celebrate courage, service, and sacrifice. 

My understanding is that the theme for this year is, 鈥淲ith kindness.鈥� At our police department, we have a motto. Every officer in our department knows the motto and it鈥檚 these 5 words: 鈥淵ou matter, like I matter.鈥� This means that we see every person we come across as an individual person, with goals, needs, objectives, and challenges, just like we have. While I learned that motto after my 蘑菇传媒 and Military days, the idea of inclusion and love for those around us was instilled in me as a young student here at 蘑菇传媒.

Three of the hardest things in this life are, first, admitting that you鈥檙e wrong; second, including the excluded; and third, exchanging love for hate. Each of these asks something difficult of us.

Admitting when we鈥檙e wrong requires humility. The courage to set aside pride and choose truth over ego. It鈥檚 not easy to face our mistakes, but doing so opens the door to growth, understanding, and respect.

Including the excluded takes empathy. It asks us to look beyond our comfort zones, to reach out to someone who might feel left out, overlooked, or different. Inclusion is not just about being nice. It鈥檚 about recognizing that every one of us deserves dignity, voice, and belonging. 

Exchanging love for hate. In my experience this might be the hardest of all. It means choosing forgiveness when anger feels easier, compassion when bitterness feels justified, and peace when conflict feels inevitable.

When we practice these things; humility, inclusion, and compassion, we begin to see the world differently. We start to see people not as opponents or outsiders, but as human beings with their own objectives, challenges, and goals. And that鈥檚 where our greatest power lies: in our ability to see the humanity in others. It鈥檚 the same power that drives service. The same belief that inspired countless veterans to stand up for something beyond themselves. When we see others as human, truly see their humanity, we鈥檙e reminded that kindness is not weakness, and that empathy is not optional. It鈥檚 essential to a life of meaning and connection. If there鈥檚 one lesson my time in service has taught me, it鈥檚 this: life鈥檚 greatest rewards come from doing hard things for the right reasons. I challenge you to choose courage over comfort, kindness over indifference, and action over apathy. Thank you for letting me share my story, thank you for honoring our veterans, and thank you for reminding me that no matter where life takes us, home will always mean something special. Thank you.