They didn’t waste their second chance

Do you remember last year, when a Brilliance Inside circle member gave the graduation speech for the inaugural class of UC Irvine’s “south campus” inside Donovan?  Well, on June 18th, Cohort 2 graduated — and we celebrated TWO of our circle members: one who’s been with us for over 2.5 years, and another who was part of our very first TEDx Core Team and even emceed our first TEDx event. (If you were there, you know exactly who I’m talking about!)

Alongside the gifts of celebrating their hard work and meeting their families, one thing struck me the most:

Of the 15 graduates, seven earned magna or summa cum laude honors. That means nearly 50% of the cohort graduated among the top 6% of UC Irvine’s entire 2025 class. Our circle member's achievement was so notable that he wore four honor cords — and his name is now engraved on a plaque on the UCI campus.

It’s easy to dismiss this stunning result with a quick, “Well, maybe the professors go easy on these ‘poor,’ ‘disadvantaged’ folks.” But here’s the truth:

  1. UC Irvine uses the same admission criteria for Donovan students as for any other third-year transfer student

  2. The professors confirm — with a knowing chuckle — that they do not make it easier

  3. Those of us who go inside regularly know that something deeper is at work here

So, what creates results like this?

When they applied, these graduates understood the unique and valuable opportunity they were being granted.  For many of us, college at 18 is just the next step on a track someone else laid out. We may appreciate the experience, but we don’t always treasure it as wildly rare or priceless.

The Donovan folks do.

Mostly as a consequence of their own choices, they didn’t have access to this kind of education in their teens.  For example, our circle member put it simply: “Seventh grade marked my first incarceration and the end of my formal education.”  Now, in their late 20s, 30s, 40s and even 50s and 60s, the Donovan students fully grasp the value of this mind-expansion and self-discovery.  And they will not let what once slipped through their fingers slip away again.

Knowing this value creates determination and motivation that are inspirational.  The students dive in with all that they are and their results at graduation are simply the natural consequence of that focus and fortitude.

I see this same dynamic in our circles too. Some come to our spaces because it feels good — while others come because they see it as a vehicle for radical transformation. 

These two groups experience our circle differently and, therefore, they are transformed differently. The first feels better. The second discovers far more than comfort – they discover themselves.  They find true freedom.

You have a choice:  Where, in your life, are you going through the motions?  What gifts are you undervaluing and overlooking – your health, your spouse, your kids, your work?  You can keep coasting and miss out on what’s hidden right in front of you.  Or…. You can embrace everyday life for the “unique and valuable opportunity” it really is.  Trust that even the most mundane moments can hide priceless gifts — if you bring your whole self to them.  You might just find yourself wearing your own version of four honor cords.

Here are a few press articles and podcasts about this graduation you may enjoy:

All photos pulled from UC Irvine press release and taken by Steve Zylius

MarietteComment