A recent high school graduate that I know gave a little speech. It was a speech about a life transformed and a dream for the future. It was a speech from the heart. If you have not seen this, it is worth a few minutes of your time.

Thanks to the Internet, Elijah’s speech has started to reach people around the country, which has been both surprising and gratifying. The comments have generally been positive, but a few cynics have also chimed it. Some criticized Teach for America. Others lauded his youthful enthusiasm but predicted that it wouldn’t last. These commentors raise legitimate concerns, but perhaps such concerns are misplaced.

This speech is not about TFA or a blueprint for the future. It’s about a young man who was transformed and dreams of transforming others. Yes, it is true that to create meaningful change, you must learn to temper your idealism with realism. But the man is only 18, if that! Let him dream, for without it there can be no change. A dream is but a seed, fragile and beautiful. It must be nurtured in order to grow. If we are so concerned that it will falter, then let us help him make the dream become reality.