Excerpt from Chapter 15: Lights, Camera, Action!
Monday, October 13, 2014 at 7:45PM 
We climbed the stairs to the stage, and I found the seat that had my name on it: Doug Luffborough, Student Commencement Speaker. As I sat down, I realized that I was among the top politicians in our state. Seated next to President Clinton was Senator Ted Kennedy, and not too far from him was Senator John Kerry. Next to Kerry was the former Governor of Massachusetts, Mike Dukakis. There I sat, among men who had given decades of their lives to public service, and I knew my life, my story, represented what they fought for: access to higher education for low income, first generation college students, access to financial aid and student scholarships, and access to college-to-career opportunities through Co-op programs at Northeastern. There was no coincidence that I was seated among these men. I, too, was meant for something greater than my past.
Right next to me, a Secret Service agent was dressed in cap and gown, but he stood out like a sore thumb. He wore an earpiece and spoke quietly into his wrist every time the President engaged in conversations with others. From my seat on the stage, I could see my mother, sister, and two brothers, nestled close to one another in their seats. I could not believe what was happening and was more than ready to speak. After the color guard presentation finished and everyone sang the national anthem, President Curry took to the podium to introduce me:
“Ladies and gentlemen, Douglas Luffborough III represents what Northeastern University is all about. Access to college regardless of economic station, access to academic excellence for bright and talented young people, access to good professional jobs during college and afterwards. A double business major in management and human resources, Doug will next week begin full-time work at John Hancock Financial Services, where he has worked under our co-operative plan of education over the last two and a half years. I am proud, ladies and gentlemen, to introduce to you your student speaker, Doug Luffborough!”
While my introduction was being read, instead of fear or nerves, what ran through my mind was that this was the moment I had waited for my entire life—a chance for my voice to be heard.
I stood up and went straight for the glass of water I saw just beside the podium. My speech would open with a song, and with the steam-room heat, the talking and the laughing, I did not want my voice to crack. As I tasted the refreshing, cold water, I noticed that my thumb covered over the emblem of the White House, and then it dawned on me that the water was not intended for me, but for President Clinton. I could not believe that I just drank the President’s water . . . but making sure that I stood proud in front of 14,000 people on live television was my number one priority.
My classmates immediately made me feel comfortable and at ease, and I looked across the audience to locate my mother and family. In the rafters, Secret Service snipers had their semi-automatic rifles pointed in my direction. I was just a few feet from the President of the United States, and security was their top priority. I closed my eyes, found my pitch, and inhaled the first breath for my speech, which began with singing “Day-O.” At first, the audience joined me, but after a few bars, they listened closer to see how the song would end.
When I finished the song, the auditorium erupted in cheers and applause. For an instant, I thought, Yes! This is exactly what I was hoping would happen! The energy in the Boston Garden was electrifying. I had them!
After the applause quieted, the silence was reverent—I could have heard a pin drop when I started speaking. And while I knew that everyone there wanted to hear President Clinton, I wanted them to know about Doug Luffborough, too. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to address students, both past and present, who were just like me, who struggled in life to get to college. I wanted my story to encourage other students and parents to believe that what seems impossible can be possible.
It seemed as though everyone there, including the President of the United States, was on the edge of their seats with anticipation of each word, each phrase that I had prepared. I thought about my trials and tribulations during my speech and looked at my mother several times out of respect for all she had done in my life. When I finished speaking, over 14,000 people rose to their feet, including the President of the United States, who greeted me at the podium. He shook my hand, bringing us closer together. “Great job! Where is your mother?”
I wanted to point, but the President held my hand firmly with both of his, so I tried to explain where she was, which was difficult in a room full of thousands of proud parents. I could see the Secret Service snipers in the ready position because I was right next to—and touching—the President. Fortunately, my directions worked, and he was able to see where my mother was sitting. I then made my way back to my chair, sighing in relief. I did it, I thought. I nailed it.
President Curry returned to the podium beaming with pride, obviously moved by my speech. After that, the focus shifted to the keynote speaker, President Clinton. As he took the podium, the reality of what I had just done hit me. I felt like I had just woken up from an uplifting dream. At that point, I could not focus on his speech; I was dwelling on what I had just done and the courage and confidence it required. Especially with what I had endured in the third grade, with my challenges with stuttering and reading out loud in public, with the lack of support from my guidance counselor—but now, my inferiority complex and personal insecurities were shattered in front of the entire nation. Then, one part of Clinton’s speech caught my attention:
“I can also tell you that I was deeply impressed by Doug Luffborough, and if I could sing like him, I would not be up here today as President.” The audience laughed, as President Clinton went on. “I read an article about Doug and his mother and his family, and his trials and working his way through college before I came here. And, in the article, he said he plans to invite himself and his mother to the White House. Well, I’m going to beat him to the punch . . . I would like Doug and his mother to come to the White House. If any man in America knows what having a good, hardworking, strong, loving, and disciplining mother can mean, I certainly do. I know it can make all the difference in the world as it did for Doug and as it has for me, and I think it would be appropriate, just sort of as a symbol of all the parents who are here, if Doug’s mother, Mrs. Elsa Luffborough Mensah, would stand up!”
As my mother stood to her feet, I stood as well, to honor the woman who endured pain, physical abuse, and disappointment after disappointment, but who did not let the negative circumstances around her change her positive outlook on life. One by one, others stood to honor the housekeeper and single parent who raised four kids on her own, and who was now being honored by the President of the United States of America. One of my life goals has always been to make my mother proud, and on that day, I knew she was. She had every right to be proud that the nation recognized her for her journey, and the sacrifices she made for her children.
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