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Nonspeaking valedictorian with autism urges peers to use their voices in moving graduation speech, from UpWorthy

In a moving commencement speech on May 8, a college valedictorian who is affected by nonspeaking autism urged her fellow graduates to use their own voices. According to Good Morning America, 24-year-old Elizabeth Bonker—who has not spoken since the age of 15 months—was unanimously chosen by her four fellow valedictorians to deliver the speech to the 529 graduating students of Rollins College, a private college in Winter Park, Florida. Using a text-to-speech computer program to deliver her speech, she told her peers:

"God gave you a voice. Use it. And no, the irony of a non-speaking autistic encouraging you to use your voice is not lost on me. Because if you can see the worth in me, then you can see the worth in everyone you meet."