THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS –

“Let Your Heart Sing.“

Kilmarnock Academy | Keynote | Annual Prizegiving 3rd June 2025

Marie was invited to her former secondary school, Kilmarnock Academy to deliver the keynote speech to pupils and invited guests at their annual prizegiving.

Below is a copy of Marie’s speech.

…

“On the 4th of July 1776 the founders of the USA came together and declared a new national revolutionary idea –

The belief that they were all created equal.

That they were free to govern themselves and that each one of them was entitled to a life of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Today some 249 years later each one of you have come together to celebrate your awards.

You have worked hard, faced fear with belief and hope in your heart that this momentous day would become a reality, and it has.

Now some of you who will be leaving school this year my message is this.

You are a huge asset not just to Ayrshire and Scotland but to the world. 

And from the bottom of my heart, I want to congratulate you all for your tenacity and having the heart to never give up.

2.

Now for some at school it is not always easy, and you feel you might not fit in.

So, I am going to share a story …

Many years ago, I knew a girl who faced fear,

A girl who wanted to sing again, a girl who had a Love for music but lacked confidence, bullied at primary school and kept back a year at school with a condition now termed dyslexic.

A girl from a challenging post code area where life was tough.

But her bricklayer father said stay true to yourself, work hard, dare to dream and dare to be different.

She watched her community’s economy decline during the 1970s & 80s deindustrialisation and life was tough.

But music gave her an escape.

3.

She aspired to be educated in the city of greatness – Glasgow. The city of lights, the city

built by the hands of men and women of greatness, where entrepreneurs created Tomorrow’s World.

Times were hard, studying she found difficult, but here beloved band Simple Minds got her through with their song ‘New Gold Dream’.

That girl aspired to work in London and NYC which she did. She then returned to Scotland to build a dream that dream is about helping our young people some who have no aspiration and who have disengaged from education and life.

That girl stands here today at her beloved Kilmarnock Academy.

4.

Her message to the amazing students at Kilmarnock Academy is….

The Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July 1776 was a result of the Founding Fathers of the United States. One was a 19-year-old Alexander Hamilton who had huge heart and tenacity.

He became the 1st Secretary of the Treasury and the main author of economic policies of the George Washington administration.

He was said to be the Patron Saint of American school of economic philosophy.

He was the illegitimate son of James Hamilton the 4th son of Laird Alexander Hamilton of Grange Kilmarnock Ayrshire, yes Kilmarnock.

The Grange area of Kilmarnock where that girl aspired to build her home and did.

 5.

You see it doesn’t matter where you come from its where you’re going and having heart on the journey. Just like Alexander Hamilton a son of Ayrshire whose heart changed the world.

Former Kilmarnock Academy pupils like Willie Mcilvanney and Alexander Fleming had heart and changed the world.

Today is about letting your heart sing, I want you all to think about heart and how you all can use your heart when making key decisions when leading Tomorrow’s World.

You are now advancing in a new direction in your education here at Kilmarnock Academy or on your next journey in further education or work.

 You will be taking with you community values that will never leave you and those values will create “Transformation” for Ayrshire, Scotland and the World.

When I look round this room, I believe you are all going ‘Rock’ the economy, putting Scotland at the forefront of a new Tomorrow’s World.

1. Never Give Up
2. Be Kind
3. Have Faith
4. Keep Your Values
5. Work Hard.”