(Remarks as prepared)
Sir,
From your earliest days, you have embodied what it means to truly see and honor the dignity in every human being.
Growing up, you were witness to the founding of Special Olympics by your mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and the devotion to public service embodied by your father, Robert Sargent Shriver—experiences that profoundly shaped your perspective. You have said that both of your parents instilled in you an orientation to difference that saw it not as a liability or a weakness to be overcome, but rather a cause for celebration.
Drawing on your family’s powerful example and your own abiding faith, you have dedicated your life to championing human dignity as an educator, activist, author, and visionary leader.
Having earned a bachelor’s from Yale, a master’s in religion and religious education from The Catholic University of America, and a doctorate in education from the University of Connecticut, you began your career as a teacher, spending fourteen years in the classroom. Rooted in your commitment to holistic formation and inclusion, you became an avid proponent of education that develops the whole child. In co-founding the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, you pioneered a movement that would reshape classrooms worldwide.
At the helm of Special Olympics, you have served as a tireless advocate for those with intellectual disabilities, who are too often isolated and marginalized. Thanks to your efforts over the last three decades, the organization has grown into a global movement that serves more than four million athletes in more than 200 countries and territories around the world, with programming in sports, health, education, and inclusive leadership. Special Olympics changes lives—not just those of the athletes, but also those of their families, friends, and communities—truly a “peaceful revolution of inclusion.” The Special Olympics athlete oath, which your mother coined and you have made famous, inspires us all: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
Most recently, you have sought to ameliorate the political polarization in our country by bridging political divides and promoting respectful dialogue across differences. As co-founder of UNITE and co-creator of the Dignity Index, you continue to inspire those around you to build bridges, recognizing the God-given dignity in all people. You remind us that we have a choice in every interaction: we can use our words to push people away, or we can use them to pull people together. As you say, it’s not about changing what we believe; it’s about changing how we treat each other.
In celebration of your lifelong commitment to the most vulnerable among us, your servant leadership, and your steadfast faith, the University of Notre Dame rejoices to confer its highest honor, the Laetare Medal,
On
Timothy P. Shriver
Chevy Chase, Maryland