evidence: But pointing out that they shouldn’t be the cornerstone of one’s life was a stark departure from the traditional platform from which he stood, and the move resonated. [...] Valedictorian Nicole Arteaga centered her address to her fellow graduates around a quote with questionable origin – some claim it was said by President Abraham Lincoln, but that matter, she said, is contested: "We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses." "Sure, life will throw us a curve ball and knock us down but it’s our responsibility to get back up," Arteaga said. "Challenge it. Grab that flower – that blooming blossom – and seize it… "Ignore the thorns and rejoice in the roses."