"Again, I thank everyone who joined my class. You all did a great job. This class is filled with hurdles, and you might never use the knowledge you were taught, but I hope it has impacted you enough to better yourselves as people—more than anything else…"
He paused, scanning the room with a gentle smile.
"...I also want to end with one of my favorite quotes from someone who inspired me—you might have heard his name…"
"Albert Einstein," he said, smirking at the students. Many chuckled; some were already tearing up.
"He said, 'I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world…'"
"This quote tells you so much. It teaches that knowledge alone is not all-powerful. Knowledge from the heart, from those who seek the unknown, allows us to find truths that lie dormant in the facts already made. Some say we will never explore the universe. Many believe death is certain."
"But we humans—who have built buildings taller than Mount Everest, who have landed not only on the Moon but on Mars—what is the limit of imagination? What is the limit of humanity? When can our minds reach the pinnacle of understanding? Could we build a city in space—or even in the sky on desolate stars that await us?"
"Never falter in your own beliefs, your own dreams—the dreams that come from your imagination, boundless and infinite. Find meaning in the unknown, and soon you will understand what it truly means."
"Do not hide yourself. Do not hide who you are. Be kind and caring to the weak, and share your knowledge with those who do not understand, with those who have never been able to read the truth of the world."
"We are free to do whatever we want. We can be anything. There are no limits on what humanity can achieve."
"Find yourself before the facts and illusions of the world hold you back. Reality is not all-controlling—you have free will and the ability to change reality and its infinite meanings."
"Do not be afraid when the end comes, when you feel pain, or when you are alone. That simply means you must wait. All good things come to an end—but nothing is certain. Anything is possible with belief and imagination."
The applause was loud, the clapping mixed with tears, voices calling out in gratitude and joy.
"You're the best professor!" a boy shouted from the front.
"Thank you for everything," a girl said in a high-pitched voice.
"This class was hard, but man, you made it fun! Thanks to you, Professor!" a tall boy in the back added.
"You are so handsome, Professor! I always wanted to say that!" one of the girls exclaimed.
"Thank you… Professor Xavier," the boy said, a smile spreading across his face as sunlight streamed through the windows, filling the room with a warm yellow glow. The sunlight brightened his smile, casting a soft glow on his light brown skin and dark, curly hair.
In his eyes, the sunlight deepened the warmth of his light brown irises, turning them a striking golden-brown, as if the sun itself had ignited something within him.