His School Wouldn't Let Him Speak About Christianity. He Did It Anyway.

Brooks Hamby seems to be a pretty successful student — mock-trial star, cross-country runner, U.S. Senate page and high school salutatorian — yet his high school administration reportedly refused to allow him to speak openly about his faith at his graduation.

That didn't stop the California high school senior.

"In coming before you today, I presented three drafts of my speech, all of them denied on account of my desire to share with you my personal thoughts and inspiration to you: my Christian faith," Hamby said. "In life, you will be told, 'No.' In life you will be told to do things that you have no desire to do. In life, you will be asked to do things that violate your conscience and desire to do what is right."

As the crowd started to murmur, Hamby gave his advice: "No man or woman has ever truly succeeded or been fulfilled on the account of living for others and not standing on what they knew in their heart was right or good."

He then quoted from "the biggest best-selling book of all-time in history" — the Bible.

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