Justice Melissa Hart spoke about the value of public service and about her own recent work developing the state judiciary’s vision statement at a commencement ceremony in Colorado Springs on Saturday.

“Ask yourself each day, ‘Did I stand up for someone less fortunate than myself? Take a risk for a good cause? Did I speak up for a principle even in the face of a majority perspective very different from my own?'” she told the 50 graduating students at the private Fountain Valley School, a boarding and day academy that enrolls students from 23 countries.

Hart, a member of the Colorado Supreme Court since 2017, spoke briefly about a project she led last year to restate the Judicial Department’s vision and values. The effort, which encompassed four dozen employees from all 22 judicial districts, generated dozens of potential principles but culminated in a statement emphasizing transparency, fairness and integrity.

“We’re now working on how best to integrate those values into our daily interactions with the public and with each other, and how to do that intentionally,” she said. Hart did not immediately respond to questions from Colorado Politics about the specific initiatives currently underway.

She told the audience that public service is not solely the work of those in government or the nonprofit sector, but rather “it is an attitude. It’s a commitment to giving back and the dedication to making the world a better place.”

Hart further addressed the stated values of Fountain Valley School, which include compassion, curiosity and open-mindedness. She suggested how students should model those behaviors.

“Did I pause to recognize someone else’s experience or to comfort someone who was hurting?” she said. “To demonstrate curiosity, ask yourself, ‘Did I ask any good questions today? Did I get a little uncomfortable?’ And to model open-mindedness, ‘Did I listen fully before reaching a conclusion?'”

Finally, Hart spoke personally about the importance and struggles of maintaining friendships as an adult. She noted the invitation to speak at the ceremony came from Charles L. Greene II, the assistant head of school and her former Harvard University classmate.

“I came into adulthood without a lot of friendships from either high school or college. And it’s not that I didn’t have friends when I was there,” she said. “I was pretty depressed and I really didn’t know how to hold onto friendships. I just didn’t have the tools to do that.”

Hart said she was grateful for the “second chance” Greene extended to revive their friendship.

“I’m pretty sure there are some of you sitting here and some of you sitting out there who struggle with, for whatever reason, holding onto friendships or feeling good about yourself,” she said. “Find the things that will help you to do that and find a way to do it early so that you don’t have to count on second chances. That’s one of the things that I wish for all of you. Because after all, friendships are one of the most valuable assets that you can carry with you.”