Tammy Samuels received a master of arts in counseling. She was recently inducted into Alpha Epsilon Lambda, the honor society for graduate students and professionals, and plans to continue a career in higher education as a career counselor. She brought greetings from the graduate students. To view video of Samuels, click (Mac) (PC).
Let me begin by saying I am truly honored to be here today to represent my fellow graduates at today’s commencement exercise. I am not only overjoyed but immensely humbled. As we all begin to move forward in our lives, let us reflect upon our accomplishments with pride, for graduation day has finally arrived. It is a day I am sure many of us have anxiously awaited. I suppose I will often wonder how I did it -- the late nights, long days of work, school, group projects, and lest I not forget, the stomach growls in the middle of late evening classes. All of this and the epitome of blood, sweat and tears have concluded in a very special moment for all of us.
Graduate
work can be very demanding, not just on us, but on our loved ones as well.
I know for me and for many of us, the support and encouragement from family,
friends and faculty has been vital to my persistence. So, to all of you
at this time I say thank you with heartfelt gratitude. All too often we
don’t give ourselves the recognition we deserve, so, I say to my
fellow graduates, "commend yourselves!" With persistent hard
work, we have arrived at yet another milestone in our lives. While for
sure there may be many more, at least for the moment, we can take a well-deserved
rest.
With the comps well behind us and scholarly attire to attest to it, we
await our degrees, each of which symbolizes the uniqueness of our individual
experiences. All of us have a story to tell about an obstacle or obstacles
that we have overcome, or about sacrifices we have made. It would be remiss
of me not to mention the tragic events of September 11 and the impact
it has had on each one of us. As the nation continues to revive itself,
we are here today in testament to a nation's resolve to hold steadfast
to its way of life. We have prevailed in spite of such tragedy and our
personal strife. The obligations of family and work all intertwined with
school may have been complex, but we made it. This graduation day is a
testament to the nation’s resolve and to our accomplishment.
And what of the degrees that we shall receive today?
Our degrees symbolize the merits that have brought us to this juncture.
Determination, dedication, commitment and sacrifice are the merits that
will continue to equip us with the tools we'll need to face whatever it
is that tomorrow brings. I challenge you, fellow graduates, to showcase
these qualities in all your future endeavors. Showcasing only your degrees
would be shallow indeed. The application of the degree is all too important.
Without character and practical use, the degree is nothing more than a
piece of paper. I challenge you to use your scholarly wisdom and life
experiences to make our communities, this nation and the world a better
place to live.
We possess the tools for building a better tomorrow, and though we have
withstood the test, our mark remains to be seen. I challenge you to make
your mark. Carpe diem!
* * * *
Allegra Cohen received a bachelor of fine arts degree
in theater and plans to pursue a career in the theater. She brought greetings
from the senior class. To view video of Cohen, click (Mac)
(PC).
Today is the first day of the freshman year of our lives. It is exhilarating,
frightening, full of opportunities, challenges and promise. Especially
in these changing, sometimes dangerous and new times, we need to be free
to explore, take risks, be true to ourselves and pursue our dreams. Eleanor
Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in
the beauty of their dreams.” This is the time to dream. In "South
Pacific" they sang, “If you don’t have a dream, how you
gonna have a dream come true?” now is the time to create the highest,
grandest vision for your life, because you become what you believe.
Life
is a journey. It teaches you who you are. It really is just about everyday
experiences, teaching you, moment in, moment out, who you really are.
Each experience is here to teach you more fully how to be who you really
are.
It is through our mistakes that we learn how to better ourselves.
Each of us has an instinct, an inner voice. Trust that instinct. Listen
to that voice. Live your life from truth and you will survive everything.
Being a theater major, I'd love to have Meryl Streep's talent or Carol
Burnett's comedic timing. But pretending to be something I'm not, or wanting
to be somebody I can’t be, can only prevent me from being and becoming
me. We should follow Polonius's advice to Laertes from Shakespeare's Hamlet:
" …To thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night
the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."
Cultivate the ability to think for yourself. When someone gives you advice,
lay that advice alongside your own thoughts and feelings, and if what
they suggest works with what you’ve got going on inside, follow their
suggestion. On the other hand, there are lots of people out there who
will suggest all kinds of stupid stuff for you. There are lots of people
who will encourage you to stray from your heart’s desire. Go ahead
and let them speak their piece, but then: think for yourself, listen to
your heart, tune in to your gut.
Likewise, never lower your own expectations of yourself. The worst thing
you can do is settle for less fearing that you may not succeed. If you
want to achieve, participate or contribute you have to take risks. Push
yourself to the limits. That is the only way to truly define and discover
who you really are. We will make mistakes, plenty of them, I'm sure, but
we need to turn our wounds into wisdom.
Some people will call them failures, but as Oprah Winfrey puts it, "Failure
is really God's way of saying, 'Excuse me, you're moving in the wrong
direction.' " In my four years at Montclair State, each time I've
had to change direction, I've ended up someplace better. Life is filled
with adversity. Life is unpredictable. It is our responsibility to be
prepared and be flexible amidst all the obstacles. The Japanese say, "Fall
down seven times? Stand up eight."
Today we begin the first semester of the rest of our lives. We have been
so accustomed to the order and structure that school imposes on us. Now
it is time to write our own syllabus, become self-teachers, disciplinarians
and motivators. We begin with a clean slate, starting out fresh, in this
world of opportunities. And, if opportunity doesn’t knock right away,
build a door.
It is truly amazing the difference in our world since the beginning of
this school year. People are coming together to enjoy doing the simple
things like spending time with their close friends and family. We all
have so much to be grateful for.
William Penn once said, “I expect to pass through this life but once.
If, therefore, there can be any kindness I can show, or any good thing
that I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now as I shall not pass
this way again.” Let us each apply this to our lives.
My best wishes go out to all of you, especially my wonderful sisters in
Delta Phi Epsilon, my talented acting class, and my parents. Mom, I would
not be up here right now if it weren’t for you: I love you and thank
you.
Congratulations, and break a leg, class of 2002!