T. S. Eliot’s apt quote perfectly captures the nature of a graduation celebration – the end of your studies, the earning of your degree, and a fresh beginning to an exciting part of your life. Graduates, we appropriately call this ceremony “commencement” because you are about to begin a new chapter – one of increased independence, with new personal and professional pursuits. And as usual at beginnings, you may be feeling a little trepidation about what this new chapter will bring.
Your loved ones have seen you through many chapters, and seeing the photos of you as a young child at the Baccalaureate ceremony last night probably left many of them asking where did time go? And how in the world did you develop into the adult you now are?
We on this platform know. We’ve watched you develop the knowledge and confidence displayed in your final projects. We saw you awaken to new perspectives through studying abroad and through listening to and learning from classmates from different backgrounds. We observed your leadership talents grow through engagement in Societies, cultural groups, journalism, and other pursuits. We saw you expand your skills through DigLibArts, or when you taught children at Broadoaks or the Boys & Girls Club, or mentored your own peers in CAAS. And, wow, did we enjoy watching you put your all into performing on stage and on the field of play. Through these times, we cheered as you assumed new roles and persevered to success. Thirteen years ago when I became Whittier’s president, I began warning visiting high schoolers that Whittier is not the place for those who relish anonymity or passivity. It is not the college for students who will want only to sit silently, taking notes in the back of a room. You certainly discovered this for yourself. You have completed an education that is unparalleled. You have truly earned your degree, and you are prepared for a lifetime of seeking opportunity and grabbing it as it comes your way. You are well prepared for this ending as well as for this beginning.
As your president, I charge you to remember the values you have assimilated at this venerable college. I charge you to use all of the talents and wisdom you collected here. And I charge you to remember that, just as we have been privileged to know you, you were privileged to attend Whittier College.
Congratulations once again, Poets of the Class of 2018.
- Whittier College President Sharon D. Herzberger
