Attending the conferring ceremonies at MTU last week was wonderful. It was great to see proud families and delighted students.
Completing the week of celebration was a ceremony for the class of 2020. I was part of this class and had watched my graduation in October 2020, on my laptop, sitting at home, wearing my slippers.
On Saturday, I got my chance to wear cap, gown and shoes!
In America, these occasions are often marked by a commencement speech. A speech which usually offers congratulations and guidance to graduates as they commence life after college.
Taylor Swift received an honorary doctorate from New York University this month and delivered the commencement speech there.
Taylor’s credentials as an accomplished writer are well established so I use some of her words below to sum up the gratitude, hard work and potential of graduation.
Taylor described the support networks that helped graduates get to the finish line as a “patchwork quilt of those who have loved us, those who have believed in our futures”.
She acknowledged the challenge of getting through studies during a global pandemic with humour, “Everyone in college during normal times stresses about test scores, but on top of that you also had to pass like a thousand COVID tests.”
As a lecturer, I see the peer pressure in under-graduate classes. It resonated with me when she spoke about pretending to not care in order to appear cool. Showing ambition or enthusiasm for study is positive and shows a good example to others. It’s a shame if there is pressure to hide this in order to fit in.
“It seems to me that there is a false stigma around eagerness in our culture of ‘unbothered ambivalence.’ This outlook perpetuates the idea that it’s not cool to ‘want it’.”
“Effortlessness is a myth. The people who wanted it the least were the ones I wanted to date and be friends with in high school. The people who want it most are the people I now hire to work for my company.”
Getting a degree requires effort and hard work. Congratulations to the classes of 2020 and 2021, enjoy the reward of your years of effort. I look forward to keeping in touch and wish you well as you commence your next steps. I leave you with wisdom from Dr. Taylor Swift.
“Just be yourself. There is no one better.”
Sinead Huskisson 