Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Reflection for 2010 graduates
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Selecting and personalizing a theme that reflects my values and experiences in a way that would be meaningful to you, the graduates, has been a challenge. I′ve spent many hours thinking about ideas and values that have become important in my life since I graduated. I′ve consulted friends and even the Internet. But, the thoughts I′d been considering came together for me last week during an interview with a USI graduate who applied for a position at the university. Even though he′s only in his early 30′s, he′s achieved a significant level of success and is seeking new opportunities for professional growth and ways to contribute to his community. His comments and observations confirmed my thoughts and helped solidify two themes I value: - Change and the importance of reinventing yourself, and - The value of continuous learning Perhaps you have heard these themes before, but, I believe they bear repeating. And I want to paraphrase the words of the USI graduate to do so. He had started college, dropped out because of a self-described lack of direction, found an interest in technology while in the military, and returned to college to pursue an engineering degree. He now is the lead professional in a highly technical, results-oriented team position, pursuing an advanced degree, and is actively engaged in his community. He suggested the path to success involves: - Making change happen for yourself. Prepare yourself to make choices for positive change. - Seeking out others who can help: Sometimes success depends on changing your perspective based on the input of others. - Developing skills to be a contributing part of a team: Today′s work environment, family life, and community engagement require collaboration and teamwork. - Being a continuous learner: a college degree is the foundation for a lifetime of learning take every opportunity to improve what you know. - And, his most compelling point is this: Doing what others are unwilling to do and not avoiding the hard stuff some of the best opportunities are disguised as hard work. Graduates, pursuing a college degree should have brought change to your life and helped prepare you to deal more creatively with change –“ change in the way you look at the world, change in the way you use knowledge, a greater acceptance of change itself, and readiness to make positive change by reinventing yourself to meet your goals. I′ll end with a quote from longshoreman turned philosopher Eric Hoffer, a quote which is most appropriate for today′s world. "In a time of drastic change, it is the learners that inherit the future. The learned find themselves beautifully equipped to live in a world that no longer exists." |
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