Graduation 2021: Traveling a long road to this point, with a great future awaiting

Commencement. By definition, commencement means beginning, start, opening, onset, launch, initiation, inception, and kick off. More simply, it is a time when something begins.

It is the season of commencements; graduation ceremonies for students who have completed their education. This is one of my favorite seasons; where the end of the school year represents completion of course requirements and years of purposeful learning. The satisfaction educators feel for students whose lives they have influenced is immense, as well as a parents’ pride for their graduate who they have been supporting through life.

I have been to many major professional sporting events where stands are filled with 70,000-plus fans. There are fans for one side and an opposing side. At the end of the game, some are happy and then others walk away feeling defeated.

At a commencement everyone wins; students, educators, families, and most importantly society. There is no opposing fan base. In the stands are thousands of supporters of a student, of many students, of every student. There is nothing but positive feelings in the stadium of a graduation.

As an educator, I have been to many graduations. It is one of the most exciting and memorable nights a student will experience in their life. I love everything about a graduation ceremony: the meaning of the event, the pomp and circumstance, the regalia, cap and gowns, the processional, the music, the speakers, the transferring of the tassel signifying completion, the joy you see in the faces of the graduates, and the feeling of pride of loving families.

It is a student’s one shining moment when their name is announced or when they stand to be acknowledged. It is that fulfilling moment where they are someone who matters, someone who has loved ones in the stands cheering them on through life, someone who accomplished something significant. It is that reflective moment where they can say their hard work has prepared them for their future.

For every name that is called, there is a story. For every person in the stadium, a connection to that story; a teacher or coach that made a difference, a parent that loved unconditionally, a friend was relentlessly present.

Speakers inspire graduates with words of wisdom and encouragement. Here are a few excerpts from leaders whose messages have been heard at Universities across the nation.

▪ Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, University of California Berkeley: “The easy days ahead of you will be easy. It is the hard days, the times that challenge you to your every core that will determine who you are. You will be defined not by what you achieve, but by how you survive.”

▪ Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator and star of “Hamilton,” University of Pennsylvania: “You are about to enter the most uncertain and thrilling period of your lives. The stories you are about to live are the ones you will be telling your children and grandchildren. They are the stories in which you figure out who you are.”

▪ Jeff Huber, CEO of GRAIL, University of Illinois: “It is important to reflect and celebrate, and to be grateful for those who bring learning and love into your life. Find purpose and meaning in things that happen. You can find purpose and meaning from those experiences. Find a better way.”

▪ Joseph Castro, former Fresno State president and now chancellor of the California State University system, said it best when speaking to last year’s class of 2020: “We have unfinished business.” What an incredible statement representing how important this is for students, families, and universities throughout the state.

Recently, at the Fresno State sign located at Maple and Shaw and around campus, there have been families lined up to take photos with their college graduate. Families were dressed in their Fresno State attire; graduates donned their caps and gowns. Even with these uncertain circumstances, taking time to recognize years of hard work and dedication can be as simple as this.

And it is never too late, grab your graduate and friends, wear the regalia and Red Wave gear and capture the memories together.

This story was originally published May 14, 2021 at 5:30 AM.