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Jennifer Culver Commencement Speech
Spring 1996 Commencement
Thank you Dean Ames. Welcome trustees, faculty, parents, friends, and fellow graduates to this momentous occasion.
What a truly exciting day this is for all of us, and for our supporters as well. I know, and I'm sure you would agree, that we are not here today solely because of our own efforts. Our family, friends, classmates, and professors have all played a big part in our success. I'd like to offer a special thank you to those who have supported, encouraged, and challenged us to make it to this day.
Here we are, graduating from Michigan State University. For some reason, I never thought this day would arrive. At the risk of sounding like our parents: it seems like only yesterday that we were this big. I can still remember riding bikes and playing neighborhood games. Our lives were so simple back then. We went to school in the morning and when three o'clock rolled around it was time for play.
Well, some would compare our time at MSU to this easy lifestyle. Throughout our years here I've been constantly reminded that "college is the best years of our lives." Looking back, I'm sure that comes close to capturing my feelings about Michigan State and the College of Education.
When we first came here, four ... five ... or six years ago, everything was new to us. An entire campus was just waiting to be discovered ... and discover it we did-socially, culturally, academically, and professionally.
When we were freshmen, we were always trying to figure it out: just where exactly was Spartan Street, anyway? which classes were we supposed to take? What major were we going to declare? What was the meaning of all the culture that surrounded us? Everyday spent at MSU was full of adventure.
In the face of all this opportunity and confusion, we gradually figured it out. We discovered that IAH 201 was not the first class to register for. We broadened our perspectives after encountering others who were so different from ourselves. We made the best friends of our lives. We looked into careers, and thought about who we wanted to be and what we wanted to become. And after changing our majors once or twice, we chose to enter the College of Education.
Why did we decide to become educators? Perhaps it was because we have a strong commitment to children. Maybe it was because we saw the opportunity we have to impact future generations. Or perhaps it was the first time we stepped into our field placement classrooms and felt what it was like to be a teacher.
Today we advance closer to that goal. We are moving on to a new road in life. Some of us will be going to graduate school, others will be moving on to the internship year, some may be beginning careers, and some may even be taking that much needed year off.
No matter where we are headed, though, we can all move on with the confidence and assurance that we are better prepared to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
Every experience we have encountered while at Michigan State University has helped us to grow in ways we never thought about. Everything that we have learned has given us the foundation to venture into "the real world."
There, ahead of us, lies a new adventure waiting to be explored. It may initially seem a bit scary and overwhelming, as Michigan State once did. But just as MSU became more comfortable and familiar, so will "the real world."
The education we have received here has prepared us to take our places as professionals and contributing members of society. As we receive our diplomas, and move our tassels to signify our passing, I encourage you to think about what MSU has done for us. Think about the discoveries we made at Michigan State and those that we made within ourselves. Think about the growth we have experienced. Reflect on the lessons we have learned. And most importantly, remember the good times we have spent here.
Graduation is not an end. It is a passport to a new beginning. Let us challenge ourselves to actively seek out the best in our lives. Make the most of every opportunity and experience. Strive for excellence. These are the lessons I am taking out of Michigan State, and I hope you are, too.
Remember this as you go. An unknown author once wrote, If an ocean liner could think and feel, it would never leave its dock. It would be afraid of the thousands of huge waves it would encounter. It would feel all of its dangers at once ... even though it had to meet them only one wave at a time." As you encounter the waves ahead, remember to meet them one day at a time.
Congratulations on all you have accomplished and best wishes for the coming years! Thank you.