Valedictorian Address

President Fink, Trustees, honored guests, faculty, staff, family, and friends; and most importantly the community of the class of 2008—I am honored to stand at this podium…albeit on top of a box…and deliver this commencement address.  I have been thinking of what I wanted to say to this group gathered here today for weeks now; the group of students up here range from 21 years old to 71 years old; we represent 11 states and 7 countries.  We’ve studied different subjects, participated in different activities, some worked full time jobs and went to school, some of us played sports, some sang in choir, or played music in the cafeteria, some are parents and live at home, some commute, some of us lived on campus all four years.  But the one thing we all have in common is that as the graduating class of 2008 we’re all waiting and excited and perhaps a little nervous to venture out beyond Dominican and begin the rest of our lives.  And the rest of you sitting on the other side are waiting and excited, and perhaps a little nervous to watch and encourage all of us to take those first steps. 

So, I was sitting at my computer counting down the hours until this very day and watching that annoying little cursor blink at me on a blank page, when one of my favorite poems spoke up in the back of my mind. 

What six words do you use to announce yourself to the world? 

The poem “To Make a Long Story Short” by San Francisco poet Thea Hillman begins with that line.  And it all clicked.  I realized this is what we are all on the brink of; our announcement to the world.  We’ve conquered this little community within the Dominican walls and now we’re here sitting on this stage contemplating the next days to come.  If I had only six words to announce myself to the world they would be I’m here, I’m ready, I’m terrified. 

I mean, I’m graduating with a BA in English.  I’m not saying I’m not prepared, but whenever I get the question, “English huh?  What are you gonna do with that?”  I think of that song from the musical Avenue Q that goes, “What do you do with a BA in English.  What is my life going to be?”  For the last four years, like many of my classmates up here; my life has been composed of being a Dominican Penguin. I’ve lived and breathed this school.   Ask my mom, she’s bought me like 20 stuffed penguins, I got this one yesterday; I’m pretty sure it has become a serious obsession for her.  I’m lucky I picked a school with a cute mascot.   But now, as we walk back across that little bridge today , our tassels hanging  on the other side of our faces, we’ll be entering a whole new phase of life.  Evolving from penguins back to people.  On our way towards enhancing the future.

Hillman continues to say, If you only have words, choose them carefully.  As a Literature and Creative writing major I’ve learned the importance and power that words can hold.  So I’ve tried to choose my words carefully today.  Words that might in some way hearten my fellow classmates or pay tribute to the time we’ve spent here at Dominican.  College has moved like lightning, but for all of us, the days are filled from first to last with people and memories we’ll never forget.  I started to wonder what the rest of my class was thinking while the days were speeding by these last few weeks.  And so I asked, If you had six words to sum up your time spent here at Dominican, what would you say?

Graduating Senior Kristen Freiberger said for her Dominican was, life-changing, enriching, and world-view broadening.  Our generation sits on the balance between calm and chaos.  This group of individuals sitting behind me is ready and able to move out and use the perspectives we have gained here at Dominican through our communities, our studies, our reflections and our willingness to serve those around us.  Psychology graduate, Maggie Benedict said that Dominican, Motivated me to become an activist.

Pathways graduate Barbara Bonardi became reenergized in her studies and said that Dominican; Rekindles passion for learning and discovery.

With students graduating in politics, business, nursing, psychology, science, digital arts, teaching, and even the few of us from the English department, I can guarantee that you will see our fingerprints all over the societies we choose to inhabit. 

We have all grown here at Dominican.  Perhaps not literally, but if we all had the power to pick up a mirror and see the freshmen version of ourselves, the reflections would be unrecognizable.  We’ve matured and become more confident; Future Film maker Brittany McDade said, I figured out who I really am.  Business major Jessica Jasso told me, Now, I can laugh at myself.  We can all look back and laugh at how we used to sleep in the Pennafort hallway to get good housing, or how most of us got our first ridiculous college nick-name from Asst. Dean Paul Raccanello the first time we met him.

After living on campus for four years, Lauren Brennen’s six words are, Dominican has enriched my life forever.  The changes we have all experienced here are permanent.  And I am proud to be a member of the graduating class this year.  As I look at all of us today, honestly, I think that every one of us looks ridiculous in these silly little hats and gowns, but the intelligence and integrity of the people I am graduating with is inspiring.

If I look in that magic mirror at the freshman version of myself, the first thing I see is an awful hair cut.  The second thing I see are my hall mates from that year.  Dominican is small.  Everyone knows everything about everyone.  And sometimes there’s drama, and I think of six more words, famous for coming out of the mouth of Amanda Deely; Hey people, get a real problem.  Because in the end, we won’t remember any of the little squabbles that we’ve had.  What the close quarters really offer is the incredible opportunity to make unforgettable and lasting connections. 

My six words about Dominican are I found my future bridesmaids here. 

When I asked fellow seniors for six words about Dominican, almost everyone spoke about the people they had met. 

Communications major Sunny Castro said, Some friends to last my lifetime.

Jen Curtin, VERITAS CUP winner said, Now, I believe in soul mates.

Deena Westrope, starting pitcher for the softball team said, My teammates became my best friends.

And perhaps the most telling, Shanan Markley, a native of San Diego, said, I’d stay up here for them.

We have all made connections here at Dominican that will last until old age.  Some of my classmates will marry each other or become business partners, or continue to build upon the foundations we have established over the last four years.  I have met the most amazing people here from students to staff, administration to faculty.  

Mark Reynolds commutes from Petaluma every day to go to his politics and history classes.  He spoke of his teachers, saying that they were; over-qualified, humble, skeptical, inquisitive, humorous, unpretentious.  I know we will never lose contact with the advisors and professors that have mentored us along the way.  And we will carry the wisdom that they have imparted to us throughout the years.   

Now we’ve come to point of the speech where I try my hand at advice.  I couldn’t possibly claim to know any more than any of you behind me.  The truth is, I probably know less, so I’ve decided to offer you all some of the advice I’ve been given and some that I give myself.  Because we all know what we’ve been through here and what we will take away with us.  What we don’t know is what happens after we have our graduation parties and un-pack in our new homes, or back at our old homes, assuming our parents, didn’t already turn our bedrooms into a private gym or anything.

My mother said, you can be anything you want to be.  She also said, I think you should invent something no one has ever thought of and become rich.  For the first, you all behind me are crazy talented and have the personalities, and smarts, to be and become anything you put your minds to.  Don’t hold back or hesitate; you have everything you need already inside you.  I also think there are a few of you back there who could invent something pretty cool, and become Marin county status wealthy, relieving you of my grandmother’s piece of advice.

She used to say, here’s a quarter, don’t spend it all in one place.  I’ve never been any good at saving my money, but now with the looming bills and loans in all of our futures, I wish us all luck in that venue.  We’ll need it.

My father once wrote me in a letter, “The older I get the more I realize that you take parts of your life with you always and you will have part of your teen years, preteen, toddler and even a little infant forever.”  We have now added our college years to the bigger picture. 

Five years from now when we’re all lost in work and life seems too fast to catch up to, remember how we seemed to manage the college lifestyle; classes and work and trips to the city and the beach and movie nights and karaoke until three in the morning and we still made it to brunch every Sunday morning before it closed.  Our college selves are the ultimate multi-tasker, and remind us that anything is possible.

I have always learned from family.  And after four years I think it is safe to say that you all are my Dominican family, for better or worse.  We have learned together and will harbor the memories and knowledge for at least the next hour and a half.   

I tell myself, to slow down, take a deep breath and relax.  Everything is going to be fine.  Trust me, if you say it long enough it starts to sound believable.  I told myself that right before I got up here today.  Slow down, take a deep breath and relax.  Everything is going to be fine. And now at this moment, standing here in front of all of you, I do believe it.  After today we will all be college graduates, we’ll add ourselves to the quarter of the United States population equipped with Bachelor’s Degrees, and officially become Dominican Alumni. 

After today we will move beyond college life and our beloved Caleruega Dining hall.  We all must step out of the comfort zone that Dominican has become and face the world beyond the eucalyptus trees and ivy covered buildings.  This is it.  We are done and we owe thanks to all of you in the audience who encouraged us to set out for Dominican in the first place and help make it possible and we owe our deepest gratitude to all of you on this stage who have helped us along they way. 

Finally, I want to leave you all with six words about the graduating class of Dominican University of California, 2008: Warning; this is just the beginning.