Commencement speaker to grads: Experience and embrace transformation

Welcome, Purdue Global graduating class of 2024.

I am so proud that all of you have worked tirelessly to make it to this stage today. Give yourselves a round of applause, and continue celebrating this achievement throughout the rest of this year and into the next.

This is the beginning of the rest of your lives. I want you to remember that when you encounter adversity in life, nothing can ever take away the education and degree that you have achieved. It is yours to own and keep.

I am honored to be giving today’s keynote speech, and even more honored to share the stage and the virtual space with all the graduates here at Purdue Global. Five short months ago, I was walking across this very stage at my own graduation with tears in my eyes and so much gratitude. Gratitude toward the university, my professors and my classmates.

Gratitude toward my family and friends … and even my study buddy, Puffman, for encouraging me during my educational journey. But above all, gratitude for myself, for achieving a goal that I never thought would be possible three years ago when I decided to apply to school at Purdue Global.

Before I begin, I want you all to take a moment to close your eyes, take a few breaths in and out, and smile. Smile and honor yourselves. Every challenge you have faced over these last few years has transformed you into the accomplished individual you are today. Take a moment to be proud of yourselves that you made it here.

I want to talk about a word that remained constant throughout the last few years of my life and my educational journey. That word is “transformation.”

What does the word mean to you? Transformation, by definition, is “a dramatic change in form or appearance. A metamorphosis.”

I think it is safe to say that every graduate here today feels that over the course of their educational journey, they have experienced transformation. Those of you walking the stage are a different version of yourselves today than the day you signed up for school. And I am so proud of all of you for persisting tirelessly toward your academic goals.

Three years ago, I was facing my own transformation, as someone who was making life-altering decisions about cancer diagnoses, treatment and what the future would hold at a time that was incredibly uncertain. Facing the challenges that come with breast cancer was certainly not something I was prepared for at 33 years old. When I looked deep within myself, I decided that I could use this adversity as fuel to return to my education. I chose Purdue Global’s nutrition program because I wanted to transform a difficult time in my life where my own health was being challenged and use it as a platform to educate those within my community about ways to live healthier.

Consider the transformative effects of education on individuals. For a child who learns to read, the world opens in ways previously unimaginable. For a student who masters a new skill, the possibilities for their future expand exponentially. Education empowers people to overcome barriers, to break the cycle of poverty, and to build a life of dignity and opportunity. It is the foundation upon which self-sufficiency, confidence and leadership are born.

Education is the very bedrock upon which transformation is built. It is the force that shapes our individual and collective destinies and ignites the spark of change that reverberates across communities and nations.

Ask yourselves: How can I use my educational journey toward transformation? This may be something that you want to do personally, professionally, within your community or on a global level. Transformation may mean stepping out of your comfort zone, changing your perspective, embracing change and finding your power. It requires resiliency and the ability to bounce back from setbacks, to learn from failures and to keep moving forward. Resilience is what allows us to persevere through the challenges that inevitably arise on the path of transformation. When we persevere through adversity, we can use this as fuel to be true change-makers.

When we look at significant change-makers throughout history, their stories are shaped by experiences that led them toward transformative action. As a world-renowned poet, dancer, singer, activist and scholar, Dr. Maya Angelou faced personal struggles and racial prejudice in the height of the civil rights movement. Despite these challenges, she remained undeterred and went on to transform herself and the lives of others throughout the world by speaking some of the most prolific words in history. In one of her poems, Dr. Angelou wrote, “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”

Your presence here today is a testament to the changes each one of you has gone through to achieve that beauty. These changes have driven you to pursue something greater than yourselves, leading you to this moment where you are about to walk across this stage and receive your degrees. Each one of you today is transformed.

In closing, I want to leave you with these words of inspiration. You have within you the power to be a force for change. Embrace that power with conviction. Shape the future with your dreams, your actions and your unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Use the challenges you may face in life to create something positive that is greater than yourselves. I believe that each of you can use your education to turn aspirations into achievements. The world is waiting for the transformation that only you can bring.

Congratulations, Purdue Global graduates of 2024!

Thank you.