First, think about where we were 4 years ago at this time.

You know how we all thought we were

going to go to college, and everything was going to be fun and so much better than high school?
Although we might have been nervous, we wouldn’t have to listen to our parents, or have a
curfew, and we could have the freedom to do what we really wanted? Yet somehow, everyday
hasn’t been perfect. Some days have been really really difficult, and not every Friday night has
been spent uptown.

The last 4 years have presented many challenges that nobody ever expected for us. Facing
challenges- that’s a part of life. There is absolutely nothing we can do about the fact that
hardships will always happen, so it is important to remember that we can get through it, and we
have gotten through it before. We have all faced some things—and I am not talking about
writing a 70-page unit ops lab report, although that might’ve felt like a hardship at the time. True
adversity has happened in many of our lives, but we have gotten through it. For me, I went
through cancer treatment and amputation when I was 7. I didn’t know that I would ever get to
this point, but I thought if I did, everything would simply go smoothly for the rest of my life. Of
course, I learned that will never be true. Life likes to test us when we least expect it. I mean, just
think about some of the things that we thought we might not get over, but we did. Look at where
we are now.

In the Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute, we do an activity called the cycle of renewal, which
some of you are familiar with. But for those who aren’t, to sum it up, it is basically the idea that
we go through phases in our lives where we are really struggling. But that struggle, or what we
call the ‘doldrums’, eventually leads to some exploration and personal improvement before
getting back to a ‘fully aligned’ phase where we feel comfortable and confident. The most
important thing we can take from this is that bad things are guaranteed to happen, and they are
necessary for growth, but no matter how long we stay in the ‘doldrums’, we will always cycle
back around.

Life will never be perfect, we’ll never have it all figured out, and that is okay. Another thing that I
have learned is that nobody truly has it all together. Everyone struggles with uncertainty, and
nobody knows everything. We will likely all suffer from imposter syndrome and feeling unworthy
at some point in our lives.

Although we might not like to admit it in the College of Engineering and Computing, we all have
emotions and self-doubt at times. We may never have it figured out, and we may not always feel
like we live up to our accomplishments, but we have the strength and the skills to get through
that. There is also absolutely no shame in asking for support or talking through your challenges,
because having a shoulder to lean on when you need it can make all the difference in
discovering ourselves. I am so thankful for my family and friends, and my fiancé, who have been
an excellent part of my support system throughout the last 4 years. Their support has helped me
to really find myself, which has been so incredibly important to my future.

To find ourselves, and to find our passions, is so important. Some of us don’t struggle at all with
finding our passion, but at least for me it has been a major challenge. I think that once you do
find what you are meant to do and who you are meant to be, it is important that we never give
up on it.
We all have a reason to be here, and we all have fulfilling, purposeful lives ahead of us.
Whether we are leaving here today and continuing in a graduate program, starting our own
business, or working in an office, we all have some passion we are trying to fulfill beyond just
getting a paycheck. It’s important to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones to find what
will be best for us.

As Dr. Hohn mentioned, I personally accepted a job in Madison, Wisconsin which was a huge
risk for me and way out of my comfort zone, but I am so excited about the opportunity to work at
Epic where I hope to join the oncology team and have an impact in that medical community that
means so much to me. I never would have realized that If I hadn’t pushed myself out of my
comfort zone.
There’s a quote that has helped me to challenge my fears and do things I wouldn’t normally do,
including speaking here today. For context, My 7th grade social studies teacher was having a
conversation with my class about taking risks and living life to the fullest. His words are very
simple and somewhat silly, but they have stuck with me. So, I hope they will stick with many of
you as well.

His words were ‘if it isn’t illegal and nobody is getting hurt, do it’. So, from there, as the class of
2022, let’s go out there and begin the rest of our lives. Let’s take risks and make the most of our
time. Congratulations to all of my classmates, and now fellow alumni, let’s get out there and let’s
do it!