Commencement 2008
Remarks by President Jackie Jenkins-Scott
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Opening Remarks
Good morning and welcome to the 120th Wheelock College commencement exercise. It is now my pleasure to introduce Erin Jenkins, president of the Class of 2009, and Lauren Smizer, treasurer of the Student Government Association, who will open this Commencement with a musical invocation.
Thank you, Erin and Lauren, for that wonderful rendition of “Amazing Grace.”
Our 2008 Commencement is being held in this beautiful sanctuary of our neighbor, Temple Israel. We thank Rabbi Ronnie Friedman, Rabbi Stephanie Kolin and the entire congregation of Temple Israel for their generous hospitality and warm friendship. The construction of our new Campus Center and Student Residence keeps us from holding Commencement on our campus green. We couldn’t ask for a better alternative than here in the historic and beautiful Temple Israel. Please give Rabbi Friedman and the entire Temple Israel community a rousing Wheelock applause of thank you for their kindness and generosity.
I extend a warm welcome to the husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, other caregivers and family and friends of our graduates. We are so pleased to have you with us as we “bear witness” this milestone accomplishment of our graduates. The entire Wheelock community shares in your pride and happiness on this very special day. We know that some of you are breathing a sigh of relief and are thrilled that the semi-annual college tuition payments are over!
To our faculty and staff, we thank you and applaud you for the many ways in which you have helped prepare our class of 2008 to enter the professional world of work or to continue their education or to pursue travel or other learning opportunities. We know that Wheelock is a unique institution, not only because of our special mission to education practitioners and leaders who are committed to improving the lives of children and families, but also because of you, our talented and exceptional faculty. Our students tell us how your close and personal relationship with each of them, your devotion to excellence in teaching and scholarship, and your untiring efforts to help them thrive is truly what makes Wheelock the very special place it is. On behalf of our students, thank you.
To the class of 2008: Congratulations! You and I have a very special relationship. Four years ago, we came to Wheelock together. I, as your freshman president and you as the freshman class of 2008. I thank you for all that you have taught me; you will always have a very special place in my heart. I offer my very best wishes for each of you and my sincere appreciation for your support and the special bond we share.
You are here today having achieved a very significant accomplishment. You set a goal, worked hard and you achieved your goal. Many, many students cannot make the same claim. I’m sure you can think of several people who started out here at Wheelock with you and are not celebrating with you today. On behalf of the entire Wheelock family, I salute you with warm and affectionate congratulations!
Now the fact of the matter is that you didn’t do it alone; you had help and much support: a family member cheering you on, showing up at Wheelock when you forgot or needed something or to see you participate in a college activity; a phone call at just the right moment when you needed to hear a reassuring voice; a faculty member that gave you advice and help with a problem; a classmate who helped you with a difficult assignment or competed more than his or her share of the project. And for those of you who are lucky enough to have someone here today, I ask that you give a symbolic gesture of your gratitude here today, at this your graduation. Please stand and throw a kiss, give a wave, a smile or quietly whisper thank you to that person. Now, please give a wave to all our family and friends who are watching this ceremony down the street at the Wheelock Family Theatre. Thank you, and now please be seated.
Our 2008 Commencement theme,” Celebrating lives of Courage and Compassion” is a wonderful theme, especially in this day and age when evidence of courage and compassion are lacking in so many people—especially our leaders. These two words beautifully describe our three extraordinary honorary degree recipients. Each of them has lived their lives courageously and with extraordinary compassion. Two have taught us the true meaning of public service—literately from both sides of the globe. They have fought for equality and justice for all and have shown us through their many decades of service what a noble calling public service can be. Our other honoree has spent her entire life lifting up the most disadvantaged of us. She has taught us what is means to literally love and respect every human being no matter what their circumstance.
And we honor each of you—our graduates. You came to Wheelock to make our world a better place and you leave here firmly committed to and prepared to deliver on this goal. During these past few weeks we have had the great privilege of participating in many celebrations of your accomplishments during your stay at Wheelock. We saw evidence of you passion and commitment to service through your work in schools, in homeless shelters, child care settings, hospitals and many other important social service organizations. We watched your amazing commitment to community service and to doing what you can, when you can, to make this world a little better. Last night our honoree, Kip Tieran, described you as amazing Wheelock students who are “good-doers, not do-gooders.” And yes, you are good-doers. And, we are so proud that you are good doers—we need more good doers in this city, in this state, in this country and in this world. Our hope is that you leave here empowered with the knowledge and confidence that you can make a difference—you can do good! In fact, you are destined to make this a better world by doing good. With the excellent education and outstanding opportunities you have received, we also hope you leave here with the courage, the compassion and the commitment to stand up for what is right and just – it is the only way you will truly live up to Wheelock’s mission to improve the lives of children and families. It is what we expect of you and it should be no less than you expect of yourselves.
Now, Mr. Robert A. Lincoln, Chair of the Wheelock College Board of Trustees, will bring greetings, followed by Ms. Bonnie Page, a 1976 and 1992 Wheelock graduate and Vice President of the Alumni Association.
Closing Remarks
At this time, I would like each graduate who has received a B.S., B.A. or B.S.W. degree to move his or her tassel to the left side of your mortarboard. The turning of the tassel symbolizes the awarding of a bachelor’s degree. Congratulations to each of you!
This has been a wonderful commencement ceremony. The outstanding commencement address by Sen. John Kerry and the awarding of honorary degrees to three exceptional individuals for their courageous and compassionate leadership is inspiring for us all. The applause and cheers of your family, friends and the Wheelock community acknowledge how proud we all are of your accomplishments during your years at Wheelock. We extend our very best wishes as you commence into the next phase of your life journey.
At the beginning of this ceremony, I encouraged you not just to “do good” but to leave here empowered with the knowledge and confidence that you can make a difference. Samantha Power, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide” wrote about people she referred to as “up-standers” and “bystanders.” Up-standers are people who think critically, live by a moral code and stand up in the face of injustice even when it’s not safe to do so. Up-standers are courageous, compassionate and passionate. Bystanders stand aside and ignore or watch from the sidelines. Samantha wrote about the terrible genocides in Cambodia, Iraq, Bosnia and Rwanda—and those who had the courage to stand up and those who stood by. We live in a time where there is an urgent need for up standers. Every day—here at home and all over the world—there is a child, a family or a community is in need of up standers.
Each of you will be faced with opportunities in your professional careers and in your personal lives to stand up or stand by. You will surely be confronted with situations where you have a choice—blow the whistle, say timeout, and shout out in words and action “not on my watch.” The choice will be entirely yours. It is our fervent hope that you leave here with the confidence, courage, compassion and passion to stand up and not stand by.
On behalf of the entire Wheelock Community, once again, I congratulate each of you, our graduates, your families and friends. We will conclude this 2008 Commencement ceremony with a benediction from The Rev. Joel M. Ives, rector of our neighbor The Church of Our Savior. Following the benediction we will process to the Wheelock Family Theatre foyer for a reception with family and friends. In celebration of this excellent Commencement ceremony, the Omega Brass Ensemble will play a medley of selections for our recessional.
