A Glimpse of Graduation

Profile Photo of Sara Clingan Writing a commencement speech, as it turns out, is no small feat. I sat down with this exact task in mind, and found that I was met with a real dilemma. How could I, one of your peers, possibly impart any wisdom or sage advice upon you, a group that I know to be already fully equipped to meet the challenges of our futures? Moreover, how could I do so while avoiding the same pitfalls and platitudes that we are all bombarded with upon graduation? “Remember your roots,” “Reach for the stars,” “Be glad for what you have,” and similar cookie-cutter sentiments that a successful commencement speaker would do well to avoid.

The problem is I really like cookies. Cookies in fun shapes? Even better. And maybe the reason that we are told the same things over and over is because these things are true, and we need to hear them. So I submit to you, the University of Texas at Dallas Class of 2009, the “Cookie Cutter Commencement Speech,” artfully sprinkled with the gems that we graduates are obliged to contemplate on this day.

Sprinkle 1- Don’t forget where you came from.

My path has not been that of a typical UTD student, not because spectacular opportunities aren’t afforded to all students, but because there is no typical UTD student. As freshmen, we were given a blank canvas, and allowed to paint as we saw fit. We could start organizations, reform organizations, petition for change, and the faculty would do something truly innovative – they would listen.

I need not remind anyone here – although I’m going to anyway – that the University of Texas at Dallas offers a quality of life unmatched by other universities. Our professors know our names, take a personal interest in our lives and offer their assistance in and outside the classroom. What we take for granted at UTD is considered a novelty at other academic institutions. And, our football team is still undefeated. UTD is able to draw the most gifted students from across the United States, nay, from across the globe because of its offerings.

While I may not be qualified to deliver any groundbreaking advice on how to handle life from here on out, I can certainly wax poetic with you about the greatness of the university we are about to leave. At UTD, I’ve worked one on one with acclaimed professors – and even some of their family members – who have assisted me with genuine enthusiasm. UT Dallas has sent me, quite literally, around the world twice, into the offices of powerful politicians, and – an occasional class in a doublewide notwithstanding – given me a college experience I wouldn’t dare to forget.

My path has not been that of a typical UTD student, not because spectacular opportunities aren’t afforded to all students, but because there is no typical UTD student. As freshmen, we were given a blank canvas, and allowed to paint as we saw fit. We could start organizations, reform organizations, petition for change, and the faculty would do something truly innovative – they would listen.

Today is the appropriated day to reflect back on our years here, but don’t let that stop today; wherever your path may wander, don’t forget that this is where it began.

And while you’re considering that, give some thought, also, to where you are going. Multitask with me, because that’s my second bit of completely unoriginal advice:

Sprinkle 2- Aspire to Greatness.

One thing UTD has never done is remain stagnant. Hence, the war zone of excavators where the convenient parking should have been. UTD is always evolving, always improving and expects the same of its graduates. I assure you, no one would rather raise a glass and bask in the glory of graduation more than me, and for today, that’s just fine. But, tomorrow brings new challenges and new problems to address, and we can’t just sit on our laurels and think our hard work is over - it’s not. So disperse into the world, and do great things. Cure cancer. Solve Middle Eastern conflicts. Develop a reasonable campus room numbering system. Whatever your aspirations are, take the initiative, and get started.

My final word of wisdom is, unfortunately, less commonplace.

Sprinkle 3- Be gracious.

One could argue that this, above all others, was the principle upon which UTD was founded: a sense of gratitude for what you’ve been given, and an obligation to give something back. Three years ago, the annual Polycarp Kusch lecture was delivered by Dr. Edward Harpham. His lecture was titled, “Adam Smith and the Lost World of Gratitude,” and if I could replicate that speech for you today, I would. The gist, as the title suggests, is that we’ve forgotten the art of a simple “thank you.”

Today it’s easy to neglect the fact that we didn’t get here on our own. There is an army of individuals to whom each of us is indebted – parents, advisors, mentors, friends and professors. Let those people know how thankful you are.

I apologize for being sappy and generic. My fellow economics majors can empathize; I’m just not that creative. So, I’ve given you the same cookie-cutter talk that graduates all over the country are sitting through right now. But, underneath the lines I lifted straight off your average elementary school inspirational poster is a message that I humbly ask you to seriously consider… know where you came from, know where you’re going, and be grateful for that journey. Whoosh.

Sara Clingan graduated summa cum laude with a double major in economics and political science from the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences.

While at UT Dallas, Clingan was a McDermott Scholar and a regular member of the dean’s honor roll. She was president and founder of the UT Dallas Mock Trial team, a head delegate for the University’s Model United Nations team, and a participant in the Moot Court program.

Beyond campus, she studied Arabic at the University of Jordan and American University in Cairo. As an Archer Fellow, she spent a semester in Washington D.C. in support of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. There, she was an intern with the Committee’s Chairman, now Vice President Joseph Biden.

This fall, Clingan will study law at The University of Virginia.