A Glimpse of Graduation

It seems a lifetime ago that I was walking across the stage at my high school graduation all dressed up in my cap and gown. And do you know what I remember most about that day? How old I felt! How grown-up I thought I was. Graduation from high school marked the end of my childhood. I saw that diploma as my ticket to grown-up independence.

It is now four years later. Once again I am wearing a cap and gown. Once again I am surrounded by my friends, family and teachers, anticipating the walk across the stage to receive my diploma.

Today may resemble our high school graduations. But one thing is taking me by surprise: This time, I don’t feel old. Quite the contrary. I feel like a little kid about to enter a big world.

And I wonder, How could this be, that over the course of four years I went from feeling grown-up and ready to embrace the world to now feeling young and inexperienced? I thought college was the place I’d become a full-fledged adult, not the opposite.

Now we are about to launch into a much bigger world, a world that needs change. As graduates and citizens, we can have a positive impact on the world, the way we have had a positive impact on this university.
Maybe this is why I feel young today; I’m realizing that my impact on the world has only begun.

Today feels different because graduating from UT Dallas is different. My accepting this diploma represents not the closing of a door, but the opening of an array of new doors.

The excellent education we’ve received here has provided us with the skills needed to continue our education—whether it is at medical school, graduate school or as an employee in a real-world job.

Later today, when I mentally toss my mortar board in the air—because they don’t let us actually toss them—I won’t be focused on all I’m leaving behind. Rather, I’ll be excited about where I am going, as I suspect and hope many of you are.

In the midst of our excitement about the future, let’s pause for a moment to recognize what our time here at UT Dallas has entailed.

Of course, we have all taken a lot of classes. But our experiences are far richer than thick textbooks and tricky test questions, much more than group projects and accumulating credits toward graduation.

I know that sitting amongst you are true scientists who’ve spent countless hours in laboratories on campus, contributing to cutting-edge research that is already making a difference today in the worldwide scientific community.

I can point to students who are dedicated teachers, having begun their careers here on campus with programs such as First-Year Leaders and Supplemental Instruction.

I see sitting among you tomorrow’s powerful leaders, classmates who have honed their skills as officers of Student Government or leaders of organizations ranging from the Chemistry Student Association to Greek Life.

Our time here has been marked by transformation on campus. It would be hard for anyone not to notice the huge holes in the ground, the rising skeletons of buildings, or the taped-off paths that make Founders look like a crime scene.

Campus may be torn up and inconvenient now, but the results will be beautiful as soon as this fall. And, the improvements to campus go far beyond just these physical changes.

Many of you graduates had ideas about how to improve campus life, and then you helped make them a reality.

You introduced organizations and built enthusiasm for new traditions. We now have spirit rocks and a fencing club. I don’t know about you, but rubbing Cecil Green’s head before exams has improved my GPA dramatically.

These programs and traditions have helped shape the UT Dallas we are leaving behind, a different UT Dallas than the one that greeted us when we first arrived.

Now we are about to launch into a much bigger world, a world that needs change. As graduates and citizens, we can have a positive impact on the world, the way we have had a positive impact on this university.

Maybe this is why I feel young today; I’m realizing that my impact on the world has only begun.

I know that when I drive away from my Waterview apartment for the last time, I’ll be leaving school with more than just my belongings. I—no, each of us—will take with us the skills and values needed for life-long learning and meaningful contributions to society. We’ll take with us irreplaceable friendships and memories to last a lifetime.

Wherever our careers take us in the big world out there, we can be proud to hang our diplomas on the wall and call ourselves UT Dallas alumni.

I believe I speak for all of us when I say I’d like to thank the administrators and the educators who worked so hard to make this day a reality. I’d also like to thank all the family and friends who have provided support throughout our years and who are here to celebrate with us today.

Most importantly, I’d like to thank my fellow graduates. Congratulations and the best of luck.

UT Dallas; Whoosh!

Jessica Harpham graduated magna cum laude with a degree in biology with major honors from the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

While at UT Dallas, Harpham was a McDermott Scholar and a Golden Key International Honor Society member, and was frequently recognized on the dean’s honor list. She was a first-year leader, a Student Ambassador, a supplemental instruction leader in calculus, a co-instructor for the academic engagement program, a member of the varsity volleyball team, a winner of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, and an undergraduate research fellow. Most of her remaining free time was spent in Professor Santosh D’Mello’s lab studying the cellular status and brain cytoarchitecture of mutant mice.

Away from campus, she studied in Italy and Mexico and backpacked her way across Europe one summer.

This fall, Harpham plans to study medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.