Baccalaureate Address

In 2021, I was elected by my graduating class at Grinnell College to give a baccalaureate address the day before our graduation. In the midst of a global pandemic and a non-traditional school year with some students on-campus and other students remote and scattered across the globe, I encouraged my peers to not let the joy of their accomplishment pass them by.

Transcript

Good afternoon to everyone on the field with me today. Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening to everyone streaming this event around the world. 

Class of 2021: We’ve written our last papers, taken our last exams, and finished our last projects. We’re graduating tomorrow, but what does that even mean? Almost every day for the past eight months has felt the same to me. So why is today different from any other day? 

Each of us has lost a lot this past year. Some of us, more so than others. Tomorrow is our graduation and whether you’ll be walking across the stage on campus, or watching virtually, it’s okay to admit that it will not be the commencement any of us expected. And it’s okay to feel cheated. Or disappointed. Or angry. Or sad. But, it’s also okay to feel joyful.

In the midst of a global pandemic, it can feel selfish to celebrate anything. Some of us have been privileged enough to have a smooth adjustment to online classes and social distancing. And some of us have been in incredible isolation and suffered the loss of our family, friends, and community members. Whether you’ve thrived in quarantine or crawled to the finish line, you have made it to graduation, and you have a reason to celebrate. 

This isn’t a message that we are stronger or better than anyone else because we’ve made it to graduation. Some of our classmates started the year on track to be here among us today. However, they have had their education derailed and the completion of their degrees delayed due to circumstances outside of their control. 

I would like to acknowledge them and say that today is their day as well. I, and I hope you all agree with me, will be eager to celebrate with them a second time in whatever year they eventually graduate. 

During this time, remember the communities that supported you while you’re here. The faculty, staff, parents, and friends helped you get through your years at Grinnell. Remember that your community will be celebrating with you, tomorrow. 

Tomorrow is graduation, but how will that change our lives? Most of us will wake up the day after tomorrow feeling completely the same. We won’t be any taller or smarter or braver than we were the day before because physically walking across a stage or shaking hands with the college president or draping a yard or meter of colored cloth over your shoulders is not an achievement. Everything that you’ve achieved in college has already happened. Graduation is a way for the college and your community to acknowledge what you’ve achieved, and that’s great, but you don’t need anyone else’s validation or permission to be proud of yourself. 

Why is today different from any other day? Today we celebrate each other and the experiences that we’ve shared. Tomorrow, we’ll receive slips of paper that say we’ve finished a liberal arts education. We’ll dress up, and everything will be very official and symbolic and meaningful, and it will be an ending. Maybe it will be stressful. Maybe you’ll be smothered. Maybe you’ll feel lonely. Maybe right now you're sitting here or at home feeling anxious about tomorrow and worried about your future, and you can’t possibly think of how graduation can feel like a celebration this year. I’ve never graduated college before, but I have dealt with anxiety, so I can share what I do when I get anxious. 

You will most likely be the same person you are, right now as you listen to this speech as will by the time you reach the weekend. 

Wherever you are in the world today, I invite you to take a deep breath with me. Breathe in. 

Everyone takes a deep breath with Obuchi. 

And breathe out. 

Tomorrow, Grinnell College will try their best to honor us and the time and effort we put into earning our degrees. But today, we have the opportunity to honor ourselves and I urge you all to take it. 

Focus on today. Celebrate. Try to do something fun. Talk with your classmates who you may be seeing for the last time. If you’re here on-campus, go to them, and reach out to our peers that can not be here with us today. Smile. Laugh. Connect with people and feel the support of a community that has been rooting for you and is still rooting for you. And somewhere, in the midst of all the ceremonies and endings, take a moment to acknowledge this academic milestone and personal achievement. 

Congratulations Class of 2021 -- We did it!