Note: This message was originally sent on May 18, 2023
Check this out. That’s 1,200+ new GU alumni! As for the two individuals trying to steal the spotlight in the selfie – well that’s me and Gonzaga’s Chief Diversity Officer Robin Kelly, Ph.D. We all have many favorite traditions about the end of an academic year, however one that our team enjoys the most is when we get to welcome our newest grads into life as Gonzaga alumni, and to express our enthusiasm for all the Zag Network is capable of – and we did that this year by creating the year’s biggest GU group selfie. I was privileged to join with Dr. Kelley in conveying this important message to our graduates, and of course, taking just one very memorable selfie….as you can see, I think we nailed it.
At graduate commencement on Saturday, 2017 alumna of the Gonzaga University School of Leadership Studies’ master’s in organizational leadership program and Founding Executive Director of Vibrant Hawai’i told of how she learned to accompany rather than “solve and support.” She inspired us to consider the Hawaiian proveb, “Ka Wā Ma Mua, Ka Wā Ma Hope,” which means because of the past, the future emerges. Watch Janice’s full speech—I encourage you to reflect on your role as part of the Gonzaga University ohana, and how you are helping to create the circumstances and opportunities for others to express their talents, skills and selves for the greater good.
On Sunday, as Zags packed the Spokane Arena for undergraduate commencement, the vibe was on point: we nailed it. Outgoing GSBA President Miguel Acosta Loza spoke reminding the class of 2023 of the courage it took for them to get where they are today, and the courage it will take to ignite these fires of inspiration in others. CEO of Catholic Charities Rob McCann (’95 M.A., ’05 Ph.D.) channeled his inner Spiderman, sharing his family’s passion for superheroes and the insight that “With great power comes great responsibility.” He said that the responsibility of every Zag is to treat others well, fight for what they believe in, stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. The past four years at Gonzaga, he added, have given them all the “knowledge and intelligence and expertise to succeed in a world that desperately needs champions of human dignity.” Watch Rob’s full speech here—if you finish it feeling ready to leap a tall building in a single bound or gather every struggling person in your arms and lift them high above their strife, then you’ll see just how Rob nailed it.
It goes without saying that these graduates will find success—all Zags do (no, seriously. Gonzaga is number 1 among colleges and universities in the state of Washington for alumni getting a job, with 92% of Gonzaga graduates are employed 10 years after graduation.); but I think the takeaway from commencement this year is that Gonzaga University is truly empowering people to see the world differently, to push to understand from all perspectives. There’s a lens informed by Catholic, Jesuit, liberal arts education and the distinctively Gonzaga experience through which another batch of graduates are taking into communities and professions—and they’re going to make a difference seeing the world the way they do. Thanks for all you do in service of this work. Once again, you nailed it.