Note: This message was originally sent on May 15, 2021
It was just about this time last weekend that we began to celebrate the achievements of over 2,000 grads with five (in-person) commencement ceremonies and Mass (on the Herak Lawn). Nothing better exemplifies what we are allowed to do at Gonzaga than our students. We were humbled to celebrate each of them and to welcome their friends and families to be part of the festivities.
I have also included Thayne’s remarks that he shared with the graduates. I have taken some liberties and entitled this commencement address “What we have learned from you…..” having heard it last weekend and now able to read it, I very much want each of you to have this opportunity, as well. It is a perfect blend of humor, storytelling, context of the moment and inspiration…..after a very challenging 12+months, I think it was a spot on gift to our graduates and something, I think, each of you will resonate with as I hear your voices in the wisdom that is shared. “people will never forget how you made them feel”
One final note – May 1 marked the date incoming freshmen must make their college decisions. Our typical freshman class is 1200-1250. We have been and continue to be focused on doing everything in our power to be 100% back for the upcoming year! The good news is that our incoming freshmen commitments are looking VERY strong, we are proud to share we have surpassed what we would see in a “normal year” in terms of deposits from the incoming freshmen class. We likely will have 1,300+ first years at the undergraduate level, our most diverse class ever, very strong academically. And our Law School too has the largest incoming class in many years. More good news to come……grateful for your support and belief in the potential of our students! They are cleared for takeoff, rejoice in what is to come!
Undergraduate Commencement Address
Thayne M. McCulloh, D.Phil., President
May 9, 2021
Good morning, Gonzaga Grads! Oh my gosh! It’s really here! You made it! We made it! That alone is worthy of celebration. But we’ve got something else to celebrate as well. Today is Mother’s Day. Before we begin your well-deserved celebrations, however, let’s take a moment to remember and celebrate those who have been “Mom” for us—in honor of all Moms, I would like to ask all the Mothers here today to please rise and let us recognize you on this Mother’s Day weekend.
When I was a little kid, the only thing I ever wanted to be was an airline pilot. Inspired by a flight with my grandmother from Southern California to New York when I was 6, on an immense 747, I got to visit the cockpit. I was captivated by the idea that someone could make something so enormous, so heavy, leave the earth and take flight. Inspired by that image, I invite you to fasten your seatbelts, and put your tray tables in the upright and locked position. Graduations are certainly about all you’ve achieved; but we call it “commencement,” because a new adventure is about to begin.
A long time ago—I think it was about ten or twelve years, way, way back in late Spring of 2020—I was interviewed for a podcast by a graduating senior from last year’s class. I was asked to share some wisdom with the then-graduating Seniors, who were mourning the abrupt end to their in-person collegiate experience, and the fact that they would not be having an in-person graduation ceremony.
I asked those Seniors to imagine themselves not in their 20’s but in their late 80’s, telling the story of this time to their great-grandchildren, they’ll say “Tell us about the time you lived through a pandemic! Please!!” And you’d say “Well, alright—it was back in 2020, when I was just a whippersnapper . . . We used to trudge five miles each way to class, in the snow, uphill both ways . . . “
The point I was trying to make then and I want to make to you, is that from this time, this experience, you have something to share that you would not have otherwise. You are stronger, more resilient. In the face of adversity and scary, stressful circumstances, suffering can and does occur. But humans inevitably find ways of adapting in order to survive and even thrive: they improvise, they create, they find inner strength, they discover new ways of doing things. They learn things about coping, reconsidering, looking at problems, and the world, from different angles. And in the process, they become wisdom people. In short, there are things you have learned not only in spite of, but because we’ve been living with COVID, that you otherwise might not have learned, or learned as quickly, or learned as well. And for the rest of your life, you will be working, living, and sharing advice out of what you have learned.
The presenting question I posed then is one I want to pose to you, today. What (beyond the terrors of differential equations, the stress of management information systems, the challenges of senior design projects and capstone integrations) has your time at GU taught you?
Now, while you are thinking about that question, let me share some of the things you have taught us.
You have taught us that living in community matters to you: the importance of friendship, of living in genuine relationship, of what it means to live in socially conscious ways. And you have taught us that you understand that living in community is the very definition of inter-dependence. Surely as some of you sat in quarantine or isolation, this virus reminded us just how interconnected we really are.
You have taught us that family matters to you. When we asked you how you wanted to celebrate today, you were clear: the most important people to you on a day like this is your Mom, your Dad, those guardians who have loved, watched over, and supported you. Your family. And it is so, so clear that you matter to your families too.
You have taught us that human dignity matters to you. That we as a nation, as a community, as a campus, as individuals need to stand up in the face of injustice if we are to have a hope of rooting out systemic injustice. And because injustice is rooted in power, you have taught us that truth matters too, and that you understand how education opens up pathways to sorting fact from opinion, in service to discovering the truth.
You have taught us that you are courageous. Do you remember your first few days at GU? How everything was so strange at first? Where is the C-O-G? What is DezMet? Is COFFLIN Hall where the cool people live? You took a leap of faith to come to Gonzaga in the first place. And then – despite all of the challenges, the setbacks, the disappointments, the risks, and the unknowns, you chose to return, to continue. Not everyone did, or could. But you did. Each of you faced challenges on this journey, challenges that stretched and tested you. You faced them, and you proved yourself beyond capable of meeting them.
So, members of the graduating class of 2021: this experience of being, of learning, of living at Gonzaga University—capped as it has been by the events of this past 15 months—I hope in the months and years to come you truly begin to realize just what an extraordinary achievement is represented in the completion of your degree.
In very direct ways, the pandemic has affected millions of people across our country and around the world. Beloved family members and friends have been taken from us or fallen ill; the restrictions on businesses and schools have meant job loss, changes in resources, shifts in priorities. But it is the indirect, longer-term impact that I believe will most inform the world into which you are entering. To paraphrase the words of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as shared with us by our alumnus, Jesuit Fr. Greg Boyle: Gonzaga is not the place you come to; it has always been the place you will go from. And as you go from this place, you carry the hopes and dreams of a lot of people with you: people who hope that you will make the world a different, better, kinder, more loving place. It is a world desperately in need of you, and of your gifts.
Many of you know that I myself attended Gonzaga as an undergrad. Some of you even know that I went on and pursued my graduate degrees at Oxford University, which is why I stand before you with a costume that looks like a cross between Count Dracula and Professor Snape.
What you do not know is that the first time I applied for admission to Gonzaga, I was denied. So, when I say I was not admitted, what I’m really saying in code is that I was not a success in high school. I could tell you more about the why behind that, but the Provost told me I had to keep this talk short.
The point I want to make is that behind every individual, there is a story—many stories, actually. Gonzaga played a significant part in re-shaping the narrative of my life, a transformation from high school failure to not just one thing, but many: a husband, a father, a psychologist, a university administrator, and yes—a proud alumnus of this unique institution. I hope that Gonzaga has played a significant part in informing and re-shaping the narrative of your life, as well. But the best part is, the journey is just beginning. Gonzaga is not the place you come to; it has always been the place you will go from.
So, as you leave I want to give you a graduation gift. They are five pieces of advice I share out of my own experience and observations of life. I want you to take these five things and put them in your carry-on luggage, so you can take them out mid-flight and use them when you need them. Are you ready?
1) Nurture the people who are important to you. The poet Maya Angelou said: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Life is filled with twists and turns, with tragedies and triumphs. Navigating these is made infinitely more possible with the love and support of people who will be there for you, as you will be for them. Nurture your most important relationships.
2) Try to find a vocation that makes you happy. A lot of people sacrifice their happiness in the interests of seeking wealth, or status. Your ability to do well, and to live well, is somewhat tied up in what makes you feel fulfilled. Finding what gives you joy, what gives you fulfillment, will make you happier, and you’ll be better at it. And your happiness will make the others around you happier as well.
3) You now have a new superpower, and is called awareness. If you listen to certain voices, the world has, without a doubt, become a darker, more cynical, and more distrustful place. Perhaps it is the ease, and seeming increased acceptability with which people can trash others with impunity on social media. It is so easy to exploit the vulnerabilities that every one of us carries. But what your education should by now have imparted to you is that every day of our lives is a sequence of choices—we choose whether to tear people down, or build them up; we choose whether to speak up in the face of injustice, or to remain silent. The purpose of Higher education is to impart knowledge, yes, but it is also about imparting awareness. “The future,” said Jesuit Teilhard de Chardin, “belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope.” Through your education, you have been empowered. Use your superpower to make the world a better place for others, and it will be a better place for you as well. 4) When the going gets tough, keep moving. There is an uncomfortable degree of uncertainty in life; all it takes is a pandemic to make that clear! None of us really knows what tomorrow may bring. So what? Don’t let uncertainty become inertia—there is so much to be done, and people are counting on you! If you find yourself in a sticky situation, a briar patch, just keep moving. Do the best you can, keep going, and new doors will open up before you. But you cannot find them if you don’t keep moving.
5) Never forget that you are a miracle, a beloved creation of God. Fundamental to the Jesuit way of proceeding is the belief that there is a God, that we were created in the image and likeness of God, and that God loves each and every one of us, just as we are. Human beings impose a lot of terms, categories and conditions on themselves, and upon each other, but God’s love is unconditional. Finding God in all things means to acknowledge that God is present in everyone around us, but within us as well; even—perhaps especially in difficult or challenging circumstances. When someone challenges your sense of self-worth, remember that your value is intrinsic and irreducible, because you are a God-made miracle of infinite worth.
So, my fellow alumni—today, we are granting you much more than a degree. We are granting you a license—a license to take all that you have learned, all the awareness you have gained, and use it to make this world a braver, kinder, more loving place. Take it all and know deeply in your heart: you are ready, and we are so proud of you. Thank you for allowing us to be with you on this part of your remarkable lives, your remarkable journey. We cannot wait to see the places you’ll go.
Class of 2021, you are cleared for takeoff. God bless you, and congratulations!