University Leadership and Distinguished Guests, hello and congratulations Class of 2026. I feel tremendously honored to be here today, representing the Masters and PhD candidates. I want to take a moment to recognize the people who made this day possible.
To our administrators and staff, thank you for the countless unseen efforts that kept this community running. To our professors and teachers, thank you for your patience and challenging us to grow.
To our friends, thank you for the joy and silly times, and also being there for the lows and highs. To our families and loved ones, thank you for your countless sacrifices and your constant support that has carried us to this moment.
And to everyone who has shaped this community in ways both big and small, thank you for helping build a place that welcomed who we are.
So I begin by saying, “Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.”
What a year it has been. A year that has tested us, surprised us, and reminded us just how much we rely on one another. And despite everything else, we made it here today… together.
Because this campus has been more than just a place to study. It has been a second home where stories were shared, ideas were made, and dreams began to take shape.
Some of us began here at the start of our academic journeys, and others joined later on, but what matters is that, whether if we’re stepping out for the first time or once again, we are all part of the same story.
But today, I also want to talk about stars.
There is a star right above us called Altair, one of the brightest stars in the night sky.
For centuries, people have looked to this star for guidance.
Sailors used it to navigate oceans.
Travelers used it to find their way across lands.
Stars don’t move the ship or your feet for you, but they can give you direction.
In many ways, the people around us have been our guiding stars.
They didn’t walk the path for us, but they helped us see where we could go.
Because after today, it feels like entering an unknown sky.
The world suddenly becomes larger and splits us like the Milky Way.
Some of us will move to new cities.
Some will start new careers.
Some will start families.
And others may still be figuring it out.
And that’s okay.
Because what matters is that we keep moving, keep learning, and keep looking up especially when things feel uncertain.
There will be times when plans change, or when things don’t work out.
But those moments are not failures. They are part of the journey that shapes us.
Sometimes, the most meaningful paths are the ones we never planned.
As we set foot into what’s ahead, there’s a few things I hope we all remember.
First, stay connected. Years from now, the people sitting around you today may still be the ones who understand you best.
Call them. Message them. Visit them. Stay in touch.
Second, do work that means something to you, and ask why you do it.
Find something that challenges you. Something that pushes you to grow. Something that helps others, even if it’s a small kind gesture
And finally, remember this: You do not walk this journey alone.
We may not remember every class we took, or every assignment we completed.
But we will remember the conversations. The feelings. The joy and laughter. The sense that, for a brief moment, we were all here together.
So as we begin the next journey, I hope you remember these lessons.
And when times feel uncertain, look up to the light that guides you.
When someone else is lost, be the light that guides them.
Thank you all for the memories, the connection, and the story we shared.
The sky ahead of us is vast
But let us all become stars.
Thank you all very much and congratulations, Class of 2026.