Congratulations to all graduates

Last week I had the honor of participating in Harrisburg Area Community College’s fall graduation, watching with pride and admiration as 450 HACC students “walked” to receive their degrees.

Graduations are the proudest moment for any educator – including this one. HACC President John “Ski” Sygielski – a great colleague, thought-partner and friend – led the ceremony with his usual compassion, humor, and grace. Toward the start, he reeled off a number of characteristics about the graduating class arrayed in front of him, each demonstrating the strength and significance of our nation’s community colleges: the proportion of first-generation college goers (high), the proportion of students with children (higher), the proportion of students who had graduated from high school more than 10 years ago (by far the highest).

Associate professor Jody Newcomer, a member of the HACC faculty, spoke movingly about students’ stories, focusing on those that demonstrated how members of the HACC community – students, faculty, and staff – helped aspiring graduates cross the finish line despite countless difficulties they encountered along the way. “Hand on your back,” as we cyclists say.

You can imagine the ceremony. As graduates’ names were announced, they walked in front of the podium, receiving their degrees to loud and rapturous applause and the occasional shouts of “That’s my mom!” or “Love you, brother!”

When I reflect on the mission of public higher education institutions, I look to universities like ours and our partners in the community colleges and think: God bless this corner of public higher education (a corner which, by the way, enrolls about three quarters of the nation’s students today) and the opportunities it creates for all as the most reliable bridge to opportunity, a sustaining career, a better life, a healthier society. God bless the communities they foster, the faculty and staff who are passionate about a mission that is too compellingly democratic to ignore, who are devoted to students, to changing lives – even saving some.

The challenges we face – that our students face – are washed away for that one, delightful, restorative, celebratory moment that is graduation.

And God bless the students who graduated this month from the 10 great universities that make up our State System and the wonderful faculty and staff who helped them to cross the finish line. Yours has been an incredible journey – navigating the usual difficulties associated with degree attainment in higher education, compounded by the disruption and uncertainty resulting from global pandemic and, for some, the challenges of fundamental organizational change.

You have accomplished what few people do, and in extraordinary circumstances. I know a bunch of you personally. We grew up together within this System, starting more or less at the same time just over four years ago, interacting with one another over the years when I was privileged to attend your gatherings or meet with you during my semesterly face-to-face and virtual campus visits.

I wish all of you well as you turn the page and pursue the next chapter. The story that will unfold for you there will be filled with opportunity, purpose, and joy.

There will be challenges, too. Life is full of them. But I believe you are well equipped to overcome with the skills you have built pursuing your degree: grit, determination, resilience, an ability to communicate and engage effectively with people of all ages and backgrounds, to problem-solve, innovate, hunker down, and do. I hope you will take a moment to celebrate what is really a remarkable and major achievement and, of course, to thank those who have helped you along the way.