Hi Rutgers—Camden Class of 2024,
I want to start by saying congratulations on graduating high school! That is a big achievement! And I also want to congratulate you all on committing to Rutgers—Camden! That is a big step towards the bright future that lies ahead of you!
I know many of you do not feel like celebrating your accomplishment with everything that is going on right now. For many of you, your senior year trip got canceled, your prom got canceled, and most importantly, your graduation ceremony got canceled. While these are all significant events in your senior year of high school that were taken away from you, something better waits for all of you — your college life. Nothing said or done will fill the void of missing those significant events in your life, but as famous philosophers have said:
“Fire is the test of gold; adversity of the strong men.”
Believe it or not, overcoming adversity and challenges is something you have done consciously and unconsciously throughout your life. It started from the time when you were a toddler struggling to stay on your feet when learning how to walk. Before you knew it, you were in middle school trying to make friends. High school was when you came face-to-face with hard challenges whether it was struggling to make the varsity sports team or overcoming a fear of test-taking. You were recently put in a difficult situation to commit the next four years of your life to a college without knowing how well you may fare at that school. Now, you have chosen Rutgers—Camden to help you pave a path for an incredible future.
Let me just say this, you have made an excellent choice of school and I assure you that your future is in great hands! This institution is full of experienced faculty members and helpful resources. As an international student, it was scary to think about how my life would look in a place that I had never visited before and with people I had never lived with before, but within my first month here I felt at home. The people were very welcoming and my dorm roommates made my transition better than I could have ever imagined. In these past four years I have been fortunate enough to capitalize on a countless number of opportunities. I attended conferences as a freshman on behalf of this school, was a part of the men’s soccer team, traveled to three different countries through Learning Abroad programs, and started a new chapter of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity on this campus.
Fast forward to now and I can say without a doubt that these four years have been the best four years of my life. Just like all of you, my graduation ceremony also got canceled. I am the commencement speaker of the School of Business and it hurts to know that I cannot give my speech on the actual graduation date, but that does not mean that I cannot enjoy what I have just done. I am a graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Finance, and Marketing with a very promising future ahead of me!
So, Class of 2024, while I know it is not the most ideal condition to be graduating in, be proud of what you have accomplished and most importantly, be confident in your choice to become a Scarlet Raptor!