May Commencement Archive

Thank you, President Cornish, for that generous introduction. I’m honored to be joining the stage with Dave and Bonnie — who I’ve known since I was a college student — and Letícia, Amy, and Jeff. Also, big fan of democracy and Marvel, so this is a great fit.

To the deans, faculty, distinguished guests, family and friends...To my college roommates who are here and joining virtually — ICDC forever! —And, most importantly, to the Class of 2022: Congratulations!

It’s an honor to play a small role on your big day. And it’s wonderful to come home to Ithaca.

Being here brings back vivid memories: wandering around Talcott my first year, jumping in the fountain before graduation, eating way too much DP Dough. Even opening the door in Emerson Hall to find my friends passed out on the floor — Don’t worry, President Cornish, it was just an RA training activity.

I loved working as an RA — it was one of the most meaningful parts of my college experience. The training taught me how to show up for the people around me and notice them when they were in need. After college, I incorporated those trainings into my work as a teacher, a faith leader, and the advocate I am today. I’ve had the privilege to meet with the President, lead and speak at rallies, help write and pass legislation like the Violence Against Women Act, and celebrate historic wins, like confirming Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. And that’s just in the past few weeks! So you might think I’m here to talk about ways to make big change in Washington. I’m not.

Instead, I want to talk about something much more radical: the ways we show up for people.

Showing up sounds simple. Bringing soup for a friend when they are sick or sharing notes with a classmate when they had to miss class. But really showing up for people isn’t just a one-time thing. It’s an intentional and lifelong effort in which you engage for the people you love. The people you’ve chosen. You’re affecting them on the deepest level — and you’re dedicating yourself to them not just one day, but every day. I’m inspired by a quote from Hillel the Elder, one of the most influential rabbis in history — for whom Ithaca College Hillel, my home base while I was a student here, is named. He said, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” Today, I’d like to talk through these questions — what they mean, how they relate to showing up, and how I hope you can use them on your journey.

Let’s start with the first line. “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?”

We tend to think of showing up as something we do for others. But you cannot show up for others without first showing up for yourself.

That can be hard because it requires us to be radically honest about how we are really doing — in a moment when it is so easy to lie. We do it so often, we may not even think of it as lying.

Maybe we tell a friend about how great our weekend was and leave out the part where we were crying on the floor listening to Taylor Swift. Or maybe we post an Insta about how excited we are when, actually, we’re feeling pretty nervous — which I may or may not have done this morning.

It can often feel like everyone else has their life together but you. News flash: they don’t. They are just doing the same thing you are: trying to make their life seem a little more glamorous, and a little more filtered, than it is. This contributes to insecurities, low self-esteem, and even depression — yet most of us perpetuate this, whether we are consuming it or posting it.

I’ve wasted days, if not years, thinking about how I come across, whether people will like me, what to wear and what I look like. Over the years, I’ve gotten a bit better at dealing with it, sure — but I still felt it walking up on this stage today.

And it’s no wonder! Young people, and young women in particular, are told over and over again that we aren’t enough.

We’re given impossible standards on how to look, how to act, how to talk, how to exist. And God forbid we do something just for ourselves, or make a mistake, or try to make decisions about our own bodies.

And I’m white! For Black, Indigenous, and other people of color who are women, non-binary, or trans, the standards are so much higher and harder to meet.

When we apply these impossible standards to our own lives, we often feel like we are doing something wrong. Like we don’t belong. We feel like imposters.

But we have to remember that what may feel like imposter syndrome isn’t an individual problem. Imposter syndrome is just an attempt to make you feel like you are to blame for how the rest of the world has made you feel. It is a symptom of a system that was not designed for all of us.

There is no question that an individual taking action against a system is a radical act. So it becomes a radical act to choose to love yourself. To look in the mirror and accept all of what you see. If I hadn’t let impossible standards rule my life when I was younger, I could’ve gotten out of my head more often and enjoyed the moments in front of me.

I wish I could go back in time and tell myself not to spend all my emotional energy on pleasing others. So here I am saying it to you: Please, please, don't buy into the lies we have been taught. Unlearn that you are unworthy. Show up for yourself with kindness and compassion. Prioritize your well-being.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? It is a radical act to love yourself. It is hard, lifelong work. But it is necessary if we want to show up as our best selves for others.

"We never know what the tipping point for change will be, or who will set it into motion. But it starts with showing up - and when enough of us do, one of us is bound to create the ripples that can change the course of history. It could be one of you."

That brings us to the second line of Hillel’s quote: “If I am only for myself, what am I?”

After you put on your own oxygen mask, you look to help your neighbor with theirs.

I’ve always wondered how different our communities would be if when we asked, “How are you?” we actually waited and listened to the answer. And if someone told us, “I’m good,” or, “I’m fine,” we replied with, “How are you, really?”

Maybe, then, they’d tell us they spent the weekend crying on the floor listening to Taylor Swift.

So: How are you, really? Each and every one of us here today has endured trauma. For starters, we’re all still living through a global pandemic — one that has taken more than a million people from us in the United States alone.

To the students participating virtually because you are sick, hi. Sorry you can’t be here. We are sending you love. To the families participating virtually because you are sick, thank you for keeping the rest of us safe. And Covid isn’t the only thing most of us are navigating. We’re dealing with mental health challenges that the pandemic has made harder, student loan debt that has likely grown larger, and our own, private traumas all at once. It’s not always obvious when someone needs help with their own mask. I remember when I worked on campus, sometimes, students would text me Sunday mornings just saying, “Hey.” As a volunteer crisis counselor, I knew that “Hey” that early for a college student might not just be a hey. So instead of engaging over text, I’d reply, “Where are you right now? Can I pick you up a coffee and come meet you?” When I was wrong about the text, I was so relieved — and able to help the student start their day with a good cup of coffee. And when I was right, I was able to show up properly for someone who needed me but didn’t know how to ask. Because even people we know may be going through things we don’t know. That act of noticing — going out of your way to show up for someone, listen to their story, or just sit quietly by their side (maybe with some coffee) — is the key to building the strong relationships that form the bedrock of an inclusive community.

For instance, when I was a senior here, the LGBTQ pride flag was stolen the same week that racist graffiti was found in the Towers. In too many places, the LGBTQ and Black communities would have been forced to stand up for themselves, by themselves. But here at Ithaca, my friend Emily Liu and a few others noticed their friends’ pain and helped organize a rally in solidarity. Hundreds of us gathered at Free Speech Rock for the Erase the Hate rally and march — and showed our classmates and campus community how many of us were on their side. You all showed similar allyship over the past year. This time, swastikas were found on campus, targeting Ithaca’s Jewish community. And, again, Ithaca students of all backgrounds showed up for one another, standing arm in arm against hate. This is what community looks like. We need fierce allies. And we need ongoing allyship.

Because it shouldn’t just be Jewish people fighting antisemitism. It shouldn’t just be people of color fighting racism. It shouldn’t just be women fighting sexism, Muslims fighting Islamophobia, people with disabilities fighting ableism, transgender people fighting transphobia… The list goes on and on. And if you’re someone who doesn’t feel targeted, you have one of the most important roles to play: noticing your power and privilege and showing up as a consistent ally to those in need. If I am only for myself, what am I? We cannot just live in one another’s vicinity. We must live in one another’s community.

And we must start that work now.

That’s the final guidance in Rabbi Hillel’s quote: “If not now, when?”

The fact is, we never know which of our small actions might end up making a big difference. Showing up at an organizing workshop might help someone make great change — without ever getting out of their seat. In fact, it already has: That’s the story of Rosa Parks.

Unlike the story so many of us are wrongly told, Rosa Parks wasn’t tired at the end of a long day. She showed up to an organizing training in a moment of despair, to try to take a small motion forward — and she ended up igniting a movement. So often, the issues we face can feel overwhelming. But every great changemaker in history started by showing up just once.

We never know what the tipping point for change will be, or who will set it into motion. But it starts with showing up — and when enough of us do, one of us is bound to create the ripples that can change the course of history. It could be one of you.

That’s the ultimate wisdom Hillel the Elder passed on when he said, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”

So first: take a break. Take a nap. Go take a walk by the gorgeous gorges. You’ve earned it.

Once you’re ready, though, I want you to start asking yourselves: If you are not for yourself, who will be for you? If you are only for yourself, what are you? And if not now, when? May we all have the courage to take those steps — to show up for ourselves, for the people in our communities, and for the world, one small action at a time. I’m excited to see the world you help shape. Thank you, and yasher ko’ach — congratulations. Wishing you strength and love on your journey.

The moment we've been waiting for is here: Welcome, Class of 2022 and our distinguished guests!

I am thrilled to open the 127th Commencement at Ithaca College, and I'm elated that we're able to gather in‑person for this weekend's celebrations. It is my honor to congratulate our soon‑-to-‑be alumni on this outstanding accomplishment. It takes exceptional dedication, careful balance, and rigorous study to obtain excellence in an academic field, and I commend you for the commitment you've demonstrated and, you are just getting started.

Members of your class will advance to graduate studies at institutions that include Northwestern, Cal Arts, Columbia, and Duke. Members of your class have landed prestigious internships and jobs with organizations including the National Park Service, Major League Baseball, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Deloitte.

Some of you will perform, some will launch a business. Some will teach, some will heal. Some will explore solutions to problems we are not even aware we have, and others will discover new ways to think about what we take for granted.

Many of you are representing who you are and your impressive achievements in athletics, work experiences, organizations, and honor societies with cords, stoles, and pins. I wish to call out just a few of those: Black and gold single cords identify our first‑generation college students. Those of you wearing blue and yellow cords are graduating with academic honors as our summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude students. Our students wearing rainbow cords are demonstrating your pride as a member of our LGBTQA family. ROTC students, and students wearing stoles distinguishing the branch of the armed forces they represent, show your commitment to serving our country and for that we say thank you.

In all, more than 1,300 students comprise Ithaca College's Class of 2022. I'd like to add another 91 people to that group. Individuals in our community who have reached important milestones during the past two years.

I wish to honor the 54 faculty who have earned tenure during the past two academic years, and the 41 faculty who joined our professors’ emeriti community. Thank you, for your commitment to our students, and to our institution.

I also wish to thank the families and supporters who have provided critical support on their student's journey to graduation and played an active role in the life of the college.

"You, the Class of 2022, have served as models for our community by demonstrating compassion, grace, and persistence in the face of a pandemic. You have endured much, and you have excelled greatly."

Early on during the pandemic, National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman composed “The Miracle of Morning.” Writing from a place of uncertainty, Gorman acknowledges the promise of healing that springs from despondence like the light of morning. While we might feel small, separate, and all alone, our people have never been more closely tethered. The question isn't if we will weather this unknown, but how we will weather it together. Class of 22, we have weathered the unknown and we have weathered it together.

You, the Class of 2022, have served as models for our community by demonstrating compassion, grace, and persistence in the face of a pandemic. You have endured much, and you have excelled greatly. The quotation I have chosen comes from the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It reads, “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be.”

Dr. King wrote these words while sitting in a Birmingham jail cell in response to clergymen. In his rebuttal, Dr. King questions the idea that anyone in the United States can be considered an outsider within this country and that the injustice affecting those in Birmingham is symptomatic of racial injustice on a national scale. His words were drawn from his belief in every human being's obligation to fight for justice and from his love for all mankind. This quote reminds us of our shared responsibility as citizens to demonstrate compassion, to demonstrate grace, to view the world from multiple perspectives like every graduate from a comprehensive college grounded in the liberal arts tradition with amazing professional schools should. You are only doing that which you have been equipped and expected to do.

It also reminds us to focus inward. To embrace our purpose as well as our potential so we can contribute to the creation of an equitable and just society. I acknowledge that this can be challenging. We need to look no further than the senseless tragedy that happened last weekend in Buffalo to see how challenging this can be. At this time, I ask you to join me in a moment of silence in memory and in honor of those who lost their lives in Buffalo a week ago.

As each of you begins your next chapter, it's my sincere hope that you continue to think critically, creatively, and analytically. That you practice compassion. That you let grace be your guide. And that you remain optimistic about humanity's potential for progress. These past few years have changed you, but you need to know that there is more change to come. Know also that after living through this pandemic, there is nothing you cannot do if you put your mind to it.

In closing, I ask that you let your years of dedication here activate a life of perseverance, of possibility, and of purpose. Let this day of triumph be your miracle in the morning. I wish you all good things as you embark on the next step of your journey. I hope you will forever keep South Hill in your heart as we empower the next generation of alumni together.

Thank you.

Hello Class of 2022! I am so excited to speak to you today. I'm Letícia Guibunda, my major is Spanish and I minor in biological research and applied sciences and I am originally from Brazil.

In Brazil one of our most popular crops is sugarcane, and because of that we use sugarcane in a lot of different ways, and we have this candy that is called "Rapadura."

Rapadura is literally a solid block of unrefined sugar. It's extremely hard to bite into it to eat it, but it's the sweetest thing ever. We have a popular saying that goes like this: “Rapadura é doce mais nao e mole nao.” Which means: "Rapadura is sweet, but it sure is hard."

I wanted to share that with you all today, because in many ways it feels like our journey to get to this point has been just like that famous Brazilian saying. It's so sweet that we are all gathered here together, but it sure wasn't an easy ride to get to this point. You made it, so congratulations.

I can still remember back to our first year, when many of us were gathered right here in the A&E Center for our convocation. As I sat beside my newly found friends who have now become like family to me, I remember feeling excited and hopeful for the future and definitely a little nervous too. But at that time, like many of you, I could have never foreseen all of the things that we'd have to get through to reach this momentous day.

During our first year, many of us got the chance to meet people on and off campus who became our community here in Ithaca. Some of us had a harder time establishing our sense of community at first, whether it was because you transferred into IC from another school, because you were an international student experiencing culture shock, or just because Ithaca looks and feels very different from what you were used to.

Despite what the challenge may have looked like for you during that first year, I'm sure that none of us were prepared for what followed during our sophomore year. We became college students living through a pandemic and we still are! That unprecedented change caused us to go our separate ways and re‑establish our priorities.

It also forced us to re‑imagine what community meant to us when we were apart.

We had to be college students, deal with our family dynamics in ways like never before, sort through feelings of isolation, and manage a new type of stress while trying to complete coursework under time zone differences or without adequate resources.

It's all been extremely hard just like that Rapadura candy that I was telling you all about earlier.

"But Class of 2022, do you know what the sweet part of all of this is? It's that despite all the hard and difficult times, I've still seen you be brilliant. I've been blessed to get to know so many of you, as my dear friends, co‑workers, classmates, research partners, and as your representative in student government. In all these capacities I've been in constant awe, because whether we were apart or in‑person, you all continue to shine."

But Class of 2022, do you know what the sweet part of all of this is? It's that despite all the hard and difficult times, I've still seen you be brilliant. I've been blessed to get to know so many of you, as my dear friends, co‑workers, classmates, research partners, and as your representative in student government. In all these capacities I've been in constant awe, because whether we were apart or in‑person, you all continue to shine.

I've seen professors collaborate with students in innovative ways to create improvised home labs to keep conducting research and having amazing discoveries. In the face of social injustice, I've seen you rise up as activists, as artists, and as leaders fighting hard to set new standards not only for our society but also for this institution. You've even been unafraid to call out members of this community when they do not live up to the standards that we've established for IC. Your grace and strength has been truly inspiring.

I saw your dedication and commitment to this college within student government where you've crafted legislation and initiatives to keep improving IC for all students and pushing for progress.

As student workers, like the IDEAS peer educators and the student leadership consultants in OSE and many more, you've been extremely creative, alongside staff and offices, to keep important resources available to students.

The hard work that you've given to hone your talents is undeniable, we've seen proof of that in the amazing achievements of our student athletes, and we've watched it in the jaw‑dropping performances of our talented musicians, actors, and dancers.

And even now as we've been approaching the conclusion of our time on this campus.

I've seen so many of you passing forward the lessons you've learned to the students coming up after us. That care and dedication that you've shown is really beautiful to see.

Similar to the Rapadura that I've told you about, our time here has been comprised of sweet moments as well as extremely hard times, but it's the combination of both those things and everything in between, that has allowed us to grow into the people we are today.

So, as we all go forth on our respective paths, I hope that you all hold on to the memories and the community that you've made at Ithaca College during these past years, because those are the parts of IC that you can hold on to forever. So now all I have left to say to you all is Congratulations Class of 2022 and well done!