SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- There is nothing quite like commencement.
Although it’s almost a cliche to start a graduation speech with “the word” -- commencement means beginning, not ending-- perhaps the timeworn phrase retains a burst of relevance.
Just what is the next, best step for those radiant faces crossing the stage? From college to career, some graduates are absolutely sure; others, not so much.
As the tassels move from one side to the other, and some commencement hats even fly through the air, how will the wind of circumstances augment or divert plans?
We get teary eyed even as guests as we envision how far the graduates have come and their possible journeys ahead.
There are people with a firm trajectory of next steps, only to find that the times, like the tides, are full of surprises, bringing in variegated options and leaving indelible patterns in the sand.
Life offers and withdraws opportunities.
The class of 2024 started during the pandemic, if enrolled in a four-year program.
We all can remember that huge, incoming wave that no one entirely expected, and the consequences of it.
My mother, who was born in 1917, often reminded me (in a whisper, and just to alert me) of the possibility of an “every 100-year pandemic.”
She had learned of this firsthand when her older brother lost his life in 1919 to the flu.
My father lost a sister in that same pandemic, though my parents lived far apart. My mom and dad had that conversation while in their courtship after World War II.
The large screen and the pictures captured by poets provide additional captivating reminders of life’s vicissitudes.
Remember seeing Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life” derailed from college plans by the death of his father?
Very young at my first screening, I couldn’t immediately quite grasp why so much had changed for him so fast, but the rest of the movie made it clear.
And perhaps you, too, have encountered the powerful poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes. It begins with a probing question: “What happens to a dream deferred?” followed by apt, varied metaphors.
And then the punch to the gut with its final speculation:
“Maybe it (the dream) just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?”
We might turn attention to our own dreams once held and set aside. Is there still enough oxygen to kindle that flame? Can we find time to encourage the seeds of constructive desires within others?
BWU graduates: At Baldwin Wallace University’s 174th commencement exercises -- and elsewhere around the country and the world -- intrepid students pursued the college experience while the pandemic upended the world.
From the Hillcrest area, here are some graduates to congratulate:
Domonique Tatum of South Euclid graduated with a master of business administration in business analytics.
Natalie Clemmons of Mayfield Heights graduated with a master of public health in health education and disease prevention.
Kelly Lo of Mayfield Heights, a graduate of Lorain Admiral King High School, graduated with a master of arts in education: educational technology.
Nathan Velotta of Mayfield Heights, a graduate of Mayfield High School, graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science in education: early childhood education.
Jessica Wolenski of Lyndhurst, a graduate of Beaumont School, graduated cum laude with a bachelor of arts: history.
More congratulations: At Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Rahul Venkatesh of Highland Heights has earned a doctor of philosophy in chemical engineering and a graduate certificate in data science for the chemical industry.
At the University of Southern California, Andrew Stewart of South Euclid graduated with a doctor of philosophy in political philosophy. He is a graduate of Brush High School and Kenyon College.
Suggestions: For all those who died during the pandemic, we can remember. For those who suffered and bear scars in the aftermath, we can try to help. For those who served, we can still offer gratitude.
And for those who diligently pursued their studies -- during the pandemic and beyond -- we can continue to cheer them on.
Interdependence and independence: Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, meaningful Fourth of July.
Notably, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will celebrate Independence Day this year by welcoming approximately 11,000 new citizens in more than 195 naturalization ceremonies between June 28 and July 5.
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