UST Commencement Speech, May 24, 2014
Emily Kindelspire (Women’s Studies minor)
According to a recent study 6.7% of the world’s population has a college education. As
we cross this stage today we become part of this privileged, educated minority. But how did we
get here? Who has led us to these seats?
We are all here today because someone else, hundreds of people even, have invested in
us. In fact, we owe our very existence to two biological parents and a woman’s decision to carry
us to term. Not to mention, the caregivers who woke up to feed us every few hours the first
months of our lives, who showed us how to tie our shoes and write our names, the 3rd grade
teachers who introduced us to multiplication, the coaches and mentors who helped us discover
and foster our passions. And, most recently, our advisors and professors who dedicate their days
and evenings to educating us.
Even people we will never meet have given much of their lives for us, like the farmers
who remain in a constant state of debt in order to supply us with food, the migrant workers who
harvest the fruits and vegetables we eat, the workers both here and abroad who are exploited so
we can have a constant supply of cheap consumer goods. And even after centuries of
exploitation, the Earth continues to give us the most.
We are here today because of the generosity of others, including the people behind the
scenes who rarely are recognized, like the St. Thomas staff who take out our garbage, clean our
classrooms and make sure bathrooms are fully stocked. They show us there is no such thing as a
self-made woman or self-made man. Instead, we are the product of the time, energy and kindness
of others. In turn, we have an obligation to give of ourselves. Our diploma is not simply a piece
of paper; it is contract. It demands that what the world has invested in us we must in turn give
back.
One of the greatest tragedies of our American society is that we are manipulated into
believing we are independent people. This, of course, is untrue. We are innately social creatures
who are interdependent. We can try to deny our reliance on others but when we do our denial is
at someone else’s expense.
The narrative we are told from a young age is that our “success” depends on focusing on
ourselves. The story goes something like this: I go to college so that I can have a career and I can
make a lot of money so I can buy a fancy car and I can buy a big house and I can fill it with stuff.
If I want to I can get married and I can have children and I can give them lots of stuff too.
If this is truly what success is, who will care for people without support systems like the ones
we’ve had? Thinking about success in this way allows us to exclude and ignore billions of
people. We blame their lack of success on their own failure, and not how we, have failed them.
Those who are disadvantaged are often told and retold that education is the best, most
long lasting way to combat inequality and reduce poverty. However, we separate this education
from the one we just received instead of seeing education for what it is- a unifying force to solve
issues that affect us all. Higher education doesn’t mean we have all the answers, rather it means
we have more opportunities and more influence. We should turn our education into something
beneficial for the whole world not solely for our own gain.
Our voice is louder because of our educational privilege, and we should use our voice to
lift others up and work on behalf of the common good. We can use our voice to be kind and be of
service to others through tutoring kids at a local school or cleaning up our neighborhood
parks. We can adopt a grandparent and educate ourselves on issues that affect our communities.
We can demand a living wage for all people because there is no dignity in treating people as a
means to an economic end.
I challenge us to continue to live out our university’s mission statement, which implores
us to be “morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely and work skillfully to
advance the common good.” I know these words will continue to shape my future as I head down
the ambiguous “road less travelled”. I hope these words shape your future as you move on to
become teachers, engaged citizens, activists, community builders, dreamers and perhaps, most
importantly, people who have the means, ability, privilege, advantage and responsibility to
change the world.
Graduating from college is a huge accomplishment. I am overwhelmed with
many emotions standing before you today; we should be excited and we should take pride in this
moment. But we need to remember we didn’t do this alone. We need to remember those who
have invested in us and those who work behind the scenes. We need to remember we are among
the 6.7% with a college education. We need to remember the responsibility that comes with the
privilege of having a louder voice. Be passionate. Be engaged. Be grateful. Be present.
The possibilities are endless and our impact can be limitless.