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Remarks at the Commonwealth Honors College Celebration of Excellence 2010

May 14, 2010

Thank you Dean Clarkson. Good afternoon to all of you here today. As I was listening to Dean Clarkson and looking out at the sea of caps and gowns with those hard earned gold cords, I was thinking of how I will never tire of commencements. It may be trite but it’s still worth reminding all of you—students, parents, friends, and distinguished guests: This is a momentous occasion.

I stand in front of the class of 2010 in awe of your accomplishments, your dedication to creating new knowledge, and your unwavering support for community service. As undergraduates, you’ve worked side-by-side with world-renowned researchers, seeking cures for diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and other diseases. In the labs of our new science building, you helped advance the understanding of cell activity that will bring us closer to unlocking some of the most inscrutable cellular functions. The library will archive your papers, which represent many disciplines from history and psychology to political science and engineering. One anthropology paper examines research into whether conservation and development can co-exist in developing countries. That’s an important consideration as we grapple with climate change. The student’s findings were based on her study abroad experience in the far outpost of Mongolia.

From Amherst to the other side of the globe, your impact is authentic and transformative. You weren’t alone in these arduous endeavors. Your faculty advisors offered encouragement and advice at those moments of exasperation and exhaustion. And, Commonwealth Honors College helped support your research and scholarly pursuits with $84,280 in grant and fellowship funding.

You’ve embraced and cherished these opportunities. You’ve worked tirelessly on your academic studies and carved out time in hectic schedules to volunteer in communities, where your influence will be long-lasting. You worked in non-profit organizations that operate on shoestring budgets while serving our most vulnerable citizens. You created solutions to problems that made these non-profits run more smoothly and more efficiently. Teachers in local school systems say the tutoring work you’ve done with low-income children is priceless. Not only have you helped struggling students with reading and mathematics, your bond with these youngsters has planted the seed that they, too, can one day be a successful college student.

If they follow in your footsteps, they will become part of a long history of honors education at UMass Amherst that goes as far back as 1894. It is an education that has shaped you into the adult you have become; an education that adds to the body of knowledge essential for progress; an education that transforms communities—and makes the world a better place. You—the graduating seniors—have a unique place in our history. You are the 10th anniversary class of Commonwealth Honors College. Families, friends and guests, please give a round of applause to these exemplary graduates.

Like your predecessors, you came to this great university wanting a small college experience without sacrificing the big opportunities associated with a large research institution. The hand-picked students in our inaugural class arrived in the fall of 1999—like you, bursting with potential and ready to be empowered by a personalized and challenging curriculum. Now, you are well prepared to leave our flagship campus and begin a new stage of your lives: in graduate school, in a professional school, or in employment in what we refer to here as “the real world.” We wish you the best and look forward to learning about your future successes. Remember, however, your roots here at UMass Amherst, and don’t forget to give back something to the institution that started you on your successful path in life.

Congratulations once again on your signal accomplishments, and go UMass!