2008 Student Commencement Speech

May 18, 2008

By Danielle Mason '08

Good morning and welcome Father Cregan, Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, friends and family. We are honored to have you here to share in this day, and we genuinely thank you for all that you have done to help us reach this crowning point in our academic careers. I am also truly honored to be here representing the Stonehill College Class of 2008.

When I auditioned to be the student commencement speaker, I was given two guidelines - to "include a brief statement of appreciation directed to family and guests" and to keep it under five minutes. With the first condition taken care of, it will be the second condition that I might have more trouble with. As my friends and family know, I have the amazing ability to take a story that could be told in two sentences and turn it into a very prolonged discourse. Today, however, I'll try to keep it simple.

So, in the remaining four minutes and 30 seconds that I have up here, I want to congratulate and address my fellow graduates.

As I look out at all of you, I realize that some of you have become my best friends and others of you, to be quite honest, I don't even know! Regardless, I can say with certainty that the class of 2008 is an amazing group of people with incredible and diverse talents. Amidst this sea of black caps and gowns, there are truly unique individuals. Each person has a distinctive story that has gotten him or her here today, but now, we all share a piece of the story that will help us to succeed in the future.

On this very day, many other college commencements are taking place across the country, so it's hard to stand up here and say something that's not cliché. So, rather than trying to fill my speech with big words and lots of inspirational quotes, I want to present you all with 11 pieces of advice that I have learned here at Stonehill College - because 10 would definitely be cliché.

While I may not have years of life and wisdom to impart on you, there are certain things that I have learned from the experiences that we have all shared together here. So without further adieu…

1. Believe in something - whether it be God, karma or the Red Sox. But most importantly, believe in yourselves. A few weeks ago I had a meeting about repaying my student loans. I left the meeting contemplating the pros and cons of living in a box. However, I remembered a few words of wisdom I was given from retired Stonehill Professor Dr. Fred Petti, who, for those of you who know him, has MANY words of wisdom. He said, "Danielle, if you can't invest in yourself, what can you invest in?"

2. Fall in love. I don't necessarily mean the romantic Cinderella kind, but rather find a passion.

When I was in high school, I was one of "those" kids - your typical overachiever. I took an art course that I absolutely loved. The problem was that I was getting a B+, so rather than hurting my GPA, I dropped out of the class.

Although I'm still not proud of that decision, I had a second chance here at Stonehill. I took at art course as part of a learning community. When my professor recognized how much I loved art, he encouraged me to pursue it and helped me to declare Studio Arts as my second major. That is a decision I am proud. You need to learn what you love, discover what makes you tick, find your passion.

3. I would be remiss in giving a graduation speech without referencing our love for the mysterious yellow dressing in the café, which leads me to my point - try new things. That doesn't mean you should ever forget your roots, but most of us are only 22 years old! Life still has so much to offer us if we take chances - don't miss out for fear or apathy.

4. Embrace change. As many of you know, we are no longer the Stonehill Chieftains. In fact, I stand in front of the last class of Chieftains. And although the Stonehill Shovelmakers was a close second, we are now the Stonehill Skyhawks and as a student-athlete I can say that we're proud of it!

5. Turn off the T.V. and pick up something to read - and no I'm not saying that on behalf of the English Department! College courses may have forced us to do this at times, but carry that with you - there is always more to learn.

6. Travel. Stonehill has given many of us the opportunity to study or intern abroad.

I've climbed the Eiffel Tower, taken that touristy photo of me holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and kissed the Blarney Stone. And although I'm not sure whether THAT was the best decision of my life, seeing the world WAS. Stonehill is a beautiful campus, but there's a big world out there - go see it.

7. While you ARE out there traveling the world and doing great things, don't forget to call your parents once in a while. And don't make the mistake I made - if you're in a different time zone, call when they're going to be awake! Sorry about that, Mom and Dad. Seriously though, it is because of our parents and families (for more than just biological reasons) that we are here today. No matter where life takes you, don't ever forget that. I know I won't.

8. Don't swallow the key. It's ok to lock yourself in sometimes, but keep your key within reach.

9. Bite off more than you can chew - but don't drink more than you can handle.

10. Keep the world beautiful. Speak kindly and don't be wasteful.

11. 20 years from now, you probably won't remember a thing I've said today, so at this point I want you to take a moment and look around you.

In his piece "Home Remedy," Pulitzer Prize winning poet Franz Wright wrote "The long silences need to be loved, perhaps more than the words which arrive to describe them in time." So my last piece of advice is this - even if you don't remember my words, remember this moment. Remember the excitements and fears that are bubbling under the silence and love them fiercely.

Thank you, and congratulations 2008.