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it's all good

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Have fun

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Well

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thanks

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Hello Testing

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Testing Hello

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testing There we go Hello folks Welcome

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and good

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evening We're going to begin I'll I'll

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give folks a moment to find some seats

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and get

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settled Thank you so much for joining

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us All right we'll get started

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So good evening and welcome to the 23rd

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last lecture for the class of

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2025 What an incredible honor it is to

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be here with you this evening to

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celebrate your accomplishments My name

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is Jen and I work in student experience

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here at the University of G And to begin

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this evening I'd like to acknowledge

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that the main campus at the University

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of GE resides on the ancestral lands of

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the Adawanderon people and the treaty

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lands and territories of the Missosagas

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of the Credit I also recognize that

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Anesnab and Hodonosi peoples have

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long-standing and ongoing relationships

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with this land and that wherever you are

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joining us from today Canada is home to

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many First Nations Inuit and Matei

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peoples

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I also recognize the significance of the

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dish with one spoon covenant and the

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significance that it holds particularly

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within this space and on this campus So

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I'd like to pause for a moment to share

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gratitude and to think about

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responsibility within the context of

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this

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evening Tonight you are going to be

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asked to reflect on how different

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aspects of yourself have received

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nourishment in various ways during your

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time here You'll be asked to think about

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learning personal development

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connections and

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friendships My hope is that you're able

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to pause to appreciate these memories

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And while you think um and while you

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think of what you have gained by being a

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part of this community my ask is that

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you also think about how you're able to

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share some of this as you move

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forward This institution like many

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institutions is a colonial structure It

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is also a place that encourages critical

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thinking the exploration of past and the

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generation of new

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ideas I'll leave you with a question as

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we embark to hear our three lectures

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this evening My question is what sense

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of stewardship do you hold as you think

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about sharing what you have learned or

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maybe unlearned during your time here

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So welcome students faculty senior

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administrators staff friends family and

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community

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members wherever you are in the world or

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whatever time zone or geographic

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location We're so glad that you're

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joining us And most importantly a very

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special welcome to our lecturers as well

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as those of you who have brought us here

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this evening the class of 2025

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So before we begin our lecture I'd like

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to welcome Dr Bill Roseart our provost

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and vice president academic to

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officially welcome you on behalf of the

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University of G Thank

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you Good afternoon and welcome

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It is really an honor to be with you to

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be here with you today to

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celebrate Spring is a very special time

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on our university campus Even if as we

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were reminded yesterday the Canadian

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weather sends us a few unexpected

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snowstorms it's still a really special

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time Spring signals the conclusion of

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our academic year

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It is a time when students celebrate

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finishing up courses or academic program

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milestones and start planning their next

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academic year

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For a very special group of students the

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courses you complete this term are the

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completion of your thesis or graduate

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project represents the successful

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completion of your academic

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journey Today is a very special

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event Today we hear

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reflections from a few very special

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people

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Today is about your

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individual and collective experiences

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and accomplishments both inside and

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outside of your courses

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So with that I ask that everyone here

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and I know if you're doing this if I

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hear noise I ask that everyone takes a

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moment and reflects on some of your

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wonderful experiences and

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accomplishments here at the University

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of G Then in a moment if you're willing

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briefly share one thing with someone

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sitting next to you So reflect and share

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Over to you

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You didn't go here So it's not fair Yeah

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I didn't go Yeah I'm thinking about my

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position though Just kind of So what's

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your moment Well I finished two years

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now and just getting to know the campus

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and the people Nice

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I might I I might get you to share to

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the whole room if you share Now

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I love the energy in the room

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So we the professors staff and leaders

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of the University of G are so proud of

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you for the journey you have taken full

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of rich learnings wonderful

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experiences countless

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accomplishments to reach this incredible

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milestone Congratulations

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So thank you Dr Roseart for your words

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of welcome and for getting us chatting

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together and kind of remembering why GE

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is so special It's the community and

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it's the people here

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The last lecture began here at the

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University of Galf many years ago with

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the purpose of celebrating you the

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graduating

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student Today we've come together to

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reflect and celebrate We hope that this

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evening you are able to con give

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consideration to your time at GE and

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your many remarkable

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achievements Today is a time to

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celebrate those who are with us those

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who may not have been able to attend and

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also remember those who have le left us

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too soon It's a time of excitement of

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sadness

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bittersweetness and probably a bit of

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nervousness or some other emotions

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finding their way in there This evening

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you'll be hearing from three different

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members of our Griffin family They'll be

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speaking on themes of reflection

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celebration inspiration and

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determination One address will be from a

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classmate of yours who is also in the

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final days of earning their degree

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Another by one of our faculty members

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voted by you And finally we have an

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address from a special member of our

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alumni

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community So let's begin

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Every year graduating students are

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invited to apply and compete to be the

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student last lecturer A selection

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committee composed of staff and of

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course students makes the final

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selection This is never an easy decision

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and I really wanted to thank the

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students who took time to apply and

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those who took time to present to the

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committee Thank you to all of the

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members of the community who also wrote

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letters of support for the applicants

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The process really demonstrates to us

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once again the incredible students that

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make up our university and the caring

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community they've helped build for us

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all to be able to

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enjoy It is my pleasure to introduce

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this year's student lecturer to share

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some reflections with

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you Avery Bendel is a dedicated biomed

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sciences student researcher and mentor

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with a deep commitment to community

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service leadership and academic

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excellence

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As a senior campus tour guide Avery

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welcomes prospective students to the

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University of GE helping to create a

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sense of belonging Beyond leading tours

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she trains future tour guides to develop

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strong communication skills and enhance

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their understanding of the campus

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community

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Academically Avery is a researcher in

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the human performances lab where she has

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authored several manuscripts on exercise

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physiology and earned a publication for

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her work in a sustainable case

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competition As a former competitive

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athlete Avery is a pre-ompetitive

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gymnast coach where she focuses on

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creating safe and empowering

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environments for young girls in sports

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Outside of academics and coaching Avery

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plays the trumpet in the G concert band

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and has mentored seniors in her

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community who are learning to play the

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instrument fostering meaningful

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intergenerational connections through

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music Avery's dedication to service

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extends to her role as a volunteer at

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the General Hospital where she provides

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emotional and social respit to patients

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Here she has developed a passion for

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empathetically driven health care

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inspiring her to apply to medical school

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and pursue a career in family

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medicine I am pleased to welcome this

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year's student loss lecturer Avery

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Bendel

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Good evening everyone Can you hear me

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okay at the back

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Awesome I just want to say a huge thank

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you to all who helped to organize this

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event and for allowing me the honor to

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deliver the last lecture today It's

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truly an honor I know Jen introduced me

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but I'm Avery Bendle I use she her

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pronouns and I'm graduating from the

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Bachelor of Science majoring in

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biomedical science and minoring in math

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Class of

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2025 we've come so far and it's time to

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reflect on

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that I want everyone in this room to

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take a minute and think about why they

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chose G so many years

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ago For many of us in this room if not

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all of our graduating class we started

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during the CO 19 pandemic and didn't

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know what our programs were going to

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look like

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In fact that meant that a lot of us

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weren't even able to take a campus tour

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prior to making that big

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decision But not to worry because for

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the last three years I've been a proud

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UFG campus tour guide So while you might

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have missed out on your first tour of

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the University of G I'm here to take you

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on your last tour of the University of

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G Starting out first on the corner of

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our campus the Griffin statue

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This was the statue that welcomed you to

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the city of Galf that welcomed you to

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our campus and which someone made you

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post for a picture in front of before

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they dropped you off in residence Now I

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I hope this was a shared experience and

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I'm not the only one with this awkward

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photo living on my camera

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roll But just off of the Griffin statue

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we have to get to campus So you'll find

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the bus

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loop Now I know you've all been on the

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bus at least once throughout your time

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here Whether you packed on the 99

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dressed up in your Gear uh headed

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downtown for the Frosty Mug game or

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maybe it was actually a Thursday night

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and you were going downtown for

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dollars Honestly sometimes it looked

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like getting a spot on the 99 was going

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to be more competitive than getting

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tickets to the Taylor Swift era tour But

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00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:06,560
I digress I know you all got to campus

285
00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:10,480
one way or another otherwise you

286
00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:13,040
wouldn't be graduating shortly here

287
00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:14,880
But to the real star of the show we're

288
00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:17,600
headed to campus And just off the bus

289
00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:19,920
loop you'll find our university center a

290
00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:22,320
place that's packed full of resources

291
00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:24,560
And in my personal opinion the best

292
00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:27,600
resource of all the Royal City grilled

293
00:13:24,560 --> 00:13:27,600
cheese sandwich with curly

294
00:13:27,959 --> 00:13:31,760
fries Or maybe you're headed to the

295
00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:33,680
brass taps for trivia night which is a

296
00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:36,160
great way to learn a new Disney fact at

297
00:13:33,680 --> 00:13:37,680
question 13 Or maybe forget the name of

298
00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:40,440
every artist who has a song starting

299
00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:43,519
with the letter P But we won we

300
00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:45,760
won And academically speaking uh my

301
00:13:43,519 --> 00:13:47,959
go-to study spot has to be the airport

302
00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:50,240
lounge Perfect for people

303
00:13:47,959 --> 00:13:55,079
watching because no matter what brought

304
00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:57,519
you here food fun or last minute

305
00:13:55,079 --> 00:14:00,480
cramming the University Center is where

306
00:13:57,519 --> 00:14:04,639
we all came together making it truly the

307
00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:07,199
heartbeat of campus life

308
00:14:04,639 --> 00:14:09,880
But we're headed to class So let's go

309
00:14:07,199 --> 00:14:12,160
visit Rosanski Hall for one last

310
00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:14,240
lecture Now for those of you who might

311
00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:16,240
not already know Rosanski Hall used to

312
00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:18,839
be a barn way back in the day but now we

313
00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:21,040
just keep our first years in there

314
00:14:18,839 --> 00:14:22,800
instead And I can remember my first

315
00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:25,519
class in there like it was yesterday It

316
00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:28,160
was physics 1080 which some of you might

317
00:14:25,519 --> 00:14:30,480
remember has an at home lab component

318
00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:34,199
which in my dorm room went a little

319
00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:34,199
sideways at times

320
00:14:34,959 --> 00:14:39,680
But I know you've all sat in the seats

321
00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:41,920
of Rosanski 104 whether it was for Psych

322
00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:44,720
1000 which I feel like was a right of

323
00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:47,199
passage for everyone to graduate or

324
00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:49,199
maybe it was Chem 1040 and Chem 1050

325
00:14:47,199 --> 00:14:50,519
which I know was a right of passage for

326
00:14:49,199 --> 00:14:53,120
us science

327
00:14:50,519 --> 00:14:55,000
students Or maybe you have fond memories

328
00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:57,120
of micro or

329
00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:59,279
macroeconomics Because what made those

330
00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:02,079
classes memorable were the people

331
00:14:59,279 --> 00:15:04,720
sitting on either sides of us struggling

332
00:15:02,079 --> 00:15:08,240
through the same course content And

333
00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:08,240
that's what truly united

334
00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:14,760
us But classes are over so let's head to

335
00:15:12,079 --> 00:15:16,959
the athletic center and burn off some

336
00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:19,360
steam For those of you who bought the

337
00:15:16,959 --> 00:15:22,240
NRG membership you'll know what a real

338
00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:25,120
asset some of those workout classes are

339
00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:26,800
There's kickboxing and Zumba and yoga

340
00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,399
And in my first year the class that I

341
00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:30,720
thought was going to be totally for me

342
00:15:28,399 --> 00:15:33,040
was called hit the water or

343
00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:36,639
highintensity interval training meets

344
00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:38,079
water sport Now that description led me

345
00:15:36,639 --> 00:15:40,560
to believe that the course was going to

346
00:15:38,079 --> 00:15:42,959
look something like this And it wasn't

347
00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:44,639
until I was already in the pool when I

348
00:15:42,959 --> 00:15:47,880
met the real target audience of the

349
00:15:44,639 --> 00:15:50,160
class senior women in the

350
00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:54,920
community when I learned that hit the

351
00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:54,920
water was actually code for aqua fit

352
00:15:55,440 --> 00:16:00,399
But nonetheless I found my people in the

353
00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:02,279
athletic center They just so happened to

354
00:16:00,399 --> 00:16:04,480
be on the rock wall

355
00:16:02,279 --> 00:16:06,639
instead And by my second year this

356
00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:09,079
became my entire personality My friends

357
00:16:06,639 --> 00:16:11,360
will describe me as crunchy

358
00:16:09,079 --> 00:16:13,920
granola But every time I go rock

359
00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:17,279
climbing I continue to meet students who

360
00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:19,199
are engaged and welcoming supportive and

361
00:16:17,279 --> 00:16:21,759
equally excited to help me reach new

362
00:16:19,199 --> 00:16:23,800
heights as it were

363
00:16:21,759 --> 00:16:27,600
So whether you are a varsity

364
00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:30,800
athlete an inter mural champion or maybe

365
00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:32,240
just a recreational aquafitter like me

366
00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:35,600
just know that the connections you

367
00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:37,759
formed in this space are foundational to

368
00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:39,959
the community that you will create as

369
00:16:37,759 --> 00:16:42,000
soon to be GE

370
00:16:39,959 --> 00:16:43,639
grats But let's not get ahead of

371
00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:46,160
ourselves We still have to get through

372
00:16:43,639 --> 00:16:50,079
exams So let's lock in for one last

373
00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:51,839
study session at the library

374
00:16:50,079 --> 00:16:54,560
Coming onto the first floor you'll find

375
00:16:51,839 --> 00:16:57,360
a group study space which is actually

376
00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:59,440
code for yapping with your friends

377
00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:02,600
staring at your laptop pretending to get

378
00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:04,559
work done an art which I have personally

379
00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,079
perfected Or maybe you're really trying

380
00:17:04,559 --> 00:17:08,240
to lock in so you lock into that

381
00:17:06,079 --> 00:17:09,919
Starbucks line for 20 minutes Great way

382
00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:13,839
to kill some time And it is the largest

383
00:17:09,919 --> 00:17:15,360
earning Starbucks in G Just a fun fact

384
00:17:13,839 --> 00:17:17,360
But honestly for those of us who made

385
00:17:15,360 --> 00:17:19,120
the library our late night study spot

386
00:17:17,360 --> 00:17:21,280
it's oddly comforting to know that there

387
00:17:19,120 --> 00:17:23,439
are other students out there who share

388
00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:25,439
the trauma of the alarm going off at the

389
00:17:23,439 --> 00:17:28,760
end of the night letting you know that

390
00:17:25,439 --> 00:17:32,799
it's time to go home and

391
00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:35,440
rest But with rest on the brains and the

392
00:17:32,799 --> 00:17:36,520
studying coming to a close soon we're

393
00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:39,039
going to be

394
00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:43,200
alumni So let's take a stroll down

395
00:17:39,039 --> 00:17:46,600
alumni walk or maybe down memory lane

396
00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:49,280
and reflect on the

397
00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:51,440
green Now Johnston Green is one of those

398
00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:55,080
spaces that will forever make me think

399
00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:59,520
of G It's a beautiful place to try

400
00:17:55,080 --> 00:18:01,280
slacklining to have a picnic take a nap

401
00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,720
and reflect on some of the historic

402
00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:04,360
moments that have come to pass

403
00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:07,280
throughout our time

404
00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:09,520
here For example we saw Barbimer come

405
00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:13,000
into existence

406
00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:15,600
Most importantly we saw chat GPT come to

407
00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:17,960
life And from this space right here we

408
00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:20,320
saw the solar

409
00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:22,240
eclipse Now while we might not have been

410
00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:22,919
in the path of totality on the day of

411
00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,600
the

412
00:18:22,919 --> 00:18:27,919
eclipse Johnston Green is a space which

413
00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:30,160
encapsulates lifelong memories And on

414
00:18:27,919 --> 00:18:32,640
this day I was surrounded by people who

415
00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:35,600
have impacted my journey as a Griffin in

416
00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:37,360
the most profound of ways

417
00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,880
So as we think about these connections

418
00:18:37,360 --> 00:18:42,039
that have impacted us throughout our

419
00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:44,720
time here it's important to express our

420
00:18:42,039 --> 00:18:47,200
gratitude So let's travel back to the

421
00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:50,000
heart of our campus to the bull ring and

422
00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,000
deliver some thank

423
00:18:50,120 --> 00:18:54,400
yous The first thank you goes out to the

424
00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:56,080
Bull Ring staff for introducing me to

425
00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:57,240
ice cream sandwiches between two

426
00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,919
chocolate chip

427
00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:01,679
cookies and the half hot chocolate half

428
00:18:59,919 --> 00:19:04,000
coffee combo that fueled my fourth year

429
00:19:01,679 --> 00:19:06,799
thesis

430
00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:09,520
As we leave the bull ring a thank you to

431
00:19:06,799 --> 00:19:12,400
Bob's dogs for live music and an

432
00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:12,400
excellent handlebar

433
00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:19,679
mustache Back at center campus at

434
00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:22,720
Brandon Plaza I want to thank our

435
00:19:19,679 --> 00:19:25,520
professors and our graduate students for

436
00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:28,559
teaching us and mentoring us even when

437
00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:30,799
it was challenging

438
00:19:28,559 --> 00:19:32,960
I want to thank our support staff and

439
00:19:30,799 --> 00:19:35,679
our counselors for guiding us through

440
00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:38,240
last minute course changes for taking

441
00:19:35,679 --> 00:19:40,559
care of our well-being and making campus

442
00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:40,559
life

443
00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:46,760
meaningful I want to thank the canon for

444
00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:48,720
showing us that every day is a new

445
00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:50,160
opportunity Now I've heard they don't

446
00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:52,160
actually give out your diploma until you

447
00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:53,960
paint the cannon So let's hope you've

448
00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:56,640
all checked that off of your G bucket

449
00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:58,240
list because the final thank you goes

450
00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:59,480
out to the people that you painted the

451
00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,840
canon

452
00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:05,280
with The friends you stayed up late

453
00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:07,919
studying with the friends who reminded

454
00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:10,320
you to take breaks when you forgot and

455
00:20:07,919 --> 00:20:13,440
the ones who made you belly laugh at the

456
00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:13,440
most inappropriate of

457
00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:18,640
times At the beginning of this tour I

458
00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:21,520
asked everybody to reflect on why they

459
00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:23,600
chose G And I'll be the first to admit

460
00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:25,840
that I had no clue what I wanted out of

461
00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:27,919
my university degree In fact that

462
00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:29,440
indecision led me here by closing my

463
00:20:27,919 --> 00:20:32,480
eyes and selecting something off of my

464
00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:33,840
application portal And that is never the

465
00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:36,520
advice that you want to hear from your

466
00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:39,120
UFG campus tour

467
00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:41,360
guide But that was my reality And I

468
00:20:39,120 --> 00:20:43,520
think that the moral of the story is

469
00:20:41,360 --> 00:20:45,840
that the right choice is often the one

470
00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:48,000
that you make

471
00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:50,480
So as we embark on new journeys at the

472
00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:53,720
end of this semester whether you plan to

473
00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:57,280
pursue graduate school to travel the

474
00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:59,400
world to start a new job or maybe just

475
00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:02,799
take time for yourself to figure it all

476
00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:04,720
out I truly truly believe that whatever

477
00:21:02,799 --> 00:21:06,480
you choose to do next will be right for

478
00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:08,240
you

479
00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:11,120
And the reason that I know that to be

480
00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:13,360
true is because at the end of the day it

481
00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:16,120
was never about the program or the

482
00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:18,640
classes or even the buildings

483
00:21:16,120 --> 00:21:20,200
themselves It was about the people I

484
00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:22,880
surrounded myself

485
00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:24,120
with It was about the community I was

486
00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:26,640
welcomed

487
00:21:24,120 --> 00:21:29,919
into And it was about the friends who

488
00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:31,760
uplifted me along the way

489
00:21:29,919 --> 00:21:33,320
So no matter what the next chapter of

490
00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:36,799
life looks like for

491
00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:38,120
you I hope that you continue to seek out

492
00:21:36,799 --> 00:21:41,559
and foster

493
00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:43,799
communities which make you feel as

494
00:21:41,559 --> 00:21:45,799
welcomed

495
00:21:43,799 --> 00:21:47,559
supported

496
00:21:45,799 --> 00:21:50,520
inspired and

497
00:21:47,559 --> 00:21:53,400
connected just as we were

498
00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:59,720
here Congratulations class of

499
00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:59,720
2025 We've come so far Thank you

500
00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:18,880
Thank you so much Avery I'm curious by a

501
00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:21,559
show of hands how many folks was that

502
00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:25,360
your first GE

503
00:22:21,559 --> 00:22:28,240
tour Okay a number of people I'm glad it

504
00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:30,640
was such a great experience then Um I

505
00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:32,240
want to thank Avery I I think her words

506
00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:34,080
where she's talking about whatever

507
00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:36,480
choice you make is the right choice for

508
00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:39,360
you And I think that's so important and

509
00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:41,840
so resounding as you're sitting kind of

510
00:22:39,360 --> 00:22:44,159
finishing up your undergraduate degree

511
00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:46,559
and starting to explore what those next

512
00:22:44,159 --> 00:22:47,840
steps might look like because there can

513
00:22:46,559 --> 00:22:50,000
be a lot of thoughts and feelings

514
00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:51,840
happening at this time And it's

515
00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:53,520
important to remember that you're

516
00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:55,760
allowed to take some time to think about

517
00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:57,120
it uh you're allowed to know exactly

518
00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:59,919
where you want to go and what you want

519
00:22:57,120 --> 00:23:02,640
to do and any combination in between

520
00:22:59,919 --> 00:23:06,000
those options that feels like is where

521
00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:08,240
you're at So I hope you can take Avery's

522
00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:10,080
words and reflect on those and find some

523
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:12,240
comfort in those kind of in the days and

524
00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:13,919
weeks ahead as you're finishing up exams

525
00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:16,080
and you have those bittersweet moments

526
00:23:13,919 --> 00:23:17,679
of thinking is this the last time I'm

527
00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:20,000
going to buy a coffee at the bull ring

528
00:23:17,679 --> 00:23:23,640
or um have an ice cream sandwich The

529
00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:27,039
weather is warm today so maybe it's time

530
00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:29,280
already So as you may recall graduating

531
00:23:27,039 --> 00:23:31,600
students were invited to vote for

532
00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:34,720
faculty members that you wanted to hear

533
00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:37,039
from one last time While only one

534
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:38,559
faculty is lecturing this evening I

535
00:23:37,039 --> 00:23:40,720
wanted to share with you the list of

536
00:23:38,559 --> 00:23:45,039
those who are voted as the top 14

537
00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:47,039
faculty alongside our lecturer

538
00:23:45,039 --> 00:23:50,640
So you'll find their names up on the

539
00:23:47,039 --> 00:23:53,360
screens beside me Together all of these

540
00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:55,159
folks represent the seven colleges and a

541
00:23:53,360 --> 00:23:57,360
range of academic

542
00:23:55,159 --> 00:23:59,520
disciplines I'd like us to take a moment

543
00:23:57,360 --> 00:24:01,760
to celebrate these incredible faculty

544
00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:04,760
members So please join me in a round of

545
00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:04,760
applause

546
00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:15,600
So congratulations once again to all of

547
00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:17,919
the faculty nominated It's obvious that

548
00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:19,000
we have some fantastic people teaching

549
00:24:17,919 --> 00:24:21,440
at our

550
00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,960
university Thank you to each of you for

551
00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:26,000
being the kind of instructor that

552
00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:28,799
students remember For being the mentor

553
00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:32,799
and the role model that past current and

554
00:24:28,799 --> 00:24:34,960
future Griffins can continue to rely on

555
00:24:32,799 --> 00:24:38,559
And now it's my pleasure to introduce

556
00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:41,200
this year's faculty lecture Dr Beni Cook

557
00:24:38,559 --> 00:24:43,840
earned her PhD from McMaster University

558
00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:46,400
where she focused on youth risk behavior

559
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:48,880
and how families schools and the larger

560
00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:51,679
community have an impact on the choices

561
00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:53,919
youth make about early school leaving

562
00:24:51,679 --> 00:24:55,600
substance use and misuse and sexual

563
00:24:53,919 --> 00:24:57,760
relationships

564
00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:59,679
She also completed a post-doal

565
00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,600
fellowship with the faculty of medicine

566
00:24:59,679 --> 00:25:03,120
at

567
00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:05,200
McMaster population health research

568
00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:07,200
institute where she studied the impact

569
00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:10,080
of poverty on health out health health

570
00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:12,440
outcomes for youth and their families

571
00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:14,640
Her experiences in these academic

572
00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:17,840
environments led her to launch her

573
00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:20,320
entrepreneur entrepreneurial career and

574
00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:22,080
I practiced that word too where she

575
00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:24,400
determined that she would step into the

576
00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:26,960
gap and provide youth with up-to-date

577
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:28,520
relevant and factual health information

578
00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:30,640
so that they could make informed

579
00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:32,320
decisions about their health and

580
00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:34,000
well-being

581
00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:36,559
She subsequently authored and

582
00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:38,880
implemented peer mentor-led youth risk

583
00:25:36,559 --> 00:25:41,880
behavior interventions in several boards

584
00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:44,960
of education across the province of

585
00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:46,960
Ontario Those experiences led her to

586
00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:49,039
further her support and through her

587
00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:51,200
coaching practice assist anxious and

588
00:25:49,039 --> 00:25:53,679
neurode divergent students entering

589
00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:56,240
post-secary school so that they might

590
00:25:53,679 --> 00:25:58,799
enjoy a successful experience both in

591
00:25:56,240 --> 00:26:01,520
and outside of the classroom

592
00:25:58,799 --> 00:26:03,520
She continues to provide audiences in

593
00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:06,039
the education sport and business

594
00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:08,960
communities with her signature talks on

595
00:26:06,039 --> 00:26:11,919
resiliency living an authentic life

596
00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:14,120
embracing the now and recognizing that

597
00:26:11,919 --> 00:26:16,000
adversities can be

598
00:26:14,120 --> 00:26:18,520
opportunities She believes that

599
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:20,720
seemingly challenging experiences can be

600
00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:23,400
transformative and they can oftentimes

601
00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:26,400
teach us more than our successes

602
00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:28,799
do Dr Beni Cook believes that we can be

603
00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:30,720
stronger than before and often shares

604
00:26:28,799 --> 00:26:32,880
her life's journey that includes raising

605
00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:35,120
four children while attending grad

606
00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,600
school owning a food truck for a time

607
00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:39,279
which I have some follow-up questions

608
00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:41,279
about loving her life as a lecturer here

609
00:26:39,279 --> 00:26:44,000
at the University of G in the department

610
00:26:41,279 --> 00:26:46,960
of sociology and anthropology where she

611
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:49,279
primarily teaches first large firstear

612
00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:51,360
classes and kicking cancer's ass after

613
00:26:49,279 --> 00:26:53,679
being diagnosed with breast cancer just

614
00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:56,320
over 12 years ago

615
00:26:53,679 --> 00:26:58,320
Her motto "Today is a new day," lies

616
00:26:56,320 --> 00:27:00,880
bare her heartfelt belief that every day

617
00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:02,960
brings a fresh new beginning and that

618
00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:05,600
embracing it with joy and gratitude

619
00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:09,039
enriches one's life as well as the lives

620
00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:11,520
of those around us Dr Beni Cook is a

621
00:27:09,039 --> 00:27:13,840
lifelong Hamiltonian currently enjoying

622
00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:16,159
life in the downtown core with her

623
00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:18,240
husband Gordy and their four children

624
00:27:16,159 --> 00:27:21,679
now all young adults along with their

625
00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:24,720
three dogs Daisy Stella Baxter and one

626
00:27:21,679 --> 00:27:26,640
cool cat named Elliot It is with great

627
00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:32,440
pleasure that I introduce this year's

628
00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:32,440
faculty lecture Dr Deanna Veni Cook

629
00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:49,600
Hey everybody how's it

630
00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:51,840
going Thank you all for coming out this

631
00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:54,880
evening this afternoon So beautiful to

632
00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:57,200
see everyone Um I just want to start to

633
00:27:54,880 --> 00:28:00,799
say or start by saying I'm so honored to

634
00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:03,360
be here and you're my heart My students

635
00:28:00,799 --> 00:28:04,799
are my heart And I say to you all the

636
00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:07,679
time for those of you who've been in my

637
00:28:04,799 --> 00:28:09,279
class it's like I wouldn't be standing

638
00:28:07,679 --> 00:28:11,520
at the front of the class if you weren't

639
00:28:09,279 --> 00:28:13,520
in the room And the whole purpose of us

640
00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:16,159
being here together is for us to share

641
00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:17,919
information and to learn and to grow and

642
00:28:16,159 --> 00:28:19,760
to you know make it a a beautiful

643
00:28:17,919 --> 00:28:22,000
experience both inside and outside of

644
00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:24,559
the classroom I have a few little slides

645
00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:26,320
that I want to roll through here but I

646
00:28:24,559 --> 00:28:29,760
want to start by saying oh move over to

647
00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:31,480
the mic here Um congratulations

648
00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:34,000
This is an incredible

649
00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:35,360
accomplishment And I know you've been at

650
00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:37,440
this for a little while but you've been

651
00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:40,399
gunning for this since you were four

652
00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:43,279
years old five years old right In

653
00:28:40,399 --> 00:28:46,320
elementary school building popsicle

654
00:28:43,279 --> 00:28:48,320
stick forts and castles and soggy

655
00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:51,600
Bristol board presentations that you

656
00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:53,360
drag with you right All and then off to

657
00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:54,880
high school that you go and sitting in

658
00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:57,200
the guidance office trying to figure out

659
00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:59,760
which post-secondary institution you

660
00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:02,159
want to move on to and you know all the

661
00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:03,919
sweat and the tears and the worry about

662
00:29:02,159 --> 00:29:05,679
oh maybe I'm going to tell people where

663
00:29:03,919 --> 00:29:08,399
I've applied or maybe I'm not going to

664
00:29:05,679 --> 00:29:11,120
say anything just in case I don't get in

665
00:29:08,399 --> 00:29:12,559
right and here you are what an

666
00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:14,320
incredible accomplishment I'm really

667
00:29:12,559 --> 00:29:17,520
really proud of you and I know all your

668
00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:19,520
faculty members are really proud of you

669
00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:21,679
we do what we do because we love you and

670
00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:24,279
we want to bring whatever we can you

671
00:29:21,679 --> 00:29:27,520
know to your

672
00:29:24,279 --> 00:29:28,960
experience so congratulations and you

673
00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:30,320
are incredible Cible and all of the

674
00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:31,880
things that you've accomplished along

675
00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:35,559
the

676
00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:38,320
way Few things for you to think You

677
00:29:35,559 --> 00:29:40,120
know what you did over these last four

678
00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:44,080
years And I did a little bit of math

679
00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:48,080
here You did 15 hours in class every

680
00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:51,279
week on average 25 out of class study

681
00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:55,200
hours on average per each week 10

682
00:29:51,279 --> 00:29:57,799
courses per academic year on average

683
00:29:55,200 --> 00:30:01,440
let's say over four years So

684
00:29:57,799 --> 00:30:04,760
1,120 hours of study per academic year

685
00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:07,919
times 4 years on average equaling

686
00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:10,799
4,480 hours of total study on average

687
00:30:07,919 --> 00:30:13,000
not counting summers of additional study

688
00:30:10,799 --> 00:30:16,559
or placement or co-op or work study

689
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:17,960
experience And then what else did you do

690
00:30:16,559 --> 00:30:20,320
Extracurricular

691
00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:23,760
activities student government part of a

692
00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:26,799
club or an association Safewalk Griffins

693
00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:29,000
being a varsity athlete an ally times

694
00:30:26,799 --> 00:30:32,679
that you stayed up helping a

695
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:35,200
friend maybe some pub nights along the

696
00:30:32,679 --> 00:30:37,360
way games that you may have attended

697
00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:40,480
peparali science fairs marketplace

698
00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:42,559
shopping in the UC Starbucks lineups and

699
00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:45,120
cold pizza for dinner because you had to

700
00:30:42,559 --> 00:30:47,919
scurry in sub-zero temperatures across

701
00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:49,360
Weine Guard Walk back to your space and

702
00:30:47,919 --> 00:30:50,760
you've been really busy all of these

703
00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:53,840
years and here you

704
00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:55,440
are No doubt you have faced significant

705
00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:58,720
challenges along the way I don't know

706
00:30:55,440 --> 00:31:00,480
any students that haven't at some point

707
00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:03,520
Everyone has those experience from time

708
00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:05,919
to time and yet you p persevered Maybe

709
00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:08,720
you thought at some point what am I even

710
00:31:05,919 --> 00:31:10,320
doing here Like do I belong Am I going

711
00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:11,720
to manage to do whatever it is that I

712
00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:15,440
wanted to

713
00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:17,480
do But you did even when he didn't think

714
00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:21,679
you

715
00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:23,440
could Well done So now thank you for

716
00:31:21,679 --> 00:31:26,520
this invitation I have a few things that

717
00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:29,399
I want to share with you and a few

718
00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:31,600
thoughts as you prepare to move

719
00:31:29,399 --> 00:31:34,159
forward The first point that I would

720
00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:36,399
love to make with you uh for you is live

721
00:31:34,159 --> 00:31:38,080
your authentic life And what does that

722
00:31:36,399 --> 00:31:41,120
actually really mean living your

723
00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:43,120
authentic life It means that you live

724
00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:46,240
aligned with your values and your

725
00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:48,399
passions your the your goals your dreams

726
00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:49,919
Um and it's very much recommended that

727
00:31:48,399 --> 00:31:52,960
you live your authentic life because

728
00:31:49,919 --> 00:31:54,720
when you do the research shows us people

729
00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:57,440
have and report greater life

730
00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:59,640
satisfaction or happier or more likely

731
00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:01,919
to show gratitude People who live

732
00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:04,799
authentically trust their own

733
00:32:01,919 --> 00:32:06,320
motivations and their own values And

734
00:32:04,799 --> 00:32:08,559
it's indicative that you're true to

735
00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:12,720
yourself You're acting and behaving and

736
00:32:08,559 --> 00:32:12,720
feeling in a way that reflect those

737
00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:18,399
values According to research from Wesley

738
00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:20,480
College in the great state of

739
00:32:18,399 --> 00:32:23,200
Massachusetts living authentically means

740
00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:25,600
to put more focus on being yourself and

741
00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:28,960
not some person's some other person's

742
00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:30,880
version of who uh they expect you to be

743
00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:31,799
And here the good part of this is is it

744
00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:34,720
frees

745
00:32:31,799 --> 00:32:36,960
you and frees you from the idea that

746
00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:39,440
people need to agree with you or they

747
00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:42,000
need to approve of your choices You get

748
00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:44,880
to prioritize your peace your mental

749
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:48,080
health your goals your dreams You don't

750
00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:50,960
need anybody's permission to be yourself

751
00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:50,960
because you already

752
00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:56,320
are There's another win Living

753
00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:59,200
authentically I mean when you genuinely

754
00:32:56,320 --> 00:33:01,919
and actually care you know about what it

755
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:04,640
is that you're doing you're more likely

756
00:33:01,919 --> 00:33:06,880
to pick yourself up when you fall down

757
00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:08,960
when you hit a roadblock when there's a

758
00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:11,679
loss or a challenge And everyone

759
00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:13,440
experiences those from time to time But

760
00:33:11,679 --> 00:33:14,279
when you are living your authentic life

761
00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:17,519
you

762
00:33:14,279 --> 00:33:19,919
care It's not going to stop you You had

763
00:33:17,519 --> 00:33:21,519
a failure You had a challenge You have

764
00:33:19,919 --> 00:33:24,000
your eye on what it is that you want to

765
00:33:21,519 --> 00:33:25,320
accomplish And it's about where am I

766
00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:28,159
going to move

767
00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:30,000
next brings us to the most to or to the

768
00:33:28,159 --> 00:33:31,760
next point here Challenges are

769
00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:34,960
absolutely necessary for our own

770
00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:36,720
personal and our own professional growth

771
00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:38,559
For anybody who works out in the gym

772
00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:41,200
here you'll know you never get stronger

773
00:33:38,559 --> 00:33:42,880
lifting the same weight It just moves

774
00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:44,880
forward And the more that you push

775
00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:47,760
yourself the more that you persevere the

776
00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:51,039
stronger that we get So here's what

777
00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:54,080
happens when stuff goes sideways

778
00:33:51,039 --> 00:33:56,000
you hit a roadblock failure challenge of

779
00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:58,960
some kind What's the first thing that

780
00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:01,039
you do You take a pause and you're like

781
00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:04,159
I have to problem solve What am I going

782
00:34:01,039 --> 00:34:06,320
to do now Which way am I going to go Do

783
00:34:04,159 --> 00:34:09,760
I still want to go in that direction And

784
00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:12,399
what happens then is you have skills And

785
00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:14,320
when you have skills you reach that next

786
00:34:12,399 --> 00:34:17,040
level And when you run into another

787
00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:18,960
roadblock which you will and we all do

788
00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:21,599
eventually you have those skills that

789
00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:23,200
you didn't have before So the challenges

790
00:34:21,599 --> 00:34:24,960
actually work out in your favor even

791
00:34:23,200 --> 00:34:27,919
though it doesn't necessarily feel that

792
00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:27,919
way at the

793
00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:33,280
time This one is my personal favorite

794
00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:35,919
Never let anybody convince you that what

795
00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:39,399
you want to do want to do or accomplish

796
00:34:35,919 --> 00:34:43,280
or achieve is not

797
00:34:39,399 --> 00:34:45,440
realistic because how would they know

798
00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:47,520
How would they know what's realistic for

799
00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:48,960
you They don't know what your gifts are

800
00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:51,119
They don't know what your dreams are

801
00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:52,960
They don't know what your goals are And

802
00:34:51,119 --> 00:34:55,520
why should they Or why could they Or how

803
00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:57,440
could they Because they're not you right

804
00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:59,359
So here's a little scenario I want to

805
00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:01,200
give you Let's say you're standing in

806
00:34:59,359 --> 00:35:03,599
the Starbucks lineup in the library you

807
00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:05,040
know that really long one And you're

808
00:35:03,599 --> 00:35:06,720
standing there and you're having a just

809
00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:08,480
a little thought and you're looking

810
00:35:06,720 --> 00:35:09,680
around and somebody across the way you

811
00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:12,000
kind of notice them and you look at them

812
00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:14,320
and you go "Hey I like your shoes

813
00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:16,480
and they go "Thanks How's your day?" And

814
00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:18,400
you go "Good How's your day?" And then

815
00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:20,480
you start chatting and you're like "Oh

816
00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:21,839
what program are you in?" "Oh I'm in

817
00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:23,440
that program." "Oh you're in that

818
00:35:21,839 --> 00:35:26,240
program." "Oh which course are you

819
00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:28,240
taking?" You know conversation ensues

820
00:35:26,240 --> 00:35:30,480
Perhaps you share information You

821
00:35:28,240 --> 00:35:33,440
connect with each other on social media

822
00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:35,200
Oh you meet a few other people Next

823
00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:36,640
thing you know you formed a study group

824
00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:38,720
You get together every Wednesday night

825
00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:40,800
or Tuesday afternoon or whatever it is

826
00:35:38,720 --> 00:35:42,000
because everybody's got goals And the

827
00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:45,440
next thing you know you've met your

828
00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:47,040
future business partner Now somebody may

829
00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:49,200
have said to you when you were in grade

830
00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:50,960
8 or grade 11 or grade 12 if you said

831
00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:52,320
"Oh I want to start my own business and

832
00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:54,160
I'm going to do this and I'm going to do

833
00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:55,760
that." And somebody said to you "Well

834
00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:58,119
that's not realistic." Well how would

835
00:35:55,760 --> 00:36:00,720
they know Plus here's another fan

836
00:35:58,119 --> 00:36:02,359
favorite Anybody ever say to you "Well

837
00:36:00,720 --> 00:36:05,160
you need something to fall back

838
00:36:02,359 --> 00:36:07,520
on." Who in the hell wants to fall

839
00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:09,040
back We don't want to fall back We want

840
00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:10,480
to move forward And if you don't go for

841
00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:12,880
your goals and your dreams then you

842
00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:12,880
never really

843
00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:19,440
know Back to my little piece

844
00:36:17,079 --> 00:36:21,520
here One of the other things that I want

845
00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:23,440
to share with you is that sometimes the

846
00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:26,400
people who say to us that what we want

847
00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:28,880
to accomplish isn't realistic are folks

848
00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:30,880
who never even tried

849
00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:33,920
And it's kind of a challenging thing

850
00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:35,920
sometimes too when really good things

851
00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:38,800
and I don't know if any student can you

852
00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:41,520
know um identify with this Sometimes

853
00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:43,680
it's easier to share losses with people

854
00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:46,240
and they go oh I feel really bad for you

855
00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:48,480
but when you have a really great win

856
00:36:46,240 --> 00:36:50,480
sometimes people are not so happy to

857
00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:52,880
celebrate your wins with you and those

858
00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:56,320
are your real friends So if you've met

859
00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:56,320
those people here that's

860
00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:01,359
amazing The only things that are real or

861
00:36:59,359 --> 00:37:04,599
true are things that have already

862
00:37:01,359 --> 00:37:06,880
happened and everything else is a

863
00:37:04,599 --> 00:37:09,320
possibility And here's the thing about

864
00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:11,920
thinking that way that everything is a

865
00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:14,400
possibility Um the possibilities in this

866
00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:16,079
life are limitless So here's the

867
00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:17,480
beautiful part I did a little bit of

868
00:37:16,079 --> 00:37:20,160
research on

869
00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:22,480
this People who have that idea that

870
00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:24,880
everything is possible are more likely

871
00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:27,760
to be happy They're more likely to take

872
00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:29,520
risks They're more likely to be curious

873
00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:34,240
They're more likely to find new

874
00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:36,720
directions to move in And the part about

875
00:37:34,240 --> 00:37:38,640
thinking about everything is possible is

876
00:37:36,720 --> 00:37:40,560
that sometimes when we try to control

877
00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:42,000
our future we forget that there are

878
00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:44,079
going to be unknowns and that we think

879
00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:45,760
we should have everything sorted out And

880
00:37:44,079 --> 00:37:48,640
there's no such thing as have everything

881
00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:49,839
sorted out all of the time As Avery said

882
00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:52,079
you know you never know where you're

883
00:37:49,839 --> 00:37:54,640
headed next And the decision that you

884
00:37:52,079 --> 00:37:56,760
make is the decision to make and it's

885
00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:59,920
the right

886
00:37:56,760 --> 00:38:02,160
one Here's another one that I think um a

887
00:37:59,920 --> 00:38:04,240
lot of students can really appreciate If

888
00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:06,960
you need a permission slip here's the

889
00:38:04,240 --> 00:38:09,359
thing about seeking approval Most of us

890
00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:12,440
really want other people's approval That

891
00:38:09,359 --> 00:38:14,440
what we're doing is okay How we feel is

892
00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:17,359
acceptable We don't want to be

893
00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:18,960
criticized especially if you know we're

894
00:38:17,359 --> 00:38:22,400
afraid that we're going to fail in some

895
00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:24,720
way Here's the thing though is when you

896
00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:27,119
feel wholeheartedly secure about a

897
00:38:24,720 --> 00:38:28,960
decision that you're making you don't

898
00:38:27,119 --> 00:38:32,640
really need people's approval You go for

899
00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:34,240
it anyway It's only when you're worried

900
00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:35,440
or you're afraid you're like "Am I doing

901
00:38:34,240 --> 00:38:37,560
the right thing Am I going the right

902
00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:40,480
direction Am I making the right

903
00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:42,000
choices?" And at the end of the day

904
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:43,760
people don't know how you think or how

905
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:45,720
you feel or what gifts you have or which

906
00:38:43,760 --> 00:38:49,200
direction you're heading

907
00:38:45,720 --> 00:38:51,720
in Which takes me to the next point here

908
00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:54,640
I'm a firm believer that we all have

909
00:38:51,720 --> 00:38:57,280
gifts And some of you have incredible

910
00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:59,599
math brains Some of you are creative

911
00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:01,359
beyond measure Some people are so

912
00:38:59,599 --> 00:39:03,520
empathetic and know exactly how to

913
00:39:01,359 --> 00:39:06,640
support each other Some people have a

914
00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:08,320
drive for business Some of you can sing

915
00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:11,040
Some of you have incredible baking

916
00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:13,680
skills or whatever the case might be And

917
00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:16,320
here's the thing about those gifts is

918
00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:18,160
that those gifts were given for you to

919
00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:20,560
use

920
00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:23,320
So if you need a permission slip to use

921
00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:25,720
the gifts here it is The point is is

922
00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:28,880
that we need

923
00:39:25,720 --> 00:39:31,359
you We need your passion We need your

924
00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:33,200
intellect We need your compassion We

925
00:39:31,359 --> 00:39:36,480
need your empathy We need you to use

926
00:39:33,200 --> 00:39:39,359
your gifts Using your gifts isn't

927
00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:41,040
selfish It's service And if that

928
00:39:39,359 --> 00:39:42,960
provides you with a little bit of

929
00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:45,599
encouragement or boosts you up a little

930
00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:47,440
bit okay maybe I can do that Maybe I can

931
00:39:45,599 --> 00:39:49,280
try that

932
00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:52,560
Then I hope that this helps in in

933
00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:54,760
whatever way The other thing is it's

934
00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:57,440
like if somebody gave you a

935
00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:59,200
gift and they wrapped it all up and they

936
00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:01,280
had a nice bow on it and they handed it

937
00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:02,880
to you and you went "Here's a gift." Do

938
00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:04,880
you take that gift and put it on the

939
00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:06,800
shelf and go "Okay I'm just going to

940
00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:09,119
look at that here." Or are you going to

941
00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:12,480
use it Because the point of the gift is

942
00:40:09,119 --> 00:40:15,599
for you to use right So definitely the

943
00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:17,599
gifts that you have be sure to embrace

944
00:40:15,599 --> 00:40:19,520
those Maybe you're not sure what they

945
00:40:17,599 --> 00:40:23,119
are Maybe you still need to uncover them

946
00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:27,200
That's okay But you have those gifts to

947
00:40:23,119 --> 00:40:29,760
serve other people I grew up in a really

948
00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:32,320
um I'm first generation Canadian My my

949
00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:34,160
folks were immigrants And if anybody can

950
00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:36,640
relate to this you didn't want to get in

951
00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:38,160
trouble at school because if you got in

952
00:40:36,640 --> 00:40:40,800
trouble at school [ __ ] was really going

953
00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:42,160
sideways when you got home

954
00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:45,280
Being in trouble at school is a lot

955
00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:47,359
easier Anyway fun fun fact Bottom of

956
00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:50,000
every single report card every single

957
00:40:47,359 --> 00:40:52,760
year Deanna will not stop talking in

958
00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:56,720
class Deanna will not stop talking in

959
00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:56,720
class Now I get paid to

960
00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:04,839
talk Be excellent Don't halfass it

961
00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:07,119
Matthew

962
00:41:04,839 --> 00:41:09,839
McConnA You have your gifts You have

963
00:41:07,119 --> 00:41:14,599
your goals You have your dreams Show up

964
00:41:09,839 --> 00:41:17,680
be as excellent as you can possibly be

965
00:41:14,599 --> 00:41:20,560
Right Point is though is you are also a

966
00:41:17,680 --> 00:41:24,160
human being and not a human doing Those

967
00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:26,640
are two different things And you know

968
00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:28,880
I'm a mom of four kids Some of them are

969
00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:31,599
here with me today It's like I say to my

970
00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:33,680
kids all the time I promise you I always

971
00:41:31,599 --> 00:41:36,880
give you my best Now granted some days

972
00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:38,800
my best is far better than others And so

973
00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:40,319
that might be true for you as well When

974
00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:42,640
you give something your best you might

975
00:41:40,319 --> 00:41:44,240
rock it I might go into a lecture or a

976
00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:47,280
class and I walk out of there and I was

977
00:41:44,240 --> 00:41:48,880
like "Oh my god that was great I loved

978
00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:50,800
every minute of it Was really exciting

979
00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:52,240
and I felt really inspired and I hope my

980
00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:53,680
students did too." And then there are

981
00:41:52,240 --> 00:41:57,160
other times where I walk out and I go

982
00:41:53,680 --> 00:42:01,680
"Oh that was awful." But it was still my

983
00:41:57,160 --> 00:42:02,960
best It was still my best

984
00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:06,319
The other thing to bring to your

985
00:42:02,960 --> 00:42:07,319
awareness as a cancer survivor is it's

986
00:42:06,319 --> 00:42:10,000
always

987
00:42:07,319 --> 00:42:12,560
today It's never yesterday and it's

988
00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:14,560
never tomorrow It's always today Embrace

989
00:42:12,560 --> 00:42:17,200
what you have in front of your in front

990
00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:19,200
of yourself on any given day So I find

991
00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:21,680
it sort of an interesting theme when

992
00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:24,240
people say things like "Well if anything

993
00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:25,800
should ever happen to me." No honey it's

994
00:42:24,240 --> 00:42:29,599
not if it's

995
00:42:25,800 --> 00:42:31,359
when We're here for a limited time And I

996
00:42:29,599 --> 00:42:33,119
don't mean that like in a sad kind of

997
00:42:31,359 --> 00:42:35,200
modeling way I'm really grateful to be

998
00:42:33,119 --> 00:42:36,960
here But I will say you know every

999
00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:39,200
single day that you have is a gift

1000
00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:40,800
Embrace the people that you have in your

1001
00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:42,880
life Embrace your friends your family

1002
00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:44,119
your neighborhood your community Be a

1003
00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:47,839
part of those

1004
00:42:44,119 --> 00:42:49,359
things and be present I mean how many

1005
00:42:47,839 --> 00:42:51,680
times do you do this You know you stand

1006
00:42:49,359 --> 00:42:53,280
in line you pay eight bucks for a coffee

1007
00:42:51,680 --> 00:42:55,280
you don't even remember drinking the

1008
00:42:53,280 --> 00:42:56,560
coffee Does anybody ever drive and not

1009
00:42:55,280 --> 00:43:00,160
remember how you got to where you were

1010
00:42:56,560 --> 00:43:02,000
going And then you're like "Oh god I was

1011
00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:04,400
glad I knew where I was going." Or this

1012
00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:05,839
is really fun too You take a route that

1013
00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:07,280
you normally take and you're going

1014
00:43:05,839 --> 00:43:09,200
somewhere else and you realize you went

1015
00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:11,240
the wrong way and you're like "Do I

1016
00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:16,119
actually am I conscious when I'm driving

1017
00:43:11,240 --> 00:43:19,760
or what's happening here being

1018
00:43:16,119 --> 00:43:21,280
present you know don't worry so much

1019
00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:23,200
Don't worry so much Anybody here a

1020
00:43:21,280 --> 00:43:26,640
worrier?" We got some warriors in the

1021
00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:28,240
crowd right Yeah Yeah It's kind of a

1022
00:43:26,640 --> 00:43:29,599
waste of time Do you ever notice that a

1023
00:43:28,240 --> 00:43:32,400
lot of the things that you worry about

1024
00:43:29,599 --> 00:43:34,160
never really happen Like if you actually

1025
00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:35,200
wrote them down bit by bit okay these

1026
00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:36,319
are the things I'm going to worry about

1027
00:43:35,200 --> 00:43:38,319
and then you looked at it at the end of

1028
00:43:36,319 --> 00:43:40,960
the week I'm going to guarantee 80%

1029
00:43:38,319 --> 00:43:42,880
didn't happen And we spend so much time

1030
00:43:40,960 --> 00:43:45,040
just getting sucked into that vortex

1031
00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:47,119
right And we think and we ruminate and

1032
00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:48,359
we ruin our own day because we're

1033
00:43:47,119 --> 00:43:52,640
worrying so

1034
00:43:48,359 --> 00:43:56,640
much Try not to do that you know and

1035
00:43:52,640 --> 00:43:58,800
being in a hurry Oh I went too fast

1036
00:43:56,640 --> 00:44:00,240
Being in a hurry Don't be in such a

1037
00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:03,200
hurry Here's the thing You know when

1038
00:44:00,240 --> 00:44:05,520
when people say "Hurry up Last chance

1039
00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:07,079
Sail ends tomorrow." No it doesn't

1040
00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:09,280
There's another one next

1041
00:44:07,079 --> 00:44:10,760
week I promise there's going to be

1042
00:44:09,280 --> 00:44:13,280
another one next

1043
00:44:10,760 --> 00:44:15,680
week Here's another one that I think is

1044
00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:17,880
really valuable for young students

1045
00:44:15,680 --> 00:44:20,160
graduating class young professionals

1046
00:44:17,880 --> 00:44:22,280
whatever You can always make more money

1047
00:44:20,160 --> 00:44:24,720
but you can't make more

1048
00:44:22,280 --> 00:44:26,160
time And when you're really young you

1049
00:44:24,720 --> 00:44:27,520
think you have it all and you have it

1050
00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:29,680
all in front of you for a really long

1051
00:44:27,520 --> 00:44:32,119
time And you really do have a long time

1052
00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:35,359
in front of you but you can't make more

1053
00:44:32,119 --> 00:44:37,599
time You can make more money Where are

1054
00:44:35,359 --> 00:44:40,400
you spending your time With who Doing

1055
00:44:37,599 --> 00:44:43,440
what If something is a waste of time for

1056
00:44:40,400 --> 00:44:45,720
you if a relationship isn't serving you

1057
00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:48,400
in an appropriate way if there's some

1058
00:44:45,720 --> 00:44:50,520
problem you know what are you doing and

1059
00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:52,640
why are you spending your time there

1060
00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:53,920
Consider I'm not going to get this time

1061
00:44:52,640 --> 00:44:55,200
back back when you go to bed tonight

1062
00:44:53,920 --> 00:44:58,400
This is one less day you're going to be

1063
00:44:55,200 --> 00:45:00,800
here right So thinking about who you're

1064
00:44:58,400 --> 00:45:03,040
spending your time with and where is a

1065
00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:03,040
great

1066
00:45:03,400 --> 00:45:09,599
idea Living with

1067
00:45:06,359 --> 00:45:11,839
gratitude Research shows this When we

1068
00:45:09,599 --> 00:45:13,920
experience gratitude and I wrote it down

1069
00:45:11,839 --> 00:45:16,000
it activates neurotransmitters like

1070
00:45:13,920 --> 00:45:19,200
dopamine and serotonin And these are all

1071
00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:22,079
associated with pleasure mood regulation

1072
00:45:19,200 --> 00:45:24,560
and it really does foster stronger and

1073
00:45:22,079 --> 00:45:28,319
supportive relationships It promotes

1074
00:45:24,560 --> 00:45:31,040
empathy generosity and social bonding It

1075
00:45:28,319 --> 00:45:34,560
reduces stress and anxiety Plus you'll

1076
00:45:31,040 --> 00:45:38,920
sleep better So you'll be happier I

1077
00:45:34,560 --> 00:45:38,920
promise if you live with gratitude

1078
00:45:43,760 --> 00:45:48,400
ask for help when you need it So I'll

1079
00:45:46,560 --> 00:45:49,920
say to a lot of my students you know

1080
00:45:48,400 --> 00:45:51,520
please come and see me if you have any

1081
00:45:49,920 --> 00:45:53,359
questions about anything if I can help

1082
00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:55,359
you with something you know put your

1083
00:45:53,359 --> 00:45:57,599
hand up or or you know whatever the case

1084
00:45:55,359 --> 00:45:59,440
might be And then I say I've said to my

1085
00:45:57,599 --> 00:46:01,440
students before have you ever put your

1086
00:45:59,440 --> 00:46:03,920
hand up in a class and someone says to

1087
00:46:01,440 --> 00:46:05,520
you well you should know that by now

1088
00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:07,200
Anybody ever had that experience You

1089
00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:08,640
should know that by now What ends up

1090
00:46:07,200 --> 00:46:11,359
happening when somebody says you should

1091
00:46:08,640 --> 00:46:13,119
know that by now then you shrink

1092
00:46:11,359 --> 00:46:14,560
yourself and you don't want to ask those

1093
00:46:13,119 --> 00:46:15,760
questions cuz you don't think you don't

1094
00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:18,040
want anybody think that you're foolish

1095
00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:21,440
or you don't know what's

1096
00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:24,319
happening Nobody knows everything Nobody

1097
00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:26,319
knows everything And frankly as far as

1098
00:46:24,319 --> 00:46:27,599
your faculty are concerned and and

1099
00:46:26,319 --> 00:46:29,680
specifically I'm going to speak for

1100
00:46:27,599 --> 00:46:31,119
myself when my students and they they

1101
00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:33,040
come and they ask questions or they come

1102
00:46:31,119 --> 00:46:34,880
to office hours or you know through

1103
00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:36,319
email conversation or whatever the case

1104
00:46:34,880 --> 00:46:38,400
might be I love it when they ask

1105
00:46:36,319 --> 00:46:40,400
questions cuz I know that they want to

1106
00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:43,079
know and and it's indicative that they

1107
00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:45,839
care and they want to learn

1108
00:46:43,079 --> 00:46:48,359
something When I was working on my PhD I

1109
00:46:45,839 --> 00:46:50,960
was a grad student When I had all of my

1110
00:46:48,359 --> 00:46:53,359
kids one of my kids had whooping cough

1111
00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:55,200
at the time when I was in grad school

1112
00:46:53,359 --> 00:46:58,240
Introduced myself to the doc who was

1113
00:46:55,200 --> 00:46:59,680
looking after her Um and he says to me

1114
00:46:58,240 --> 00:47:01,760
"Tell me a little bit about yourself."

1115
00:46:59,680 --> 00:47:04,720
And I said "Oh I'm working on my PhD

1116
00:47:01,760 --> 00:47:06,480
right now." He looks at me he goes "Oh

1117
00:47:04,720 --> 00:47:07,720
you're learning more and more about less

1118
00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:09,760
and

1119
00:47:07,720 --> 00:47:12,319
less." And I thought "Well it's not

1120
00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:14,200
wrong I am learning more and more about

1121
00:47:12,319 --> 00:47:16,880
less and less."

1122
00:47:14,200 --> 00:47:18,960
Um just want to say even really highly

1123
00:47:16,880 --> 00:47:23,119
educated people can be dumb asses from

1124
00:47:18,960 --> 00:47:23,119
time to time Ask for help

1125
00:47:23,480 --> 00:47:28,319
anyway Be very cautious of the

1126
00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:30,720
entitlement trap What is you know

1127
00:47:28,319 --> 00:47:32,480
feeling entitled means It feels like you

1128
00:47:30,720 --> 00:47:34,640
think that you deserve something that

1129
00:47:32,480 --> 00:47:37,280
other people don't Oh they took my

1130
00:47:34,640 --> 00:47:39,839
parking spot No they didn't It's a

1131
00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:42,079
parking spot There's another one over

1132
00:47:39,839 --> 00:47:44,079
there right Or you shouldn't have to

1133
00:47:42,079 --> 00:47:45,680
wait in the line so long for your coffee

1134
00:47:44,079 --> 00:47:47,480
cuz you're in hurry and the other people

1135
00:47:45,680 --> 00:47:49,760
in front of you look a little more

1136
00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:52,319
leisurely Here's the thing you know

1137
00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:54,240
about living like that feeling entitled

1138
00:47:52,319 --> 00:47:56,240
People who feel entitled feel like

1139
00:47:54,240 --> 00:47:59,040
they're angry and they're mad all the

1140
00:47:56,240 --> 00:48:01,079
time They literally live in a constant

1141
00:47:59,040 --> 00:48:02,960
and a chronic state of

1142
00:48:01,079 --> 00:48:05,520
disappointment When they don't get what

1143
00:48:02,960 --> 00:48:06,960
they want they're annoyed They complain

1144
00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:08,800
a lot Who wants to be with somebody

1145
00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:10,960
who's annoyed and complaining all the

1146
00:48:08,800 --> 00:48:12,280
time And they suck the joy out of their

1147
00:48:10,960 --> 00:48:15,440
own life

1148
00:48:12,280 --> 00:48:17,200
right Don't do that to yourself Don't do

1149
00:48:15,440 --> 00:48:18,880
that to yourself It's okay if you're

1150
00:48:17,200 --> 00:48:23,559
going to wait a couple extra minutes for

1151
00:48:18,880 --> 00:48:26,400
a coffee or a beer It's going to taste

1152
00:48:23,559 --> 00:48:28,720
better Here's something to consider It's

1153
00:48:26,400 --> 00:48:30,880
never a bad idea to be the best dressed

1154
00:48:28,720 --> 00:48:34,520
person in the room And what does that

1155
00:48:30,880 --> 00:48:37,680
mean exactly That means give your hair a

1156
00:48:34,520 --> 00:48:39,359
little Splurge on a new $10 t-shirt from

1157
00:48:37,680 --> 00:48:42,319
Giant Tiger I don't know Whatever makes

1158
00:48:39,359 --> 00:48:44,640
you happy You know enjoy yourself for

1159
00:48:42,319 --> 00:48:46,319
looking fly When you show up looking

1160
00:48:44,640 --> 00:48:49,440
like you care people believe that you

1161
00:48:46,319 --> 00:48:51,839
care So now here's the benefit to this

1162
00:48:49,440 --> 00:48:55,119
It boosts a person's self-confidence It

1163
00:48:51,839 --> 00:48:57,640
burst It boosts a person's self-esteem

1164
00:48:55,119 --> 00:49:01,160
When you put effort into your

1165
00:48:57,640 --> 00:49:04,400
presentation which can improve your

1166
00:49:01,160 --> 00:49:06,480
communication it can make you appear to

1167
00:49:04,400 --> 00:49:09,200
be more competent and you actually do

1168
00:49:06,480 --> 00:49:11,280
become more competent and more credible

1169
00:49:09,200 --> 00:49:14,079
Um and by the way for those of you who

1170
00:49:11,280 --> 00:49:15,839
work from home the research says that

1171
00:49:14,079 --> 00:49:18,800
putting shoes on for some reason

1172
00:49:15,839 --> 00:49:18,800
actually makes you more

1173
00:49:19,880 --> 00:49:25,359
productive Begin with the end in mind

1174
00:49:23,280 --> 00:49:28,720
How do you want it to go Whatever the

1175
00:49:25,359 --> 00:49:31,520
interaction is relationship problem what

1176
00:49:28,720 --> 00:49:33,680
do you want How do you want to fix it

1177
00:49:31,520 --> 00:49:36,480
Begin with the end in mind Where do you

1178
00:49:33,680 --> 00:49:39,839
see yourself going That will gauge your

1179
00:49:36,480 --> 00:49:42,040
behavior Right Yelling and screaming is

1180
00:49:39,839 --> 00:49:44,599
just going to throw gasoline on the

1181
00:49:42,040 --> 00:49:47,319
fire Do what you

1182
00:49:44,599 --> 00:49:50,400
can The other point to

1183
00:49:47,319 --> 00:49:52,960
make is that you are powerful beyond

1184
00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:54,559
measure I haven't had an experience with

1185
00:49:52,960 --> 00:49:56,400
my students A lot of young people feel

1186
00:49:54,559 --> 00:49:58,160
invisible They feel unseen They feel

1187
00:49:56,400 --> 00:50:00,640
like they don't really matter They feel

1188
00:49:58,160 --> 00:50:03,359
like they're only like one person in a

1189
00:50:00,640 --> 00:50:05,119
cast of hundreds in a classroom or on a

1190
00:50:03,359 --> 00:50:07,599
university campus or whatever the case

1191
00:50:05,119 --> 00:50:09,240
might be But you are powerful beyond

1192
00:50:07,599 --> 00:50:12,000
measure because you're half of every

1193
00:50:09,240 --> 00:50:14,119
interaction When you talk to someone you

1194
00:50:12,000 --> 00:50:18,079
decide how you're going to

1195
00:50:14,119 --> 00:50:19,839
respond You can gauge the temperature of

1196
00:50:18,079 --> 00:50:21,920
which way that conversation's going to

1197
00:50:19,839 --> 00:50:23,680
go You can turn the gas on and you can

1198
00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:28,079
make it more miserable or you can make

1199
00:50:23,680 --> 00:50:28,079
it a more pleasant interaction For

1200
00:50:29,480 --> 00:50:34,160
sure The other thing about silent

1201
00:50:31,920 --> 00:50:35,839
treatment those of you decide to move in

1202
00:50:34,160 --> 00:50:37,000
that direction that only promotes and

1203
00:50:35,839 --> 00:50:39,920
prolongs

1204
00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:42,319
misery You get to decide what it is that

1205
00:50:39,920 --> 00:50:44,880
you say what it is that you do what role

1206
00:50:42,319 --> 00:50:48,319
you want to play You do have an impact

1207
00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:50,400
on the outcome And for those swifties in

1208
00:50:48,319 --> 00:50:51,920
the room we do love us are some Taylor

1209
00:50:50,400 --> 00:50:55,359
Swift When she said "Look at what you

1210
00:50:51,920 --> 00:50:55,359
made me do." She was

1211
00:50:56,520 --> 00:51:02,480
wrong Speak kindly to yourself We all

1212
00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:04,640
make mistakes Anybody ever have really

1213
00:51:02,480 --> 00:51:06,160
negative selft talk Oh I'm so stupid I

1214
00:51:04,640 --> 00:51:09,280
shouldn't have done that Shouldn't have

1215
00:51:06,160 --> 00:51:11,040
gone there You know we say nasty things

1216
00:51:09,280 --> 00:51:13,599
to ourselves sometimes We would never

1217
00:51:11,040 --> 00:51:15,559
say that to our best friend We would say

1218
00:51:13,599 --> 00:51:18,680
to our best friend "It's

1219
00:51:15,559 --> 00:51:20,880
okay Tomorrow's a new day We can do it

1220
00:51:18,680 --> 00:51:23,079
again." Everybody falls short of the

1221
00:51:20,880 --> 00:51:25,599
goal at some point or

1222
00:51:23,079 --> 00:51:28,000
another And the comparison trap is

1223
00:51:25,599 --> 00:51:29,760
something to really consider And most of

1224
00:51:28,000 --> 00:51:30,880
us grew up being compared to other

1225
00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:32,800
people I don't know if you guys can

1226
00:51:30,880 --> 00:51:33,720
relate to this Oh why can't you be more

1227
00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:36,000
like your

1228
00:51:33,720 --> 00:51:37,520
sister You know why can't you be more

1229
00:51:36,000 --> 00:51:39,280
successful like your cousin And we

1230
00:51:37,520 --> 00:51:42,640
compare who we are and we're like "Oh

1231
00:51:39,280 --> 00:51:44,319
I'm a hot mess over here." And so you

1232
00:51:42,640 --> 00:51:46,040
know we have this negative self-t talk

1233
00:51:44,319 --> 00:51:49,119
about

1234
00:51:46,040 --> 00:51:50,800
ourselves Do your best to not compare

1235
00:51:49,119 --> 00:51:52,720
yourself with other people as best you

1236
00:51:50,800 --> 00:51:54,960
can I know it's hard There was a

1237
00:51:52,720 --> 00:51:57,440
fabulous research study done here at the

1238
00:51:54,960 --> 00:52:00,079
University of G several years ago around

1239
00:51:57,440 --> 00:52:02,000
people who were social media users heavy

1240
00:52:00,079 --> 00:52:05,040
social media users which is where a lot

1241
00:52:02,000 --> 00:52:07,040
of this comparison comes from And it had

1242
00:52:05,040 --> 00:52:09,880
very clear indication that people who

1243
00:52:07,040 --> 00:52:12,079
are heavy social media users are more

1244
00:52:09,880 --> 00:52:14,160
unhappy They're more likely to suffer

1245
00:52:12,079 --> 00:52:15,960
from depression and feel anxious because

1246
00:52:14,160 --> 00:52:20,400
everyone else is in

1247
00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:20,400
Cuba and you're here eating Mr

1248
00:52:21,720 --> 00:52:27,920
Noodles right Give yourself a little

1249
00:52:24,200 --> 00:52:30,480
grace Live out loud Be happy on purpose

1250
00:52:27,920 --> 00:52:33,359
If you're going to wait for all you know

1251
00:52:30,480 --> 00:52:35,280
the stars to align in the sky for you to

1252
00:52:33,359 --> 00:52:37,319
be happy you're gonna be waiting for a

1253
00:52:35,280 --> 00:52:40,359
long time because there's always

1254
00:52:37,319 --> 00:52:43,079
something Oh you know if I just lost 20

1255
00:52:40,359 --> 00:52:46,079
lbs my hair worked out a little better

1256
00:52:43,079 --> 00:52:48,880
today You know if I got a higher grade

1257
00:52:46,079 --> 00:52:50,960
on that paper or this relationship or

1258
00:52:48,880 --> 00:52:52,880
whatever the case might be then we're

1259
00:52:50,960 --> 00:52:55,599
always looking for something else rather

1260
00:52:52,880 --> 00:52:57,760
than just being grateful and enjoying

1261
00:52:55,599 --> 00:53:00,640
where it is that we're currently and

1262
00:52:57,760 --> 00:53:01,720
enjoying the experiences that we have

1263
00:53:00,640 --> 00:53:04,440
Here's the

1264
00:53:01,720 --> 00:53:08,640
thing Buddha said and I'm

1265
00:53:04,440 --> 00:53:08,640
paraphrasing what you think about you

1266
00:53:08,839 --> 00:53:13,960
become Right You thought about being a

1267
00:53:11,599 --> 00:53:16,800
university graduate and now you are

1268
00:53:13,960 --> 00:53:18,400
one Congratulations We love you and

1269
00:53:16,800 --> 00:53:21,400
we're very proud of you Go get them

1270
00:53:18,400 --> 00:53:21,400
Griffins

1271
00:53:38,720 --> 00:53:44,880
So thank you so much to Deanna Um I have

1272
00:53:42,800 --> 00:53:46,960
many aspects of my job that I I really

1273
00:53:44,880 --> 00:53:49,119
appreciate but one of those things is

1274
00:53:46,960 --> 00:53:51,599
usually contacting the faculty member to

1275
00:53:49,119 --> 00:53:53,920
let them know that they've been selected

1276
00:53:51,599 --> 00:53:56,400
And I really do think it's an incredible

1277
00:53:53,920 --> 00:53:59,359
honor And I know Diana's email back to

1278
00:53:56,400 --> 00:54:01,920
me I could just read her enthusiasm

1279
00:53:59,359 --> 00:54:04,640
coming off the screen out of the email

1280
00:54:01,920 --> 00:54:06,559
And so I think when she talks about

1281
00:54:04,640 --> 00:54:09,440
living your authentic life I I really

1282
00:54:06,559 --> 00:54:10,880
see that you live your authentic life

1283
00:54:09,440 --> 00:54:15,160
Excuse me And I want to thank you for

1284
00:54:10,880 --> 00:54:18,800
that Um and I also I love your point

1285
00:54:15,160 --> 00:54:21,119
about living life with gratitude And so

1286
00:54:18,800 --> 00:54:23,440
uh I'm really grateful for meeting the

1287
00:54:21,119 --> 00:54:25,200
three lectures this evening and getting

1288
00:54:23,440 --> 00:54:27,760
to kind of build those connections and

1289
00:54:25,200 --> 00:54:31,960
expand my community Uh so thank you so

1290
00:54:27,760 --> 00:54:31,960
much for all of your words this evening

1291
00:54:32,160 --> 00:54:37,839
So I joined the University of Galf as a

1292
00:54:34,559 --> 00:54:40,000
staff member just over two years ago and

1293
00:54:37,839 --> 00:54:42,960
everybody kept welcoming me to the

1294
00:54:40,000 --> 00:54:45,520
Griffin family and I didn't really know

1295
00:54:42,960 --> 00:54:48,160
what that was at the time and it took me

1296
00:54:45,520 --> 00:54:50,000
a while to understand what that meant

1297
00:54:48,160 --> 00:54:52,960
but I have to say that today I've come

1298
00:54:50,000 --> 00:54:54,960
to agree with the sentiment For me the

1299
00:54:52,960 --> 00:54:57,680
true value comes from the people and the

1300
00:54:54,960 --> 00:54:59,599
community here I think the fact that

1301
00:54:57,680 --> 00:55:01,440
each year a member of our alumni

1302
00:54:59,599 --> 00:55:04,079
community graciously accepts the

1303
00:55:01,440 --> 00:55:05,920
invitation to speak at this event is a

1304
00:55:04,079 --> 00:55:07,319
touching example of the Griffin

1305
00:55:05,920 --> 00:55:09,839
community in

1306
00:55:07,319 --> 00:55:11,599
action It's my pleasure to be able to

1307
00:55:09,839 --> 00:55:14,359
introduce our final lecture of the

1308
00:55:11,599 --> 00:55:17,280
evening who is a distinguished

1309
00:55:14,359 --> 00:55:20,160
alumni Mark Harrison is the founder of

1310
00:55:17,280 --> 00:55:22,800
the MH3 Collective a group of ventures

1311
00:55:20,160 --> 00:55:26,000
whose purpose is to connect people and

1312
00:55:22,800 --> 00:55:30,240
ideas to create social impact The

1313
00:55:26,000 --> 00:55:33,280
collective includes Humanity T1 Sidekick

1314
00:55:30,240 --> 00:55:36,000
and Sponsorship X In addition he

1315
00:55:33,280 --> 00:55:38,800
co-founded the B2I to support black

1316
00:55:36,000 --> 00:55:40,280
entrepreneurs leaders and change makers

1317
00:55:38,800 --> 00:55:42,640
and Park Street

1318
00:55:40,280 --> 00:55:46,319
Education a charity to remove all

1319
00:55:42,640 --> 00:55:48,480
barriers to children's education His

1320
00:55:46,319 --> 00:55:50,880
community involvement includes being a

1321
00:55:48,480 --> 00:55:54,119
board chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters

1322
00:55:50,880 --> 00:55:56,640
of Toronto and a board member of several

1323
00:55:54,119 --> 00:55:59,200
organizations including the CAMH

1324
00:55:56,640 --> 00:56:01,839
Foundation and the Canadian Academy of

1325
00:55:59,200 --> 00:56:03,440
Recording Arts and Sciences/The Juno

1326
00:56:01,839 --> 00:56:05,359
Awards

1327
00:56:03,440 --> 00:56:07,280
Mark is a recipient of the Black

1328
00:56:05,359 --> 00:56:10,319
Business and Professional Association's

1329
00:56:07,280 --> 00:56:13,359
Harry Jerome Award the Association of

1330
00:56:10,319 --> 00:56:16,720
Canadian Advertisers 2022 Gold Medal

1331
00:56:13,359 --> 00:56:17,880
Award winner and a 2025 Marketing Hall

1332
00:56:16,720 --> 00:56:21,280
of Legends

1333
00:56:17,880 --> 00:56:23,359
nominee Mark is also CBC Metro Morning's

1334
00:56:21,280 --> 00:56:25,359
business columnist where you can hear

1335
00:56:23,359 --> 00:56:28,640
his regular takes on corporate and

1336
00:56:25,359 --> 00:56:33,000
societal matters I am pleased to welcome

1337
00:56:28,640 --> 00:56:33,000
and invite Mark to the stage

1338
00:56:46,000 --> 00:56:51,640
I want to ask you a

1339
00:56:48,200 --> 00:56:53,520
question When you hear yourself being

1340
00:56:51,640 --> 00:56:54,520
introduced when you hear your name

1341
00:56:53,520 --> 00:56:56,640
through a

1342
00:56:54,520 --> 00:57:01,040
loudspeaker when you see your name in an

1343
00:56:56,640 --> 00:57:03,839
email or a text what does it mean to you

1344
00:57:01,040 --> 00:57:05,799
Where did your name come from What's the

1345
00:57:03,839 --> 00:57:08,000
heritage of

1346
00:57:05,799 --> 00:57:11,119
it What does it say to other people

1347
00:57:08,000 --> 00:57:14,599
before they meet you Does it open doors

1348
00:57:11,119 --> 00:57:17,359
for you or does it put up

1349
00:57:14,599 --> 00:57:19,680
barriers My ask of you tonight is to

1350
00:57:17,359 --> 00:57:22,000
think about the legacy you're going to

1351
00:57:19,680 --> 00:57:23,240
build in your name and how you're going

1352
00:57:22,000 --> 00:57:26,400
to take that

1353
00:57:23,240 --> 00:57:29,440
forward My name is a slave name Mark

1354
00:57:26,400 --> 00:57:31,760
Alfred Harrison On all four sides of my

1355
00:57:29,440 --> 00:57:34,400
family coming to Canada we were escaped

1356
00:57:31,760 --> 00:57:36,960
slaves On my dad's side the Harrisons

1357
00:57:34,400 --> 00:57:39,319
and the Greens And on my mother's side

1358
00:57:36,960 --> 00:57:41,799
the Lawsons and the

1359
00:57:39,319 --> 00:57:43,839
Johnson's My mother's great

1360
00:57:41,799 --> 00:57:46,480
greatgrandfather Henry Dangerfield

1361
00:57:43,839 --> 00:57:49,839
Lawson was adopted from Ghana at 11

1362
00:57:46,480 --> 00:57:52,000
years old a slave in Maryland until he

1363
00:57:49,839 --> 00:57:53,559
was almost 16 years old and then he

1364
00:57:52,000 --> 00:57:56,720
escaped to CL

1365
00:57:53,559 --> 00:57:58,799
Canada Along the way he had to actually

1366
00:57:56,720 --> 00:58:01,440
kill his slave owner in order to get

1367
00:57:58,799 --> 00:58:03,839
across the border And he settled not far

1368
00:58:01,440 --> 00:58:07,839
from here in what was called the Queen's

1369
00:58:03,839 --> 00:58:10,640
Bush just west of G where a lot of

1370
00:58:07,839 --> 00:58:10,640
escaped slaves

1371
00:58:11,079 --> 00:58:16,640
settled When I think of my name as a

1372
00:58:13,599 --> 00:58:17,880
slave name think what does that mean

1373
00:58:16,640 --> 00:58:21,359
going

1374
00:58:17,880 --> 00:58:23,680
forward What does it mean for our past I

1375
00:58:21,359 --> 00:58:25,520
want to share some other names with you

1376
00:58:23,680 --> 00:58:26,960
When I was here at the University of G I

1377
00:58:25,520 --> 00:58:29,680
was fortunate enough that the athletic

1378
00:58:26,960 --> 00:58:31,920
director Dave Cop hired me as a student

1379
00:58:29,680 --> 00:58:33,760
to do marketing And the one thing I

1380
00:58:31,920 --> 00:58:34,680
loved about Dave was he immediately gave

1381
00:58:33,760 --> 00:58:36,880
me

1382
00:58:34,680 --> 00:58:38,880
opportunity In fact he let me come to

1383
00:58:36,880 --> 00:58:42,280
the staff meetings and the staff came up

1384
00:58:38,880 --> 00:58:45,200
with a very creative nickname for me

1385
00:58:42,280 --> 00:58:47,920
student I also had great professors like

1386
00:58:45,200 --> 00:58:50,799
Tom Funk and Brenda Whiteside who guided

1387
00:58:47,920 --> 00:58:53,680
me along the way But what they didn't

1388
00:58:50,799 --> 00:58:54,599
know about me was that I'm not only Mark

1389
00:58:53,680 --> 00:58:57,720
Alfred

1390
00:58:54,599 --> 00:59:01,520
Harrison I'm also Richard Lane

1391
00:58:57,720 --> 00:59:04,160
Demons I was adopted My mother was an un

1392
00:59:01,520 --> 00:59:06,799
unwed young woman Tried to take care of

1393
00:59:04,160 --> 00:59:08,880
me Couldn't I became award the

1394
00:59:06,799 --> 00:59:10,960
Children's Aid Society and I won the

1395
00:59:08,880 --> 00:59:12,720
adoption lottery by being adopted by the

1396
00:59:10,960 --> 00:59:14,720
Harrisons

1397
00:59:12,720 --> 00:59:16,720
But I always had this very fantastical

1398
00:59:14,720 --> 00:59:18,240
story that my mom and dad were in love

1399
00:59:16,720 --> 00:59:21,760
and they wanted to do all these things

1400
00:59:18,240 --> 00:59:25,960
for me and life just wouldn't allow it

1401
00:59:21,760 --> 00:59:28,480
In my 40s I met my biological

1402
00:59:25,960 --> 00:59:30,240
father Staring in a face and looking at

1403
00:59:28,480 --> 00:59:32,720
bones and eyes that finally resembled

1404
00:59:30,240 --> 00:59:35,599
mine was a weird feeling And I wanted to

1405
00:59:32,720 --> 00:59:36,960
know his story I wanted to know my story

1406
00:59:35,599 --> 00:59:39,599
I wanted to know the legacy of this

1407
00:59:36,960 --> 00:59:41,440
other name that I had

1408
00:59:39,599 --> 00:59:43,000
The first thing he said to me was

1409
00:59:41,440 --> 00:59:45,160
"You're the oldest of

1410
00:59:43,000 --> 00:59:47,200
eight plus two

1411
00:59:45,160 --> 00:59:49,119
rumors." Now some of you in this room

1412
00:59:47,200 --> 00:59:51,839
might be adopted You might come from

1413
00:59:49,119 --> 00:59:54,240
blended families Imagine being in your

1414
00:59:51,839 --> 00:59:57,000
40s and finding out there are seven

1415
00:59:54,240 --> 01:00:00,079
brothers and sisters walking on this

1416
00:59:57,000 --> 01:00:02,400
planet You don't know their story and

1417
01:00:00,079 --> 01:00:04,880
more importantly as a person running

1418
01:00:02,400 --> 01:00:07,280
multiple businesses two great kids and a

1419
01:00:04,880 --> 01:00:08,359
great partner volunteer high school

1420
01:00:07,280 --> 01:00:12,559
football

1421
01:00:08,359 --> 01:00:15,599
coach In an instant he took my legacy

1422
01:00:12,559 --> 01:00:17,440
and said I was a rumor And I ask you

1423
01:00:15,599 --> 01:00:18,880
this question If you'd seen on the

1424
01:00:17,440 --> 01:00:21,839
promotion tonight that you're going to

1425
01:00:18,880 --> 01:00:23,440
hear from Richard Lane Zemons versus

1426
01:00:21,839 --> 01:00:25,920
Mark Alfred Harrison what would your

1427
01:00:23,440 --> 01:00:27,119
expectations have been What would you

1428
01:00:25,920 --> 01:00:28,960
thought I'd look like What would you

1429
01:00:27,119 --> 01:00:30,599
think I'd be talking about What would be

1430
01:00:28,960 --> 01:00:33,040
my approach to this

1431
01:00:30,599 --> 01:00:36,240
evening Think about how your name

1432
01:00:33,040 --> 01:00:38,599
impacts every interaction that you have

1433
01:00:36,240 --> 01:00:43,680
I'm going to share another name with

1434
01:00:38,599 --> 01:00:46,799
you George Perry Floyd Jr A name that on

1435
01:00:43,680 --> 01:00:49,920
May 25th 2020 almost everybody in the

1436
01:00:46,799 --> 01:00:52,640
world got to know As he lay there being

1437
01:00:49,920 --> 01:00:56,240
murdered by a coworker he kept screaming

1438
01:00:52,640 --> 01:00:58,160
out one name Mom He wanted to see his

1439
01:00:56,240 --> 01:01:00,480
mom

1440
01:00:58,160 --> 01:01:02,720
Later that week after that horrific

1441
01:01:00,480 --> 01:01:05,280
murder I had a young colleague approach

1442
01:01:02,720 --> 01:01:08,240
me and say "You're the owner of this

1443
01:01:05,280 --> 01:01:11,760
company There are 75 people here and

1444
01:01:08,240 --> 01:01:13,599
you're the only black person How come?"

1445
01:01:11,760 --> 01:01:14,599
And I said to her "I've never thought

1446
01:01:13,599 --> 01:01:18,079
about

1447
01:01:14,599 --> 01:01:20,319
it I've never thought about it I've

1448
01:01:18,079 --> 01:01:23,440
never actually thought about it." And

1449
01:01:20,319 --> 01:01:26,160
from that moment on I've realized that I

1450
01:01:23,440 --> 01:01:29,119
had to create a new legacy for my life

1451
01:01:26,160 --> 01:01:31,559
And my legacy is to look at how I can

1452
01:01:29,119 --> 01:01:33,280
create belonging for the

1453
01:01:31,559 --> 01:01:35,760
underestimated What does that mean

1454
01:01:33,280 --> 01:01:37,839
There's two key words there One is

1455
01:01:35,760 --> 01:01:40,480
belonging How many of you have had that

1456
01:01:37,839 --> 01:01:42,319
moment in a locker room in a classroom

1457
01:01:40,480 --> 01:01:45,119
in your family when you feel like you

1458
01:01:42,319 --> 01:01:46,480
could be completely absent of fear where

1459
01:01:45,119 --> 01:01:48,880
you didn't have to worry about what you

1460
01:01:46,480 --> 01:01:51,119
said And we've also been in that locker

1461
01:01:48,880 --> 01:01:53,640
room where you've been bullied or in

1462
01:01:51,119 --> 01:01:55,240
that family situation where you're not

1463
01:01:53,640 --> 01:01:57,119
happy

1464
01:01:55,240 --> 01:01:59,280
Underestimated I would encourage

1465
01:01:57,119 --> 01:02:03,000
everybody in this room to get rid of

1466
01:01:59,280 --> 01:02:04,920
things words in their vocabulary such as

1467
01:02:03,000 --> 01:02:06,760
minority

1468
01:02:04,920 --> 01:02:08,799
underserved

1469
01:02:06,760 --> 01:02:10,559
disadvantaged With all due respect to

1470
01:02:08,799 --> 01:02:12,160
the white heterosexual males in this

1471
01:02:10,559 --> 01:02:14,559
room and many of them are also

1472
01:02:12,160 --> 01:02:16,559
underestimated Unless you're one of them

1473
01:02:14,559 --> 01:02:18,640
when you walk into a room and you look

1474
01:02:16,559 --> 01:02:20,559
like me or you look like people in this

1475
01:02:18,640 --> 01:02:22,480
audience if you don't walk the way

1476
01:02:20,559 --> 01:02:24,240
people expect if you don't talk the way

1477
01:02:22,480 --> 01:02:27,559
people expect if you don't love the way

1478
01:02:24,240 --> 01:02:29,680
people expect you are immediately

1479
01:02:27,559 --> 01:02:31,559
underestimated What makes them the

1480
01:02:29,680 --> 01:02:34,079
majority and you the

1481
01:02:31,559 --> 01:02:35,760
minority So that's my mission So I'm

1482
01:02:34,079 --> 01:02:38,720
building what I'm calling the above

1483
01:02:35,760 --> 01:02:40,960
ground railroad And I want to share with

1484
01:02:38,720 --> 01:02:43,000
you five questions I'm going to ask you

1485
01:02:40,960 --> 01:02:45,839
to take forward as you build your

1486
01:02:43,000 --> 01:02:50,000
legacy and you go forward in life and

1487
01:02:45,839 --> 01:02:53,359
ask of the world One demand equity Of

1488
01:02:50,000 --> 01:02:56,640
the top 100 paid CEOs in this country

1489
01:02:53,359 --> 01:02:57,799
there are more Scots than all the women

1490
01:02:56,640 --> 01:03:00,880
on that

1491
01:02:57,799 --> 01:03:03,599
list There are more Michaels than all

1492
01:03:00,880 --> 01:03:05,680
the women on that list

1493
01:03:03,599 --> 01:03:09,280
There are still glass ceilings and

1494
01:03:05,680 --> 01:03:11,160
sticky floors in this country Number two

1495
01:03:09,280 --> 01:03:14,319
I want you to amplify

1496
01:03:11,160 --> 01:03:16,160
voices I go to a lot of events and we

1497
01:03:14,319 --> 01:03:18,880
always read a land acknowledgement and

1498
01:03:16,160 --> 01:03:22,240
do nothing for our indigenous community

1499
01:03:18,880 --> 01:03:23,599
It's not enough The LA 28 games are

1500
01:03:22,240 --> 01:03:25,440
going to have softball and baseball

1501
01:03:23,599 --> 01:03:26,960
because they're American They're going

1502
01:03:25,440 --> 01:03:28,079
to have squash They're going to have

1503
01:03:26,960 --> 01:03:31,359
cricket And they're going to have

1504
01:03:28,079 --> 01:03:34,079
lacrosse for the first time in decades

1505
01:03:31,359 --> 01:03:35,920
And the Hodeni nation cannot compete

1506
01:03:34,079 --> 01:03:37,440
They just won the World Box Lacrosse

1507
01:03:35,920 --> 01:03:39,720
Championship but the International

1508
01:03:37,440 --> 01:03:42,240
Olympic Committee says you're not a

1509
01:03:39,720 --> 01:03:45,520
country Who decides they're not a

1510
01:03:42,240 --> 01:03:47,359
country They invented the sport So stop

1511
01:03:45,520 --> 01:03:50,599
making land acknowledgements and get out

1512
01:03:47,359 --> 01:03:53,520
and do something Number three change

1513
01:03:50,599 --> 01:03:55,039
ecosystems In the fall of 2018 Queens

1514
01:03:53,520 --> 01:03:57,039
University at their Senate decided to

1515
01:03:55,039 --> 01:03:59,280
take a black and white rule off the

1516
01:03:57,039 --> 01:04:02,400
books It was literally a black and white

1517
01:03:59,280 --> 01:04:05,400
rule It had been started in 1918 and it

1518
01:04:02,400 --> 01:04:07,839
said black people could not go to PE

1519
01:04:05,400 --> 01:04:10,480
school at Queens I'm sorry to get

1520
01:04:07,839 --> 01:04:13,280
emotional but my mother graduated top of

1521
01:04:10,480 --> 01:04:15,039
her class in London Ontario in the 50s

1522
01:04:13,280 --> 01:04:17,440
Second place student was some unknown

1523
01:04:15,039 --> 01:04:19,400
guy named David Suzuki and she could not

1524
01:04:17,440 --> 01:04:22,319
go to med school because she was

1525
01:04:19,400 --> 01:04:25,200
black That has a lifeline lifetime

1526
01:04:22,319 --> 01:04:27,599
amplifier effect on her self-esteem on

1527
01:04:25,200 --> 01:04:28,839
her financial abilities

1528
01:04:27,599 --> 01:04:30,359
Can you imagine

1529
01:04:28,839 --> 01:04:33,200
that

1530
01:04:30,359 --> 01:04:34,480
2018 I don't want an apology from Queens

1531
01:04:33,200 --> 01:04:35,680
I don't want to hear you started letting

1532
01:04:34,480 --> 01:04:37,920
black people in your med school at the

1533
01:04:35,680 --> 01:04:40,799
end of the 60s That rule was on the

1534
01:04:37,920 --> 01:04:44,400
books for hundred years So demand equity

1535
01:04:40,799 --> 01:04:46,640
amplify voices challenge ecosystems and

1536
01:04:44,400 --> 01:04:48,079
tell people to show you the proof There

1537
01:04:46,640 --> 01:04:50,240
are surveys out there that show that

1538
01:04:48,079 --> 01:04:52,799
Canadian CEOs believe that hiring

1539
01:04:50,240 --> 01:04:55,039
somebody with an intellectual disability

1540
01:04:52,799 --> 01:04:57,440
like my nephew who's autistic is going

1541
01:04:55,039 --> 01:04:59,440
to cost them on average $20,000 in

1542
01:04:57,440 --> 01:05:00,880
accommodation and it's going to require

1543
01:04:59,440 --> 01:05:02,960
70% of the people they hire to be

1544
01:05:00,880 --> 01:05:04,760
accommodated for It's actually less than

1545
01:05:02,960 --> 01:05:07,359
5% and it's

1546
01:05:04,760 --> 01:05:09,599
$350 You are going to be told things all

1547
01:05:07,359 --> 01:05:12,640
the time in your career And I'm going to

1548
01:05:09,599 --> 01:05:14,640
beg you to say "Show me the proof." And

1549
01:05:12,640 --> 01:05:15,960
the last thing I want you to do is to

1550
01:05:14,640 --> 01:05:19,760
fight for

1551
01:05:15,960 --> 01:05:21,680
belonging We are north of an absolute

1552
01:05:19,760 --> 01:05:24,079
crap show going on in the United States

1553
01:05:21,680 --> 01:05:25,760
and it's coming over here I've got

1554
01:05:24,079 --> 01:05:27,200
friends who are transition their

1555
01:05:25,760 --> 01:05:29,200
children are transitioning They want

1556
01:05:27,200 --> 01:05:31,440
different pronouns and my friends are

1557
01:05:29,200 --> 01:05:32,440
afraid to take their children to the

1558
01:05:31,440 --> 01:05:35,359
United

1559
01:05:32,440 --> 01:05:37,200
States We have to fight for belonging

1560
01:05:35,359 --> 01:05:39,680
The only way to come up against a bully

1561
01:05:37,200 --> 01:05:40,960
is be a bully As mentioned I chair the

1562
01:05:39,680 --> 01:05:43,280
board at Big Brothers Big Sisters

1563
01:05:40,960 --> 01:05:45,319
Toronto And I'm very grateful of our

1564
01:05:43,280 --> 01:05:48,400
team who built new

1565
01:05:45,319 --> 01:05:50,960
programs for big siblings for big

1566
01:05:48,400 --> 01:05:53,119
bunches so that queer youth in Toronto

1567
01:05:50,960 --> 01:05:55,039
can be paired with queer mentors so they

1568
01:05:53,119 --> 01:05:57,960
can actually have community events to

1569
01:05:55,039 --> 01:06:00,240
feel together and to feel

1570
01:05:57,960 --> 01:06:01,760
safe There's three other people I want

1571
01:06:00,240 --> 01:06:03,559
you to learn from that aren't here today

1572
01:06:01,760 --> 01:06:07,440
They're people that I went to university

1573
01:06:03,559 --> 01:06:09,520
with One is Emily Bane Emily Bane I met

1574
01:06:07,440 --> 01:06:11,280
her working at a Broadhouse on on H

1575
01:06:09,520 --> 01:06:14,240
Stone Road called McInness Landing that

1576
01:06:11,280 --> 01:06:15,920
isn't here anymore And she went from

1577
01:06:14,240 --> 01:06:17,680
being an immigrant to this country to

1578
01:06:15,920 --> 01:06:20,119
going to the advertising world and being

1579
01:06:17,680 --> 01:06:23,680
told that strategy was only a role for

1580
01:06:20,119 --> 01:06:26,079
men Strategy is only a role for men She

1581
01:06:23,680 --> 01:06:28,640
co-founded an agency called John Street

1582
01:06:26,079 --> 01:06:30,640
sold it retired in the early 50s But to

1583
01:06:28,640 --> 01:06:32,799
this day because of that economic

1584
01:06:30,640 --> 01:06:34,319
insecurity that she had as an immigrant

1585
01:06:32,799 --> 01:06:35,920
child she checks all of her bank

1586
01:06:34,319 --> 01:06:38,480
accounts And there's a lot of money in

1587
01:06:35,920 --> 01:06:41,359
those bank accounts But I want you to

1588
01:06:38,480 --> 01:06:44,000
learn from Emily I want you to learn

1589
01:06:41,359 --> 01:06:46,799
from Katherine Fogerty Katherine Fogerty

1590
01:06:44,000 --> 01:06:49,359
was a social work grad from G who really

1591
01:06:46,799 --> 01:06:51,839
wanted to fuel her passion of being

1592
01:06:49,359 --> 01:06:54,319
creative So she ditched social work She

1593
01:06:51,839 --> 01:06:55,520
launched a media company She created a

1594
01:06:54,319 --> 01:06:57,119
little television show you might have

1595
01:06:55,520 --> 01:06:59,920
heard of called Love It or List It which

1596
01:06:57,119 --> 01:07:01,520
is a global film And when I run into

1597
01:06:59,920 --> 01:07:03,680
people who remember her from university

1598
01:07:01,520 --> 01:07:06,039
they don't believe it's the same person

1599
01:07:03,680 --> 01:07:08,400
Now she's a true crime

1600
01:07:06,039 --> 01:07:10,000
author And the third person who I went

1601
01:07:08,400 --> 01:07:12,559
to university with who I want to

1602
01:07:10,000 --> 01:07:15,359
dedicate this conversation to about is

1603
01:07:12,559 --> 01:07:17,599
Jay Robinson Jay lost her battle last

1604
01:07:15,359 --> 01:07:18,720
year with breast cancer When I went to

1605
01:07:17,599 --> 01:07:20,799
school with her here she was the

1606
01:07:18,720 --> 01:07:22,760
residence hall president student union

1607
01:07:20,799 --> 01:07:24,960
president We negotiated the new rinks

1608
01:07:22,760 --> 01:07:26,960
together And Jay was always about

1609
01:07:24,960 --> 01:07:28,880
building community She ended up working

1610
01:07:26,960 --> 01:07:30,480
for the city of Toronto and created new

1611
01:07:28,880 --> 01:07:32,480
blanch And then she became a city

1612
01:07:30,480 --> 01:07:34,640
counselor including my city counselor

1613
01:07:32,480 --> 01:07:37,599
and at the time of her death she was

1614
01:07:34,640 --> 01:07:39,119
heading up the FIFA file Jay met her

1615
01:07:37,599 --> 01:07:41,280
husband when she was actually trying to

1616
01:07:39,119 --> 01:07:43,680
get students to sign up for some

1617
01:07:41,280 --> 01:07:46,640
orientation program here at Qu So I

1618
01:07:43,680 --> 01:07:48,720
dedicate this conversation to Jay And if

1619
01:07:46,640 --> 01:07:52,880
you were able to observe those three

1620
01:07:48,720 --> 01:07:55,400
women I think you'd see three things One

1621
01:07:52,880 --> 01:07:58,079
every day they sold themselves to the

1622
01:07:55,400 --> 01:08:00,119
world I get folks coming to me all the

1623
01:07:58,079 --> 01:08:02,799
time saying "I am super passionate about

1624
01:08:00,119 --> 01:08:04,319
this Hire me." I'm like really I've been

1625
01:08:02,799 --> 01:08:06,240
on your social feeds for a day I've

1626
01:08:04,319 --> 01:08:08,880
never seen you talk about it Whatever

1627
01:08:06,240 --> 01:08:11,440
you are going to be say it loudly to the

1628
01:08:08,880 --> 01:08:14,000
world The second they were all really

1629
01:08:11,440 --> 01:08:15,760
good at collaboration What do I mean by

1630
01:08:14,000 --> 01:08:17,679
that Bringing people along to work with

1631
01:08:15,760 --> 01:08:19,120
them Getting family members to buy into

1632
01:08:17,679 --> 01:08:21,120
the fact that they want to pursue their

1633
01:08:19,120 --> 01:08:23,880
dreams Getting employees to join their

1634
01:08:21,120 --> 01:08:27,199
startups And they did it by

1635
01:08:23,880 --> 01:08:29,920
listening They are great listeners And

1636
01:08:27,199 --> 01:08:32,480
third and most importantly they knew

1637
01:08:29,920 --> 01:08:35,679
that every single day of their lives the

1638
01:08:32,480 --> 01:08:38,239
most important sale they had to make was

1639
01:08:35,679 --> 01:08:40,319
to the person in the mirror As an

1640
01:08:38,239 --> 01:08:42,319
entrepreneur it's easy for me to get

1641
01:08:40,319 --> 01:08:44,000
clients As an entrepreneur it's easy for

1642
01:08:42,319 --> 01:08:45,679
me to come up with ideas But as an

1643
01:08:44,000 --> 01:08:50,480
entrepreneur the hardest thing I need to

1644
01:08:45,679 --> 01:08:53,120
do every day is sell myself to myself

1645
01:08:50,480 --> 01:08:55,120
So when you think about your name and

1646
01:08:53,120 --> 01:08:57,679
what it means and where you're going to

1647
01:08:55,120 --> 01:09:00,000
take it and how you're going to build it

1648
01:08:57,679 --> 01:09:02,640
I want you to think about dealing from

1649
01:09:00,000 --> 01:09:05,199
strength and every day selling yourself

1650
01:09:02,640 --> 01:09:07,040
to yourself As I was getting ready for

1651
01:09:05,199 --> 01:09:08,960
this presentation I had a bunch of

1652
01:09:07,040 --> 01:09:11,040
stories I was going to tell like the one

1653
01:09:08,960 --> 01:09:12,560
where I run around campus in my dreams

1654
01:09:11,040 --> 01:09:14,239
and I think I didn't actually get my

1655
01:09:12,560 --> 01:09:17,199
degree I don't know if you have those

1656
01:09:14,239 --> 01:09:18,640
recurring dreams but I have that's mine

1657
01:09:17,199 --> 01:09:19,839
I was going to tell the story that this

1658
01:09:18,640 --> 01:09:22,319
is the first time that I've actually

1659
01:09:19,839 --> 01:09:25,120
been sober in here I was going to tell

1660
01:09:22,319 --> 01:09:28,000
the story that when I worked for the

1661
01:09:25,120 --> 01:09:30,400
Ontarian and I was sports editor I had a

1662
01:09:28,000 --> 01:09:33,520
three pick afro and I had the

1663
01:09:30,400 --> 01:09:35,359
politically incorrect uh column that I

1664
01:09:33,520 --> 01:09:37,679
named called Afro Turf and I actually

1665
01:09:35,359 --> 01:09:38,960
had a logo

1666
01:09:37,679 --> 01:09:41,120
But I'm going to tell you a very simple

1667
01:09:38,960 --> 01:09:43,920
story And that's a story about a post-it

1668
01:09:41,120 --> 01:09:45,679
note that I wrote to myself in first

1669
01:09:43,920 --> 01:09:47,440
year And I took that post-it note to

1670
01:09:45,679 --> 01:09:49,600
every dorm room I had in every

1671
01:09:47,440 --> 01:09:52,319
off-campus room It was a famous quote

1672
01:09:49,600 --> 01:09:53,400
And that quote is "Life is too short to

1673
01:09:52,319 --> 01:09:57,760
be

1674
01:09:53,400 --> 01:10:01,560
little." Life is too short to be little

1675
01:09:57,760 --> 01:10:01,560
I hope you agree with me

1676
01:10:13,920 --> 01:10:18,880
Thank you so much Mark I feel like I I

1677
01:10:16,960 --> 01:10:21,120
need to pause and reflect on a lot of

1678
01:10:18,880 --> 01:10:22,880
that but I think for myself one of the

1679
01:10:21,120 --> 01:10:24,480
pieces coming out of it is is reflecting

1680
01:10:22,880 --> 01:10:26,000
on my name And I've reflected before

1681
01:10:24,480 --> 01:10:28,560
that my name comes with a lot of

1682
01:10:26,000 --> 01:10:32,159
privilege and lets me have access to

1683
01:10:28,560 --> 01:10:33,760
spaces in a different way Um but I I

1684
01:10:32,159 --> 01:10:36,320
really want to spend some more time

1685
01:10:33,760 --> 01:10:39,600
thinking about the legacy that I want to

1686
01:10:36,320 --> 01:10:41,600
build and kind of have with that Um and

1687
01:10:39,600 --> 01:10:43,840
I I love that quote that life is too

1688
01:10:41,600 --> 01:10:46,120
short to be little So thank you so much

1689
01:10:43,840 --> 01:10:48,360
for your

1690
01:10:46,120 --> 01:10:51,120
words

1691
01:10:48,360 --> 01:10:53,520
So I would now like to welcome to the

1692
01:10:51,120 --> 01:10:55,920
stage someone whose job it is to support

1693
01:10:53,520 --> 01:10:58,560
your student experience in all that she

1694
01:10:55,920 --> 01:11:03,600
does To close out this evening is our

1695
01:10:58,560 --> 01:11:03,600
vice provost student affairs Dr Melinda

1696
01:11:18,520 --> 01:11:25,040
Scott But thank you so very much It is

1697
01:11:22,800 --> 01:11:27,679
an absolute pleasure to be here this

1698
01:11:25,040 --> 01:11:30,960
evening and take part in this last

1699
01:11:27,679 --> 01:11:32,320
lecture event I want to say a tremendous

1700
01:11:30,960 --> 01:11:34,480
thank you and a tremendous

1701
01:11:32,320 --> 01:11:38,000
congratulations to all of our speakers

1702
01:11:34,480 --> 01:11:38,760
Dr Diana Binky Cook Avery Blendel and

1703
01:11:38,000 --> 01:11:42,719
Mark

1704
01:11:38,760 --> 01:11:45,080
Harrison Your words have beautifully

1705
01:11:42,719 --> 01:11:47,360
captured the heart of our university

1706
01:11:45,080 --> 01:11:50,000
experience and it's been an honor to see

1707
01:11:47,360 --> 01:11:51,600
your community through your reflections

1708
01:11:50,000 --> 01:11:53,679
I also want to acknowledge the

1709
01:11:51,600 --> 01:11:56,159
incredible efforts of our student

1710
01:11:53,679 --> 01:11:59,120
experience team and in particular Jen

1711
01:11:56,159 --> 01:12:01,679
Durst uh whose dedication made this

1712
01:11:59,120 --> 01:12:03,360
special gathering possible Thank you for

1713
01:12:01,679 --> 01:12:05,880
creating space tonight for us to come

1714
01:12:03,360 --> 01:12:08,920
together and to mark this important

1715
01:12:05,880 --> 01:12:11,320
milestone And to the class of

1716
01:12:08,920 --> 01:12:14,000
2025

1717
01:12:11,320 --> 01:12:15,920
congratulations Your university journey

1718
01:12:14,000 --> 01:12:19,679
as we've heard this evening has been one

1719
01:12:15,920 --> 01:12:22,880
of resilience and adaptability and care

1720
01:12:19,679 --> 01:12:24,679
for yourself and for each other And you

1721
01:12:22,880 --> 01:12:27,280
face challenges with

1722
01:12:24,679 --> 01:12:30,320
determination and embraced opportunities

1723
01:12:27,280 --> 01:12:33,120
for growth and engaged deeply with your

1724
01:12:30,320 --> 01:12:35,840
academic and your campus experiences And

1725
01:12:33,120 --> 01:12:38,960
from the moment you arrived at GE you

1726
01:12:35,840 --> 01:12:41,120
have embodied the Griffin values

1727
01:12:38,960 --> 01:12:43,520
And today as you stand here on the

1728
01:12:41,120 --> 01:12:45,920
threshold of graduation you can take

1729
01:12:43,520 --> 01:12:48,400
pride in all that you've accomplished As

1730
01:12:45,920 --> 01:12:50,880
individuals you've grown in ways that

1731
01:12:48,400 --> 01:12:53,360
will shape your future And as scholars

1732
01:12:50,880 --> 01:12:55,360
you've explored new ideas and challenged

1733
01:12:53,360 --> 01:12:58,640
perspectives and developed lifelong

1734
01:12:55,360 --> 01:13:00,640
curiosity for learning And as citizens

1735
01:12:58,640 --> 01:13:02,960
you've seen firsthand the power of

1736
01:13:00,640 --> 01:13:05,199
collective responsibility in building a

1737
01:13:02,960 --> 01:13:08,239
thriving community

1738
01:13:05,199 --> 01:13:10,239
Many many many moons ago I was sitting

1739
01:13:08,239 --> 01:13:12,159
in your place I was an undergraduate

1740
01:13:10,239 --> 01:13:14,000
student here at the University of Galf

1741
01:13:12,159 --> 01:13:17,600
when I was preparing to graduate And at

1742
01:13:14,000 --> 01:13:19,520
that time I was very unsure of exactly

1743
01:13:17,600 --> 01:13:22,000
what my future would hold and where I

1744
01:13:19,520 --> 01:13:24,880
would be going And I returned to the

1745
01:13:22,000 --> 01:13:26,880
University of G last year And coming

1746
01:13:24,880 --> 01:13:28,480
back here has reminded me of what makes

1747
01:13:26,880 --> 01:13:31,320
this institution so special And we've

1748
01:13:28,480 --> 01:13:35,199
heard it throughout the night It's its

1749
01:13:31,320 --> 01:13:37,440
people Being part of this campus and

1750
01:13:35,199 --> 01:13:40,080
this alumni community means being

1751
01:13:37,440 --> 01:13:42,320
surrounded by curious and compassionate

1752
01:13:40,080 --> 01:13:44,480
and engaged individuals like everyone

1753
01:13:42,320 --> 01:13:46,159
who's here this evening And as you

1754
01:13:44,480 --> 01:13:47,719
complete your final exams and you

1755
01:13:46,159 --> 01:13:50,400
prepare for

1756
01:13:47,719 --> 01:13:52,320
convocation I hope that you know and

1757
01:13:50,400 --> 01:13:53,840
hope that you feel that your time at G

1758
01:13:52,320 --> 01:13:55,840
has equipped you with the knowledge and

1759
01:13:53,840 --> 01:13:58,480
the skills and the values to take on

1760
01:13:55,840 --> 01:14:00,480
whatever comes next Your journey at U

1761
01:13:58,480 --> 01:14:02,400
ofG does not end here tonight and it

1762
01:14:00,480 --> 01:14:04,159
does not end at convocation You will

1763
01:14:02,400 --> 01:14:06,719
always be part of this community as

1764
01:14:04,159 --> 01:14:08,800
alumni and as leaders and as lifelong

1765
01:14:06,719 --> 01:14:10,239
Griffins So I hope that you go forward

1766
01:14:08,800 --> 01:14:12,640
with confidence and know that your

1767
01:14:10,239 --> 01:14:14,960
future is bright and all of us will be

1768
01:14:12,640 --> 01:14:16,880
cheering you on every step of the way

1769
01:14:14,960 --> 01:14:19,360
and remember that you are a student for

1770
01:14:16,880 --> 01:14:22,320
a very short time but you are a Griffin

1771
01:14:19,360 --> 01:14:26,360
for life So thank you all and I hope you

1772
01:14:22,320 --> 01:14:26,360
have a wonderful evening

1773
01:14:39,199 --> 01:14:44,440
And with those words from Vice Provost

1774
01:14:41,920 --> 01:14:47,679
Student Affairs Melinda we close out the

1775
01:14:44,440 --> 01:14:50,000
evening Thank you so much for joining us

1776
01:14:47,679 --> 01:14:53,560
and congratulations once again to the

1777
01:14:50,000 --> 01:14:53,560
class of 2025

1778
01:15:00,080 --> 01:15:03,920
Thank you Have a good rest of your

1779
01:15:01,679 --> 01:15:07,880
evening and have a good last day of

1780
01:15:03,920 --> 01:15:07,880
classes tomorrow everyone