Commencement speakers share advice with graduates
CHADRON – Chadron State College commencement speakers Dr. Yvonne Moody and Dr. Megan Schuckman shared their love of Chadron State College and lessons learned on and off the CSC campus Saturday. Moody, a professor of Applied Sciences, spoke to master’s graduates in Memorial Hall while Schuckman, a family physician in Chadron, spoke at the undergraduate commencement in the Chicoine Center. A total of 362 graduates received their degrees at the two ceremonies.
Moody focused her commencement comments on what she called the new three “Rs” of education: Relationships, Resources and Responsibilities, that form the core of Family and Consumer Sciences.
She said relationship are important and recalled learning from students of different grade levels in a one-room country school. A teacher in Moody’s country school, Miss Hannafeldt, made Moody and her classmates feel special, Moody said.
She added messages shared by past Teaching Excellence Award winners Bruce Hoem and Dr. Jim O’Rourke as further examples for the graduates to follow.
“Make every opportunity you have to network and build on the relationships you have learned here and carry them forward as leaders,” she said. “Look to those who’ve been here before.”
She encouraged the graduates to carefully consider how they plan to use their resources to create a high-quality life.
“Think about the people who are homeless and what we can do about that rather than thinking, ‘Can I have a second or third home somewhere else,’” Moody said.
In her conclusion, Moody asked the graduates to treat others with respect.
“That is the greatest way we can advance our civilization,” she said.
At the undergraduate ceremony, Schuckman, advised graduates to take time when making important choices and to seek advice from those in their inner circles.
“Take a deep breath and steady yourself. Big decisions should not be made lightly or in haste,” she said. “Find those who know you best and who allow you and encourage you to chase your dreams and do challenging things.”
She also advised the graduates to make excellence a habit.
“You must be dedicated to the mundane details of what you do every day. You must be great at the building blocks that make up the foundation of what you do,” she said.
As she reflected on her own undergraduate career at CSC, she said she would tell herself to enjoy the daily journey.
“Yes, have goals, have dreams, but don’t spend your life putting your nose to the grindstone with blinders on,” Schuckman said. “Don’t put off your life just because of your dreams.”
In closing, she acknowledged her mother was right when she told her to seek out good friends in high school and reiterated that advice to the graduates.
“Surround yourself with people who encourage you, people who inspire you. Also people who are going to redirect you and call you out when you need to be called out,” Schuckman said.
Category: Campus News, Commencement