{"id":230182,"date":"2025-05-09T14:40:05","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T18:40:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=230182"},"modified":"2025-05-12T14:18:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T18:18:01","slug":"words-of-wisdom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2025\/05\/words-of-wisdom\/","title":{"rendered":"Words of Wisdom: &#8216;The Twists in Your Journey Are What Make You Unique&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Nearly 8,000 degrees were awarded across 17 commencement ceremonies at the University of Connecticut this month, and along with them came advice, insight, and wise counsel from the speakers and honorary degree recipients who addressed the graduates. One of those speakers was Rodney Butler&#8217; 99 (BUS), the Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, who reflected on how he arrived at UConn to play football and left equipped for the leadership roles he would go on to assume:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oe-69YrjEGc?si=143EDjaS_EXQzmKR\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Some of the other highlights of the speeches by guests, students, and faculty members throughout the three-day weekend include:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_230204\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-230204\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-230204 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_NursingCommencement-29-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Two people in graduation gowns and caps hug each other.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_NursingCommencement-29-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_NursingCommencement-29-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_NursingCommencement-29-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_NursingCommencement-29-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_NursingCommencement-29-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_NursingCommencement-29-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_NursingCommencement-29-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_NursingCommencement-29-998x665.jpg 998w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-230204\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">School of Nursing graduates and their families gather outside the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts following the school&#8217;s Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle\/UConn Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Keynote speaker Mark Sarkisian, keynote speaker at the College of Engineering commencement ceremony:<\/strong> &#8220;I love what I do. I hope you enter a profession that you never describe as &#8216;work,&#8217; and that can become a way of life not defined by office hours. If you do that, you can enjoy engineering after 40 years, the same way that you did when you first started.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Justin Guinta &#8217;25 (CLAS), student speaker at the first College of Liberal Arts and Sciences commencement ceremony: <\/strong>&#8220;Through my time at UConn, I had my fair share of \u2018hills\u2019 \u2013 times where stress, failure, and imposter syndrome led me to question the climb. I\u2019m sure you had moments like these too, whether it be the all-nighters before an exam, the uncertainty left by the pandemic, or even that nervous, yet excited feeling that overcomes campus the morning of a National Championship. Times like these can feel overwhelming, but if there\u2019s one piece of advice that I can give you today, it\u2019s the advice of my late father \u2013 &#8216;It\u2019s just a hill.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_230289\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-230289\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-230289 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/commencement_250511f0120-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Students in graduation regalia listen to a speaker.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/commencement_250511f0120-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/commencement_250511f0120-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/commencement_250511f0120-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/commencement_250511f0120-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/commencement_250511f0120-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/commencement_250511f0120-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/commencement_250511f0120-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/commencement_250511f0120-998x665.jpg 998w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-230289\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">College of Liberal Arts and Sciences undergraduate commencement ceremony three at Gampel Pavilion on May 11, 2025. (Sean Flynn\/UConn Photo)<br \/>on May 11, 2025. (Sean Flynn\/UConn Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Mimi Marella &#8217;25 (SSW), student speaker at the School of Social Work commencement ceremony:<\/strong> &#8220;The path we\u2019ve chosen isn\u2019t easy. It\u2019s not for everyone. But we were called to this work for a reason. Let\u2019s never forget our &#8216;why.&#8217; Let\u2019s keep reflecting, growing, and fighting for what\u2019s right\u2014even when things get hard.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Joe LaPuma &#8217;05 (CLAS), keynote speaker at the second and third College of Liberal Arts and Sciences commencement ceremonies:<\/strong> &#8220;Over a six-month period, I wrote dozens of articles for the Daily Campus and went from &#8216;Campus Correspondent&#8217; to &#8216;Staff Writer.&#8217; Although I only wrote for one year, I was focused on making up for lost time. And at the end of the year, I was voted &#8216;Rookie of the Year&#8217; by my peers at the paper. Yes, I was the senior who won &#8216;Rookie of the Year.&#8217; I could\u2019ve been embarrassed at being the old guy who won the award meant for freshmen, but it was the most substantial thing I had done at UConn until that point, and it meant a ton to me. So much so that I still bring the laminated certificate with me when I have big moments that make me nervous. True story.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rodney Butler &#8217;99 (BUS), Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, keynote speaker and honorary degree recipient at the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources commencement ceremony:<\/strong>\u00a0&#8220;In my culture, we\u2019re taught to make decisions with the seventh generation in mind. Not just for the next quarter, the next election, or the next funding cycle, but for our grandchildren\u2019s grandchildren. That way of thinking changes everything. It changes how we grow food, how we build our economies, how we govern, and how we lead.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Manasse Mbonye \u201995 Ph.D., keynote speaker at the commencement ceremony for master&#8217;s degree recipients: &#8220;<\/strong>The importance of learning from failure as the best teacher. I try to approach challenges with systematic persistence. We are each stronger than we realize. Recall, as a baby, you didn\u2019t give up on the hardest brain-challenge, learning to walk. Imagine if you had! Therefore, at moments like this, look back how far you have come, to motivate your future growth.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_230286\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-230286\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-230286 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_GeneralStudiesCommencement-13-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"A woman in graduation regalia stands on stage addressing an audience of students also in regalia.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_GeneralStudiesCommencement-13-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_GeneralStudiesCommencement-13-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_GeneralStudiesCommencement-13-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_GeneralStudiesCommencement-13-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_GeneralStudiesCommencement-13-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_GeneralStudiesCommencement-13-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_GeneralStudiesCommencement-13-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_GeneralStudiesCommencement-13-998x665.jpg 998w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-230286\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Graduates of the Bachelor of General Studies program sit during the program&#8217;s Commencement ceremony in the Student Union Theater on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle\/UConn Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Daniella Dennis &#8217;25 MD, School of Medicine student speaker at the UConn Health commencement ceremony:<\/strong> &#8220;I still remember my first code blue. The rush of adrenaline. The nurse shouting for the crash cart. My hands shaking as I helped with compressions, trying to remember ACLS steps like I was in simulation\u2014but this wasn\u2019t SIM. This was someone\u2019s father. Someone&#8217;s husband. And in that moment, I realized that being a doctor isn\u2019t just about knowing the answer\u2014it\u2019s about being there when it matters most. Even when you don\u2019t feel ready.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Maggie Mitchelle Salem, keynote speaker at the School of Social Work commencement ceremony:<\/strong> &#8220;Only in a democracy is the pursuit for human rights and social justice possible. Not easy, with many setbacks along the way, but still possible. Now, there may be some &#8216;democracy fatigue&#8217; at the moment. It all can seem just too much. I\u2019m not going to be very helpful here. Democracy is an ongoing quest for justice, equality, and freedom. You never reach the finish line. To me, that\u2019s the beauty of our imperfection, that we keep striving to do and be better.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_230287\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-230287\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-230287 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-11_EducationCommencement-27-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Three students in graduation regalia sit and listen to a speaker.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-11_EducationCommencement-27-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-11_EducationCommencement-27-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-11_EducationCommencement-27-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-11_EducationCommencement-27-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-11_EducationCommencement-27-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-11_EducationCommencement-27-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-11_EducationCommencement-27-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-11_EducationCommencement-27-998x665.jpg 998w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-230287\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Graduates of the Neag School of Education sit in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts during the school&#8217;s Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Sydney Herdle\/UConn Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Suzanne Wilson, Neag Endowed Professor of Teacher Education, keynote speaker at the Neag School of Education commencement ceremony:<\/strong> &#8220;Hear, embrace mistakes, be kind. Pretty simple, right? Don\u2019t make the mistake of thinking that these habits are either personality traits or come &#8216;naturally.&#8217; You must consciously decide to practice doing these things for every person you work with, every day. Talk about a stretch goal! It takes will and skill.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Kat Corrigan &#8217;25 (SFA), student speaker at the School of Fine Arts commencement ceremony:<\/strong> &#8220;By choosing to pursue art, we\u2019ve chosen a path that\u2019s uncertain. But it was being uncertain, yet knowing that I was hungry to work, that has made me a more multifaceted artist than I was four years ago. I don\u2019t know what my life is going to look like six months from now, but I could be anywhere doing anything. We have a world of possibilities in front of us. UConn has taught me that the only way to grow is to be uncomfortable, and that if an opportunity isn\u2019t presenting itself to you, you can make one for yourself.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Maureen Ahern &#8217;85 (CLAS), keynote speaker at the first College of Liberal Arts and Sciences commencement ceremony:<\/strong> &#8220;Here&#8217;s what nobody tells you: Your future most likely won&#8217;t be shaped by big moves, but by your small, daily actions. The 6 a.m. alarm to go work out when you&#8217;d rather sleep. Asking for help when you usually struggle alone. Showing up to work 15 minutes early. Life rewards those who take action\u2014sometimes messy, not always perfect\u2014but always forward-moving.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sean Flaherty &#8217;25 (NUR), student speaker at the School of Nursing commencement ceremony:<\/strong> &#8220;Becoming a nurse is not for the faint of heart. We have endured long shifts, high-stakes exams, and moments of self-doubt. We have learned to balance theory with practice, compassion with efficiency, and realizing that graduating from UConn isn\u2019t the end of our learning, but just the beginning of our journeys.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_230288\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-230288\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-230288 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_CAHNRCommencement-25-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Two elaborately decorated graduation caps are seen from behind.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_CAHNRCommencement-25-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_CAHNRCommencement-25-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_CAHNRCommencement-25-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_CAHNRCommencement-25-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_CAHNRCommencement-25-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_CAHNRCommencement-25-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_CAHNRCommencement-25-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2025-05-10_CAHNRCommencement-25-998x665.jpg 998w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-230288\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Graduates of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources sit in Gampel Pavilion during the college&#8217;s Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle\/UConn Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Melissa Watson, student speaker at the Bachelor of General Studies commencement ceremony:<\/strong> &#8220;Different seasons of life have different purposes. Putting something down for a season doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t pick it back up again in the future. Throughout your life, you\u2019re going to have different goals that you will want to achieve &#8211; and you get to decide how to get it done. That\u2019s your journey. The twists in your journey are what make you unique and separate you from everyone else.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advice, encouragement, and perspective from UConn&#8217;s 2025 commencement ceremonies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":230203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[147,2224,2229,2459,2649,2235,173,92,174,2225,2306,90,2458,2234],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[117],"class_list":["post-230182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-cahnr","category-commencement","category-graduate-students","category-blue-pride","category-today-homepage","category-uconn-avery-point","category-uconn-hartford","category-uconn-stamford","category-uconn-storrs","category-uconn-voices","category-uconn-waterbury","category-undergraduates","category-university-life"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-12 13:53:41","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230182"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":230457,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230182\/revisions\/230457"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/230203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=230182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=230182"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=230182"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=230182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}