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Graduate student orator Kendall Burks, who obtained Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from WashU’s Medical Scientist Training Program, conveyed a message to the Class of 2025 at Washington University in St. Louis during the May 12 Commencement event on Francis Olympic Field.
Greetings and thank you all. Before I commence, may I request that you join me in expressing gratitude to the vast array of staff who have tirelessly worked to organize this splendid event in honor of us.
I must confess, I faced considerable difficulty deciding what to convey in this address, particularly at this unique juncture when the future appears more unpredictable than ever. However, when I contemplate the elements that have assisted me through various challenges on this extensive journey to graduation, my thoughts revert to those individuals who enable our education. Our grade school instructors and undergraduate mentors guided us in discovering the vocations we were destined to pursue. Our educators within the graduate and professional schools have equipped us to confront those paths. On the Medical Campus, numerous faculty members are diligently caring for ill patients yet still patiently elucidate the nephron to me for the one-thousandth time. I am not nearly astute enough to be a kidney physician. ICU nurses assist us in drawing blood, pharmacists clarify the use of antibiotics, and social workers and therapists enable us to think more deeply about safely discharging patients. For those engaged in research, mentors and colleagues patiently support us in learning how to collect high-quality data that inform evidence-based choices. Amidst it all, myriad administrative staff ensure we are in the correct place at the appropriate time. And I’m fortunate that my family, along with friends who are like family, have made the past eight years worthwhile enough to do all over again.
We all belong to these vibrant and robust learning communities that consist of committed faculty, staff, and peers across the university, spanning law and continuing studies to engineering and social work. And these communities have empowered you all to achieve remarkable feats. Of all the WashU events I’ve attended over the past eight years, my favorite was a panel held in The Graduate Center, where graduate and professional students shared how they discovered purpose from applying their learning in the classroom to significant real-world endeavors. Perhaps you’re a visual arts student at Sam Fox who assisted in designing and installing sculptures in St. Louis parks. Maybe you’re a business student at Olin who worked to enhance the online visibility of Black- and Brown-owned small businesses. The roster of your accomplishments, fueled by your own learning communities, is extensive.
So why is now the ideal time, the perfect chance, to acknowledge those who have aided you in realizing your ambitions? Because you, I, and all the individuals we carry within us have toiled too hard to allow our education to be undermined by circumstance. Circumstance is fleeting. In middle school, my father lost his sales position during the Great Recession, causing us to lose our vehicle, our home, and everything that was in it. In high school, my mother passed away, and I couldn’t comprehend why the universe had to lose someone whose defining saying was, ‘It takes just as much energy to be kind as it does to be mean.’ Standing here would have been inconceivable without that long list of individuals I mentioned before. They’ve supported me. And you will all support each other (if you’re my best friend, maybe physically), even through this moment in history and the additional challenges that are undoubtedly ahead. I wish I could specify exactly what you need to do to navigate the particular hurdles you will confront in your personal and professional journeys. I simply know that because we are walking across the stage this weekend, we’ve already demonstrated that we can figure things out, together. In the words of Maya Angelou, ‘You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can choose not to be diminished by them.’
She is also credited with the following: ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ I realize you all may not remember who I am or what I articulated, especially in the presence of literal legends on this stage. However, my aim for this speech is to inspire you to feel empowered to continue achieving what you aspire to do, even when it seems unfeasible.
Whether your endeavors lead you to an office, a courtroom, a hospital, or a classroom, carry these principles with you: kindness, even when it’s challenging; resilience, even when you feel uncertain; and a profound conviction that we are here to elevate one another. With the exceptional education you’ve received here at WashU, you possess not only the capability but also the duty to shape the world you envision — and the one our communities rightly deserve.
Thank you all for the honor of learning alongside you.
Read Chancellor Andrew Martin’s message to the Class of 2025.
Read undergraduate student speaker Elijah Darden’s address.
Read Commencement speaker Simone Biles’ remarks here.
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