Carleton seems to have a knack for just-in-time Commencement weather. Saturday was not the first time I have seen early morning showers give way to beautiful sunshine just as faculty and students were lining up for the academic procession. Our hard working maintenance staff had wiped every one of the hundreds of chairs off multiple times, thinking it was about to stop, but at last they were right and guests settled themselves into dry seats.
An enormous amount of work and preparation goes into a successful Commencement at Carleton, from every corner of the College. Staff from Events, the Office of Facilities, the Chaplain’s Office, Division of Student Life, the Bookstore, the Registrar’s Office, the President’s and Provost’s Offices, the Division of Communications, Bon Appetit, academic departments, and those that volunteer from other areas of the College, all work together to assemble the people, setting, and information needed to award hundreds of diplomas to the correct students, in the correct order, as part of a festive series of events lasting several days.
It was a joyous ceremony, with thoughtful reflections by our two student speakers, Mary Blanchard ’24 and Amira Adeyemi Aladetan ’24, and a tremendously moving address by honorary degree recipient Kao Kalia Yang ’03. While they differed in tone and focus, there was one striking commonality among the three speeches. Every speaker namechecked specific faculty who had played important roles in their lives and education. The two senior speakers mentioned faculty with whom they had just studied; Kao Kalia Yang quoted comments from professors whose courses she took more than twenty years ago.
To me, that was the most Carleton aspect of the ceremony. It speaks to the extraordinary impact of Carleton faculty, an impact that can last a lifetime. It also reflects the eagerness and gratitude of Carleton students. I am grateful to be part of an institution with such dedicated staff, talented faculty, and enthusiastic students. These ingredients come together in a magical way at Carleton. That magic will bring over 2,000 alumni back to campus this weekend for Reunion, and I know they too will have many stories to share, as they remember and celebrate their Carleton experience and the continuing friendships fostered here.
Featured in Carleton Today, June 13, 2024