Martin D. Whitaker

Transcription

(processional drumming) (bagpipes playing) (audience cheers and applause) (processional drumming) - Good morning, everyone. Please be seated. (audience cheers and applause) We're counting on you being crazy today, okay? (audience cheers and applause) And to get us started, I now call upon the High Sheriff of Hampshire County to open these proceedings. (audience cheers and applause) (ceremonial knocking) - Will all those here assembled for the 137th Commencement of Smith College please be in order. (audience cheers and applause) - Good morning. (audience replies "Good morning") It's so good to see you one last time. Good morning graduates, parents, friends, honored guests. May we be awake this moment. May we be awake to these beginnings, and endings, and in-betweens. May we be awake to the love that created us, that bore us, that holds us, and guides us, and goes with us. May we be awake to gratitude, for the support and companionship of parents, grandparents, siblings, friends of all sorts, who have showed us kindness, generosity, compassion, when we were in need or trouble. May we be awake to loved ones who are here with us today in body, in spirit, or in memory. May we be alive to joy as we celebrate our graduates' accomplishments and their movement beyond the gates of Smith College. And may we wish for President McCartney, on this day, a very happy birthday. (cheers and applause) And so let us begin. (audience sings "Happy Birthday") - Thank you. (audience sings "Happy Birthday") Thank you. (laughs) (audience cheers and applause) Well, I can't think of a better way to celebrate my 60th birthday than with all of you. So, thank you. Thank you so much. And now, would Milanes Morejon, president of the senior class, please come forward to speak on behalf of the graduates. (audience cheers and applause) - Wow! You all look beautiful. Good morning! (audience replies "Good morning") Buenos Dias! (audience replies "Buenos dias") First, I would like to congratulate all of the members of the class of 2015! (audience cheers and applause) The countdown is over, and we've made it. The 100-day countdown. (laughs) Next, I would like to welcome all of our friends, families, professors, administrators, and staff who are here celebrating the closing of a beautiful chapter with us. (audience cheers and applause) You’ve all made a mark in our lives, and for that we thank you. Dad, Mom, I’m here because of you. Te quiero mucho. I would also like to thank all of the wonderful people that have put this event together, to make sure it is a successful and memorable one, including Events Management Office, (audience cheers and applause) the Facilities Management, (audience cheers and applause) Office of Student Engagement, (audience cheers and applause) Campus Police, (audience cheers and applause) Dining Services, (audience cheers and applause) and our Reunion workers among others. (audience cheers and applause) My time at Smith has allowed me to begin this beautiful process of academic and personal growth. I arrived to Northampton from Roxbury, Massachusetts. (audience cheers and applause) in August of 2011 to begin the wonderful Bridge Program, (audience cheers and applause) an orientation for students of color spearheaded by the amazing L’Tanya Richmond, (audience cheers and applause) the Director of Multicultural Affairs. I remember feeling sad about leaving home, and nervous about beginning a new journey away from my parents, Papi, Mami. I would have informal conversations with other students about the academic rigor, what a convocation was, the type of food served in Cushing-Emerson, but I also wondered what the PVTA was, the Puv-Tuh, and what my Jordan House community would be like. (audience cheers and applause) By the end of Bridge, we looked up to our leaders, Carol, and wondered how they navigated the institution, and how we could one day be like them. They never questioned whether this was the right place for us. Instead, they provided us with the tools to move forward, and assured us that we would survive our undergraduate years. I would like for every senior here to take a few minutes and reflect on what brought you here, and who has helped you on your journey. It may have been a professor who challenged you and dedicated their office hours to ensure your success in the class. It may have been a person at the Lazarus Center for Career Development who asked you about professional goals and helped you land a summer internship (Hint: Praxis). It could have been the endless calls to your loved ones and friends, for me definitely, who provided you with the updates about the life outside of the Smith bubble. Or a roommate, in my case, the beautiful Ayla Ahmed, who reminded you that you are valuable, and would make it to this day and cross this stage. Through tears, many tears, and laughter, we have made it. Some of us will be starting fellowships, such as the Fulbright, this fall. Others will be starting graduate school, or have accepted full-time job offers at financial institutions, schools, and nonprofit organizations across the globe. Some of us are exploring our options, (laughs) (laughter and cheering from audience) figuring out next steps, and know that our Smith education has prepared us for whatever is to come. We are individuals of promise, with a wealth of experience and knowledge that we can bring into any workplace. I can honestly say that I feel empowered and prepared to pass through the Grécourt Gates into the real world. At Smith, we have built a community that has enabled us to create and sustain change. We have in our own ways, affirmed each other’s humanity. I would like to give a shout out to our Ada Comstock Scholars, (audience cheers and applauds) international and transfer students (audience cheers and applause) as well as to those in our class with marginalized identities, including students of color, (audience cheers and applause) disabled, (audience cheers and applause) first-generation, (audience cheers and applause) low-income, (audience cheers and applause) working-class, (audience cheers and applause) queer, (audience cheers and applause) transgender, (audience cheers and applause) or an intersection of all. (audience cheers and applause) Many of you exemplify what it means to be an agent of change, whether it was through organizing a group of almost 150 students to attend the Millions March in New York City, (audience cheers and applause) or creating the inaugural Five College Disabilities Studies conference. (audience cheers and applause) We may be small in numbers, but we have used this space to practice vulnerability and to engage in collective healing, taking the steps to build the world we want to live in. We all deserve to be here, and even though pain and hurt, we have worked together to make Smith ours. We have worked together to contest systemic and institutional injustice (audience cheers and applause) and have demanded more from those around us. We have stood in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, (audience cheers and applause) fought and continue to fight for undocumented student rights (audience cheers and applause) and advocated for transwomen admissions policies. (audience cheers and applause) I would like to encourage every single one of us to make social justice a part of our life’s work. (audience cheers and applause) Let us practice authentic kindness and create more supportive communities. As Smithies, I am positive we can do it. (audience cheers and applause) So, my fellow seniors, you are all beautiful, intelligent and resilient. Your stories are unique, and you have overcome adversities to be here. As we prepare to go into the next chapter of our lives, remember: practice humility and patience. Take time for self-care and decompression, and learn how to be your best and authentic self. Do not apologize for being human. Do not fear change. Instead take advantage of the myriad opportunities for growth as they present themselves to you. We need, ah. (audience laughter, applause, and cheers) We need to take care of ourselves, and of each other, practicing love and care within our communities. Some of my favorite professors and mentors have been people who have encouraged me to be vulnerable and see how all of our histories are interconnected. Let’s take the Smith diploma not only as a token of privilege to have graduated from such a prestigious college, (audience cheers and applause) but also, as an opportunity to impact the world in a positive way. I will close by sharing the words of Mia Mingus, whose activism works towards a world where disabled children can live free of violence, with dignity and love. “We must practice a love that will set us free.” Thank you and congratulations! (audience cheers and applause) You're going to make me cry, okay. I would now like to invite President McCartney to join me as I present her with a gift from the Class of 2015. We would like to present the college with a donation to the Fund for Organizations and Developing Leaders. The Senior Class Cabinet raised $2015 dollars as its first contribution, not to be confused with the gift we received yesterday from the Class of 1965. (laughs) The Senior Class hopes this fund will play an instrumental role in the lives of Smith students for years to come. We ask that you accept this gift on behalf of all the members of the class. (audience cheers and applause) - Thank you. - Thank you so much. (audience cheers and applause) (audience cheers and applause) - Since 1987 Smith College has presented the Honored Professor Award every year in recognition of long and distinguished faculty service to the college. This year's Honored Professor award goes to a scholar who has spent her professional life immersed in the science and art of teaching. She has studied Curricular Development throughout the world, forming an understanding of Early Childhood Education that integrates scientific inquiry, reading theory, and more. An advocate for a better understanding of how literature, society, and the classroom can shape a young mind, she has traced her own path through Smith, from an undergraduate degree, through a Master's in Education, to the classrooms of the campus school, to the leadership of the Education and Child Study Department. Along the way, she has taken extraordinary steps to support the college, serving in multiple administrative roles, at times delaying her own sabbatical to do so, An Italian major at Smith, she studied abroad in Florence, and returned years later to lead the program. Today, she adds to her distinguished career, the 2015 Honored Professor Award, Please join me in congratulating Professor of Education and Child Study, Susan Etheredge. (audience cheers and applause) We now turn to the awarding of honorary degrees. By virtue of the authority of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, vested in the Board of Trustees of Smith College, and by them, delegated to me, I now confer these honorary degrees and admit their recipients to all the rights, and privileges pertaining thereto. - [Woman] Madam President, I have the honor to present Mahzarin Banaji for the degree Doctor of Science, honoris causa. - Mahzarin Banaji, social psychologist, your scholarship reveals that we are at times blind to the unintended biases beneath our conscious mind. Only by confronting these, you show us, can we move towards a social framework unshapen by prejudices, of race, gender, class, and more. Now, as the Richard Clarke Cabot Professor of Social Ethics at Harvard, you have pioneered research that deepens our understanding of the biases that influence our actions, revealing how we can better align our behaviors with our good intentions. In your celebrated book, "Blind Spot: The Hidden Biases of Good People," you show us that only by making our own course corrections can we steer away from the obstructions of our personal preferences. For your contributions to science as a researcher, a scholar, and a mentor, and for the influence of your own work on social justice, Smith College is proud to honor your achievements and award you the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa. (audience cheers and applause) Congratulations - Thank you. - [Woman] Madam President, I have the honor to present Sally Benson for the degree Doctor of Science, honoris causa. - Sally Benson, climate scientist As societies grow in size and ambition scientists like you are asked to reconcile our seemingly insatiable appetite for energy with the increasing burden on our planet. A member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, and director of the Global Climate and Energy Project, and the Precourt Institute of Energy, you have led a global multidisciplinary portfolio of innovators dedicated to the reduction of greenhouse gases. Through education, cutting-edge research, and industry partnerships, you work to identify new energy opportunities and to defeat the barriers that keep them from the global market. A leading expert on carbon sequestration, you seek to slow the damage of existing technologies until a fundamental shift in how we produce and consume energy is fully realized. A steward for the environment and for the fields you bring together in a shared mission of sustainability you have shown that what unites us: science, industry, government and more, is no less than the future of the world we share. Smith College is proud to award you the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa. (audience cheers and applause) - [Woman] Madam President, I have the honor to present Adelaide Cromwell for the degree Doctor of Letters, honoris causa. (audience cheers and applause) - Adelaide Cromwell, Smith Class of 1940. (audience cheers and applause) Amid the racial turmoil of the 1960s, you were among the first to respond to the pressing need for a greater academic understanding of the African-American experience. As a sociology professor at Boston University, you developed the nation's first graduate program in Afro-American Studies. (audience cheers and applause) A program that emphasized connections to the surrounding community. Earlier, you helped establish one of the first African Studies program to focus on Africa as a modern society, becoming an influential voice in recognizing emerging leaders who are bringing change to the continent. In more recent years you have dedicated yourself to documenting the historical accomplishments of black intellectuals in America, including your own distinguished Cromwell family, from your cousin, Edward Brooke, the first elected African-American U.S. Senator here in Massachusetts, (audience cheers and applause) to your beloved aunt Otelia, Smith Class of 1900. (audience cheers and applause) Otelia, of course, was the first African-American graduate of Smith College. (audience cheers and applause) For your global leadership, Smith is proud to honor your achievements and award you the degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa. (audience cheers and applause) - [Woman] Madam President, I have the honor to present Frances Crowe for the degree Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. - Frances Crowe, peace activist. (audience cheers and applause) In 1945 you heard over the radio that a new era of war had dawned over the sky of Hiroshima. And you set your life in the direction of peace. In the 70 years since, you have worked to undermine the machines of war through civil disobedience, teaching, and community development. From counseling conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War, to painting "Thou Shalt Not Kill" on nuclear submarine missile tubes (audience cheers and applause) to creating a pirate broadcast that first brought the radio show "Democracy Now!" to Northampton (audience cheers and applause) you have proven that the efforts of a few can change the course of many. Through the organizations you've led and founded, the local women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the Valley Peace Center, and more, you have given our community the tools to turn uncompromising ideals into action. For your tireless march towards peace, Smith College is proud to award you the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. (audience cheers and applause) - [Woman] Madam President, I have the honor to present Marilyn Carlson Nelson, for the degree Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. - Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Smith Class of 1961. (audience cheers and applause) Global business leader. As the exploitation of children grew in the expanding shadows of global tourism, you and your company took action. As the head of the Carlson companies, you led a hotel and hospitality company spread across 150 countries, more than three-quarters of the world, into a fight against one of the greatest injustices of our time. Focusing your anti-trafficking efforts on protecting children and others from sex tourism, you brought Carlson companies in as the first North American signatory to a travel industry code of conduct to protect people from sexual exploitation. Now, Carlson companies stands as undeniable proof that private partnerships can further public good. Global corporate citizenship, you have said, requires that we join forces with the public in civic sectors to address the grand challenges we face. For your efforts, which have drawn the highest recognition from the governments of France, Norway, Finland, and the Office of the President of the United States, Smith College is proud to award you the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. (audience cheers and applause) Congratulations. Give them a wave! (audience cheers and applause) - [Woman] Madam President, I have the honor to present Deborah Voigt, for the degree Doctor of Music, honoris causa. (audience cheers and applause) - Deborah Voigt, dramatic soprano. (audience laughter) Your voice is your instrument, but also the embodiment of your indomitable spirit. It led you from the choir of your suburban Chicago church to the world's most renowned stages. You have embodied such mythic characters as Aida, Brünnhilde, and Isolda. You have interpreted the works of Strauss, Puccini, and Wagner, but also paid homage to American standards when you played the lead role in Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun." (audience cheers and laughter) Mid-career, you retrained your voice and earned new acclaim for what "The New York Times" called your steely power and lyrical elegance. Beyond the stage, you illuminated the world of opera as an artist in residence, a broadcaster, and a mentor to emerging performers. You have told your story powerfully in your memoir "Call Me Debbie: True Confessions "of a Down-to-Earth Diva," and in your one-woman show, "Voigt Lessons." For your extraordinary performances, and the candor, grace, and humor with which you tell your story, Smith College is proud to award you the degree of Doctor of Music, honoris causa. (audience cheers and applause) - Ladies, that was an okay "Happy Birthday," but this is how it really goes. (audience cheers and applause) ♫ Happy Birthday dear Kathy ♫ (audience cheers and applause) - Wow! Wow. (laughs) (audience laughter) - [Woman] Madam President, I have the honor to present Juliet García for the degree Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. (audience cheers and applause) - Juliet García, educational leader. During the 22 years you served as the President of the University of Texas at Brownsville, you helped to create educational opportunities for tens of thousands of otherwise disenfranchised students. A Brownsville native, and a first generation college student yourself (audience cheers and applause) you understood implicitly the transformative power of education for all, but especially for students who earn their degrees while working and raising families. As the first Hispanic woman to serve as a college president, you developed (audience cheers and applause) you developed a deep commitment to mentorship. You built an innovative partnership with a local community college to create transfer pathways to a four-year degree. To promote college aspirations, you offered dual-enrollment courses and other programs to Brownsville High School students. Now, as the inaugural director of The University of Texas Institute of the Americas, you are focused on developing leaders for the global South. For your innovation and success in ensuring educational access, and for your inspiring example, Smith College is proud to award you the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa (audience cheers and applause) It is now my great pleasure and honor to present you with the 2015 commencement speaker Juliet García. (audience cheers and applause) - Good morning. Buenos Dias. I am humbled and greatly honored to be here to celebrate this moment with all of you Smithies, the Class of 2015. (audience cheers and applause) Thank you, President McCartney, and members of the Board of Trustees for this great distinction. I want you to know that ever since your president announced that I would be your commencement speaker, I have run into Smithies everywhere. In D.C., in New York City and yes, even in Texas. (audience cheers and applause) Smith alums are proud of having been nurtured here, and having been with others like many of you graduates that are here today, in a place where the spirit is awakened. And once awakened, the spirit never returns to its original dimensions. (audience cheers and applause) I learned that this year Smith College is celebrates its 137th commencement. And yet with all of this very impressive history and long-standing traditions, Smith continues to be a place known for its pioneering spirit. I'm particularly impressed by your commitment to sustainability in reducing your own energy use by 30 percent. (audience cheers and applause) As we were envisioning the future of our university in Deep South Texas, several years ago our students pressed us to strive to become a net-zero energy campus. Our students would be very interested in your bicycle kitchen, your Green Team, and your Community Garden. Graduates, the degrees that you will receive today, just as the honorary degree that I've been awarded from this very prestigious college, only has room for your name on it. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could add to it the names of all of those who have helped us along the way? Believe me I’ve tried. (audience laughter) On all of my official documents my name is listed as Juliet Villarreal García. Juliet, because my father’s name was Romeo, (audience laughter) Or Ro-may-o, and my mother was a romantic who loved Shakespeare. Villarreal, because it was the name of my parents. who planted the idea in the three children that we must all graduate from college not because they had graduated, but because they had not. And Garcia is on my diploma because it is my husband’s name. When I married at the ridiculously young age of 19, it was only because my father required my fiancé on his knees, to promise to make sure that I would finish my bachelor’s degree. My husband, Oscar, promised. And then he proceeded to work to make sure that he would make good on that promise. So having completed my bachelor’s degree, he encouraged me to continue my studies, and to work on my master’s degree. And after finishing my master’s degree, now with two very small children, he moved our family to Austin, where we lived in married student housing, where we learned to tell “poor” jokes. You know what "poor" jokes are, right? You think you're poor! Let me tell you what poor really is. (audience laughter) And there I earned the doctorate. Oscar made good on his promise. (audience cheers and applause) But there are so many others whose name I was unable to get on my diploma. So just as it is for many of you that are graduating today, who know that it took the help of many, many others to urge you forward, to encourage you during those toughest of days, and inspire you all along the way. Make sure that today you take a moment, if not today, tomorrow, if not tomorrow someday very soon, to thank everyone for helping make today a reality for you. Y para los padres de los graduados, Es un gran honor que nos acompañen en este día tan especial. Todo lo que transcurrió durante el año universitário, se disfrúta hoy. Hoy celebrámos: Todas las noches que estos estudiantes se desveláron y las mañanas que madrugáron. Hoy celebramos, el trabájo de estos estudiantes y de sus profesóres. Además, estámos aquí para celebrár también los lo que han hecho ustedes: los padres, los esposos y esposas, hijos e hijas, al prestárles su apoyo. Porque sin ustedes, los reconocimientos del día de hoy, no habrían sido posibles. (audience cheers and applauds) My father was born in Monterrey, Mexico and came to the United States with his family to escape the Mexican revolution. Their passport picture is of the entire family looking very grief-stricken, because nobody wants to be forced to leave their home. My mother grew up in a small South Texas border town, where the Mexicans lived on the south side of the railroad tracks, and where they were allowed to swim in the public pool only one day a year. The next day, the pool was drained and cleaned. But in spite, or perhaps because of those circumstances of her life growing up there, she excelled in school, was named to the honor society, where she earned sufficient grades to also be named salutatorian of her high school class. Unfortunately, my mother and father, who also did well in school, graduated during the Great Depression, and were never able to fulfill their dream of going to college. How hard it must have been for them when they would see others leave their small town to go away to Austin, or Houston, or elsewhere to go to school. Later in life, when my father would see someone who had graduated from high school with him and was now a pharmacist or a doctor, he would quietly say to me, "I had better grades that he did in geometry." (audience laughter) The pain of not being able to continue his studies lasted a lifetime. I was nine years old when our sweet mother died at the very tender age of 40, of breast cancer. My greatest regret is not to have known her better, and longer as a mother, as a confidant, and later in life, as a woman. But what I can assure you of, is that in her very short time on earth, she had huge impact on our family. She launched us on our individual journeys, and gave us that essence, her essence, the discipline for schoolwork, and how important it was that we take care of our home and its gardens. She taught us as much of the Bible that I still know today, and she taught us to care deeply about family. What I remember most about her, though, is her loud and animated laugh. Years after she had died, I was in a store with some friends and I laughed out loud at some silly joke. A woman, hearing me laugh, came over to me and said, “You've got to be related to Coqui Lozano." Coqui was my mother’s nickname. I told her I was her daughter. The woman smiled broadly and said, “I hadn’t heard her laughter in years. "I’ve missed it.” I had inherited my mother’s laugh. Even that was a gift of hers. Several weeks after our mother died, our father sat us all down in front of him and reassured us that life for us would be easier from here on. And then as if by saying these words some sort of magical effect he proclaimed “You have survived the most difficult thing "that will ever come your way. "Nothing that will ever happen to you, "will be worse than this. "You are the stronger for it.” Those enchanted words somehow gave us strength. Enough to survive that moment, and many other such moments that we were to have during our lives. So during my life's most difficult moments, when I seem to run out of my own strength, somehow I am gifted renewed strength that comes from somewhere outside myself. I believe it comes from my mother. It's difficult to explain, other than to say that I think I'm strengthened by her spirit. So much so, that I believe that my life has been lived for both of us, that through me and with our combined strength, we've been able to accomplish what perhaps neither of us could have done by ourselves. She would be pleased to be here today, among so many accomplished women at Smith. She believed in women being smart. She believed that to those who much is given, much is expected. Sound familiar? (audience laughter) I remember winning a spelling bee in the 4th grade. for spelling "Mediterranean" perfectly. I remember going home to tell my mother. Big mistake. When I told her, she was convinced that I had been given a special gift. I said, "Mom, it was just a spelling bee." But she remained intrepid and confident. and said, "It's a gift." And I was to be about the business not by, business of discovering how to use that gift to help others. Our lives are strengthened, not by our accomplishments, but more often, by our challenges. So where does our strength then come from? For me, my strength comes from that young man that I married over 46 years ago, who is still at my side, and has believed often more in me than I did in myself. My strength comes from those two babies that I had between degrees, that now are extraordinary parents themselves. My strength comes from my four grandchildren, one of whom, Carolina Rico, is here today, and watching them become better versions of themselves. My strength comes from the 40,000 men and women that we have graduated from The University of Texas at Brownsville. 40,000. (audience cheers and applause) So that never again will someone who grows up in South Texas fail to fulfill their dream of getting a college education because they could not afford to leave to attend college. (audience cheers and applause) My strength comes from having had the great privilege of doing important work in my community on the southern edge of the United States border. Not because there weren't opportunities for positions elsewhere, but because I could never find another place that seemed to need us so badly to help it succeed. My work began in a place best known for being one of poorest and most uneducated in the United States. Today, that same place is transformed and is home to thousands of young children that learn chess at the age of five. and are known nationwide for winning chess championships year, after year, after year. A city that last year was named the Chess Capital of the United States. A city with a university chess team that attracts players from all around the world and who routinely win national and international chess tournaments. And one of the five cities in the United States that every year sends the most kids to the national chess competition. It is also the city that was recently chosen by SpaceX as the site for the world’s first commercial rocket launch pad. Chosen for its geography, but also for its rich human capital. And finally, it is also the city that is now home to the university that ranks in the top five universities in the United States that graduates the most Latino physics majors. (audience cheers and applause) who together in our labs, discovered one-third of the pulsars identified and named world-wide. I get my strength from all of them. There is nothing wrong with a human capital in any of our communities, that a little bit of opportunity can't solve. Today, you must seek that which gives you strength. And once you've discovered it, you must run toward it. While today, you may only have a hint as to what gives you strength, when you soon discover it, you must pursue it. I have worked in my time, with a fellow who in the midst of a budget crisis said, "It's not so bad." I thought he had found a solution to the budget dilemma. He said, "It's not so bad, working with a woman." (audience groans in disappointment) I've had more good days than anyone deserves, and I have received much too much recognition for work done mostly by others. I have missed many important events for my children and for my grandchildren because of my work. I have not ironed a shirt for my sweet husband for over 46 years. (audience cheers and applause) I have worried about gaining weight, looking old and being out of shape. I've taken up yoga and tennis to try to make up for decades of neglect. I have learned to pretend courage and borrow it from others until I could build my own. I would do it all, and I've been sued by the Department of Homeland Security for not allowing them to build a fence on our campus. (audience cheers and applause) I would do it all over again. But there is much to do. The window of opportunity is still closed to too many other women, to too many other Latinos, to too many first-generation poor of all kinds. So, we must all accelerate our efforts, and re-spirit each other's souls, and continue to push ahead. A wise colleague of mine once shamed me into new understanding. I was a baby president, I really was at one point a baby president. I was very young and I was lamenting about always being the only woman, and most often, the only Latina, at the table, and how I was tired of always being expected to represent both groups. He was very patient. He let me finish and then quietly he said, "As long as you are the only women "or the only Latina at the table, "the responsibility falls to you "to represent all others until they can take "their own place at the table." I say that to you today. You and I are the privileged few. We must not squander that opportunity that we have been given. We must use it to find our own strength, and having found it, to become steadfast, powerful, and incessant advocates for others. Cities can be transformed. Every child can learn how to play chess, and study physics, and launch rocket ships. (audience cheers and applause) Today, I stand with you as Smith graduates, and with the honorees that also received their degrees today. I have never been in a group of such smart and brilliant women as those honorees that we have honored today with a degree. Social scientists, climate scientists. People that have dedicated their entire lives to the work of obliterating human trafficking, Sociologists, preeminent sopranos that we have heard now in person, "Down-to-Earth Divas," I'll not forget the name of that book. And brilliant and strong and resilient 95 year-old peace activists. (audience cheers and applause) So, today, as an honorary Smith graduate, I join you in becoming one of Smith's newest ambassadors. So together, let’s pledge. Let’s pledge to represent Smith really well. To take our place among the many that have preceded us to become stewards of Smith’s mission, leaders in our communities, and important contributors to making our world a better place. Let's pledge to build bridges not fences. To nuture, (audience cheers and applause) to nurture and to care for our environment, to work for peace and justice, and to take our places as engaged citizens of this world. Thank you for this lovely honor, and congratulations Smithies, Class of 2015! Congratulations. Thank you. (audience cheers and applause) Thank you. (audience cheers and applause) Thank you. (audience cheers and applause) - Well, I'm ready to award some degrees, how about you, you ready? (audience cheers and applause) The candidates for the degree of Master of Education of the Deaf will stand and present themselves at this time. (audience cheers and applause) - [Woman] Madam President, I have the honor to present these candidates for the degree of Master of Education of the Deaf, and to certify on behalf of the faculty of the graduate program in teacher education, that they have fulfilled the requirements set for that degree. - By virtue of the authority of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts vested in the Board of Trustees of Smith College, and by them, delegated to me, I confer upon you the degree of Master of Education of the Deaf and admit you to all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto. - [Woman] Amanda Clare Aliotta. Penelope F. Baez Sarah Lynn Brault Rachel Cohen Brynne Falkowski Jacqueline Lorraine Fougere Courtney Lennon Jenesia Patrice McCammon Lea Nichole Reidy Michael William Risch Samantha Schraven Bowen Tang Danielle Nicole Vitello - The candidates for the diploma in American Studies, Master of Science, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Fine Arts, will stand and present themselves at this time. (audience cheers and applause) - [Woman] Madam President, I have the honor to present these candidates, and to certify on behalf of the faculty, that they have fulfilled the requirements set by the college for their respective diplomas and degrees. - By virtue of the authority of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts vested in the Board of Trustees of Smith College, and by them, delegated to me, I confer upon you the degree, Sorry, I think I, okay, Sorry! I confer upon you as the case may be the certificate of study, diploma in American Studies, Master of Science, Master of Arts and Teaching, Master of Fine Arts, and admit you to all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto. (audience cheers and applause) - [Woman] Gloria Alberti Serra Aydin Loren Da Costa Stella Maria Frei Katharina Hedwig Frisch Vincent Guénon Caroline Vanessa Jauch Elisabeth Maria Koning Paloma Lukumbi Tatiana Maksimova María José Ruiz Plata Natascha Schiel Chalis Joan Bird Ashanta Chy’rell Ester Brian Thomas Frodema Carolyn Grace Gross Caitlyn Shayne Kirby Skylar Paige Marcoux Marina Ioannis Papaiakovou Lillian Mary Patterson Caitlin Schneider Rebecca Kathryn Waldo Dana Marie Auger Leanne Alexandra Becker Elena Betke-Brunswick Meaghen Elizabeth Chalmers Valerie Driscoll Amanda Maria Faro Nicolette Celena Farrell Jenay Elise Haskins Taylor Eliza Hedges Danielle Mari Ante Maco Kurt Ostrow Devon Brandon Quattrocchi Rachel Alena Stavely Hale Mary Joy Davis Ellie Grace and Anne Marie Rudnik. (audience cheers and applause) - The candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Science will stand and present themselves at this time. (audience cheers and applause) - [Woman] Madam President, I have the honor to present these candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Science, and to certify on behalf of the faculty, that they have fulfilled the requirements set by the college for that degree. - By virtue of the authority of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts vested in the Board of Trustees of Smith College, and by them, delegated to me, I confer upon you the degree of Bachelor of Science, and admit you to all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto. (audience cheers and applause) - [Woman] Madam President, I have the honor to present these candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and to certify on behalf of the faculty that they have fulfilled the requirements set by the college for that degree. - The candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts will stand and present themselves at this time. (audience cheers and applause) - By virtue of the authority of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts vested in the Board of Trustees of Smith College, and by them, delegated to me, I confer upon you the degree Bachelor of Arts, and admit you to all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto. (audience cheers and applause) - [Woman] Albright House Kimberly Michelle Barrientos Pratistha Bhattarai Kati Erin Giblin Symone Monique Gosby Jessica Noel Goudreault Audrey Han Kathryn Nicole Hart Marian Jones Hana Kanee Hannah Marie Klales Nicole Schermerhorn Laschever Marivel Medina Rose Helen Moser Sarah Rose Needle Maris Elizabeth Schwarz Fuchsia Miltier Spring Madeline McEwan Wilson Hannah Shea Young Baldwin House Stephanie Acevedo Kaitlin Marie Burns Camilla Chodkowski Wanda Feng Zaineb Hamdan Michele Nicole Handy Lauren Alexandra Kauffman Elizabeth Markee-Behrends Sara Lillian Ottomano Amy Elizabeth Strolle Chloe Paige Dorris Vaughn Alice Carolyn Wolff Capen House Metasebia Berhanu Aberra Thalia Elizabeth Berard Anne Marie Berman Kelsey Christine Christensen Francesca Marie Coppola Kelly Feather Francis Ariane Selena Kelsey Alana Vaughan McGillis Elizabeth J. Mulder Alice Ng Emily Victoria Owusu-Nyantekyi Isabella Jazman Pioli Chapin House Alyssa Anne Barry Hannah Swibold Becker Shealyn Rose Berube Amy RubyRose Birnie Sarah D. Dews Janelle Marie Gagnon Rebecca Frances Gerdes Louisa Marie Hall Min Jeong Kim Madeleine B. Lifsey Isabel Alexandra Lipartito Lerato Maphanyane Tarra Lorelei Murphy Diana Mary Mutino Tianyi Xu Mary Ellen Chase House Mingjia Chen Meave Evelyn Doherty Nino Dvali Cathryn Jones Evangelista Stephanie Greene Lixing Huang Elysia Hung Yidan Jin Laura Christine Keenan Kay Ogashira Kulason Mojdeh Badri Mostafavi Hangyi Pan Christine Haewon Park Lily Ann Ritter Emily Miriam Rothman Anisha Shrestha Yaan Tu Carol Linfeng Xia Jingyang Zhang Tingyu Zhang Comstock House Laura Adams Aierstuck Jenna Lois Gutierrez Bicierro Aileen Elizabeth Brotherton Emma Susan Carlisle-Reske Megan Elizabeth Carter Caroline McMahon Finn Mara A. Forbes Elizabeth J. Frost Hanna Marlene Lauritzen Simone Jessie Lawrence Jessica Hae-Li Lim Grace Magoun Twyla Vesper Marr Caroline Alexandra McIver Sara Elizabeth Mercier Maredith Patricia Richardson Ruth Soojin Yi - [Man] Ada Comstock Scholars Jennifer D. Christensen Michelle L. Cobb Anna Cojocaru Mia Katelyn Estes Angela Cleo Givens Molly E. Grover Erin K. Gustin Octavia S. James Apelila Elizabeth Joseph Windy J. Kelley Kristyn K. Klarner Rene M. Maserati Irina Matcas Janelle R. Olsen Jennifer J. O’Neill Jessica A. Owens Jennifer Renee Pekol Katherine Pelletier Christine E. Roy Kimberly Ann Vassallo Elizabeth Dru Wright Frances Elizabeth Steinert Julia Patricia Papps Kareen Seignon Marie Jacques Martine Seignon Ingrid Brioso-Rieumont Florence Elizabeth MacGregor Selome Z. Mitiku Maribel O. Santos - [Woman] Cushing House Syedah Ayla Ahmed Anne Changchuan Ames Charlye Elizabeth Barfield Bermania Binet Jacquellyn A. Brissie Lea Manon Cojot Jordan Charlotte Dubin Kendall Ashley Edell Karyn Wen-Chi Gee Ella Alexa Genasci Smith Dena Mary Greenstreet Mckenzie Elizabeth Hessel Lindsey Rose Hutchison Angela Katherine Jones Keighley Elizabeth Lane Katherine Lopes Eva Luna Lubeck-Schricker Jessica Leah Migler Olivia Owen Recht Nandi Li Scherbl Maggie Ryan Schneider Kyra Becky Schor Hannah Elisabeth Underwood Alexandra Brooke Wallace Sarah Katherine Walton Irena Persis Patricia Wight Cutter House Shalini Asirini Abayasekara Dara Li-Huei Chen Naima Mehek Javed Emma Madeline Johnson-Rivard Nida Khan Linh Ai Le Rubaiyea Akthar Uddin Samantha Scarlet Zizi Eleanor Duckett House Chloe Barnett Helen Anastasia Buse Niyati Dave Trinity Honaker-Hwang Julia Laine Leitermann Sarah Elizabeth Lerner Carolina Martinez Orozco Leslie Estefany Ramos Escobar Martina Louise Powley Dahlia Lake Romanow Rebecca Ann Swartz Christina Danielle Vergara Emerson House Jane Ellen Anderson Jessica Nicole Andrade Madeleine Elaine Arthur Mackenzie Brooke Blondin Fasharra Branagan Stefana Breitwieser Melissa Eresian Chenok Drew Elizabeth Colman Anna Leslie Compère Jennifer A. Estes Kristen A. Estes Eve Felice Farber Katia Sophia George Catherine Wonjoo Hwang Elizabeth Whelan La Barbera Jessica Mae Mann Caroline Michael Noonan Jin Sook Park Eva Poon Ahalya Anahita Raman Camila Russell Rich Erin Colleen Richards Olivia Ramona Ruiz Angela Chih-Shia Tai Katharine Dana Wilson Cameah Corin Wood Alaina Zemanick Friedman Complex Madison J. Barker Mitchell O’Shea Carney Isabel Reed Cochran Alena Renay Crocker Ivy Jane Croteau Samantha Jo Danguilan Nicole Dechello Rebecca Lee Firkser Mercer Elizabeth Gary Kristi Manami Hammond Sophie Regina Harding Misha Rae Kydd Emily Christine Lane Josephpina Lee Naomi Kathryn Long Rebecca M. Mena Alyssa Christine Pascuzzo Preyel Bakul Patel Katherine Greer Pielmeier Yolana Pollak Melinda Augusta Botelho Pontes Lisa Marie Rayford Samantha Ann Scovill Wei Wen Sng Gretchen Ilse Streett Taylor Kaitlin Walk Corinne Lara Walther Gardiner House Catherine Campbell-Orrock Chanda Ashira Chin Kristen Laura De Lancey Abigail Francis Duquette Jacqueline Janice Ekins Jessica Marie Fries Taylor Luann Goodridge Emma Lynne Haskell Mekala Mira Keshu Rebecca Lee Meagher Madeline Mary Niles Lucy Amalia Prather Katherine Ella Spreadborough Alison Evangeline Tammaro Barbra Louise Tatlonghari Alyssa Lynn Veil Margaret Helen Wack Lindsey Capron White Chloe Beth Wynne - [Woman] Gillett House Reham Mohammad Almutairi Hannah Dorsey Carlson Emma Whitaker Casey Xinchen Chen Emily Ann Clark Sachaly De Leon Marisal Frances Dobbins Bethany Marie Dus Estee Mae Elliott Freda Nididi Epum Mary Lila Guinn Soo Kyung Han Sol Kim Waka Kobayashi Elaine Sapphire Kuoch Melody Lee Jiete Li Julia Claire Lipkis Monica Sy Muñoz Hanna Park Genevieve Marie Ramos Christine Cordelia Roth Nikita Shehani Marina Samaratunga Yiqian Alice Wang Elizabeth Conlon Young Selin Liora Zakuto Hampshire House Odessa Rose Aguirre Paula Suzanne Atkeson Katherine Suzanne Barbor Taylor Alaska Barrett Salena Dorothy Budinger Susan Charlotte Carter Erika Thompson Earley Courtney L. Fappiano Amelia Sarah Fitch Stephanie Lynn Friedman Gabrielle Glynn-Ferrarone Meagan Gonzalez Sarah Mairi Graham-Shaw Alexandra Louise Mugar Grubb Rachel Drago Klinger Tatiana I. Kozina Maya Rose Kutz Elyssa Margaret LaFlamme Jody Seo-Hye Lee Catherine Marie Lenz Sarah Emily Leong Ryan Patrick McDaniel Alyssa Marie Moskites Sydney Elizabeth Ness Ashley Noelle Novak Lindsey Taylor Osburnsen Meredith T. Peck Elena Jean Read Mia Andrea Ruf Annecca Henderson Smith Sophia Miriam Steinberger Zhenzhen Tan Danielle Lee Tekut Michelle Theresa Viscardi Mina Zahine Samara A. Zaslofsky Kumei Zhang Haven/Wesley Houses Ashlynn Kay August Leah Avi Balay-Wilson Catherine Joy Delima Faith Marie Donaher Jacqueline Marlene Escobar Elisabeth Ann Grant Elizabeth Anne Heise Angela Hwang Jenny T. Jiang Kyle Shauna Kaplan Hannah Rose Kaplan-Hartlaub Bokyung Kim Emily Hyojin Kim Kaitlyn Rose Konzen Stephanie Margaret Kupiec Gloria Selin Lee Emerson Madelyn Lynch Mary Ann Maestas Mallory Jordan Merryman Maria Alejandra Moscoso Rivadeneira Tara M. Stark Jennifer Mei Weng Megan Gail Yeo Peijia Zhang Hopkins House Sarah I. Alper Evelyn Ashley Clinton Emily Gordon Dixon Nina Macleod Goldman Mary Jordan Hill Paxton Magan Misra Hubbard House Michelle Elizabeth Anderer Elizabeth T. Anderson-Krengel Lauren Corinne Binger Olivia Simpson Blais Erin Frances Maluhia Fernandes Rachael Patricia Ferrari Patricia Claire Kopko Andrea Gina Lahlum Gavriella Chava Levy Haskell Maria Kathleen Orlic Tiffany Chrystal Peterson Juliana Meurisse Richardson Isabelle Jurate Ross Camilla Gam Skalski Jordan House Cleo Bergman Sophia Mary Lover Brotherton Christina Jing Chiao Kaitlin Emily Dempsey Madeline Christine Franz Diana Margarete Grunberg Clémentine Hamelin Minchi Hyun Chloe M. Jones Minji Kim Sophia B. Kim Susanna N. Lam Emma Eva Lattes Rebecca Yu Jen Lee Rachel Elizabeth Lile-King Milanes Morejon Tiffany Cassandra Nova Laila Elaine Phillips Alyssa Ann Pierno Paulina Marie Solis Zoe Olivia Spieler Anna Lauren Sternberg Alexandra Williams - [Woman] Franklin King House Abigail Grace Antoine Chelsea Tiwaa Bruks Elizabeth Noelle Canedy Dylan Cullison Hannah Eugenia Gall Afreen Seher Gandhi Malayna Alexis Marta Hocker Yoo Sun Hong Yanjanani Leya Kalaya Hyun Joo Kang Faith Maercyleen Khumalo Elizabeth Kuok Edsuvani Maraya Maisonet Elisabeth Isuyo Makishima Taylor Ashley Marks Vanessa McFarlane Lucille Veronica Pericles Joselyn Lisbeth Quintanilla Addison May Reine Jamie Beth Samdahl Natasha Z. Shah Jaritza Sierra Naomi Gitanjali Sinnathamby Krithika Venkataraman Lamont House Tia Marie Alliy Lillian C. Altreuter Alexandra Rachel Bazzini Haley Crockett Meredith Ross Davis Kritika Tara Deb Anuujin Elbegdorj Mariah Elizabeth Girouard Marissa Jean Heinz A. Young Kim Christina Semee Kim Lisa Heeyoung Lho Julia Nicole Maynard Julia Clare McCarthy Jacqueline Dakota Morse Olivia Mae Parks Anna Ruth Rosenzweig Andrea Tanco De La Cerda Amanda Nicole Tornatore Rebecca Lise Nelson Wolfe Sandy Wong Lawrence House Viviana Elizabeth Aluia Jamila Kenyetta Barger Jana Chan Sarah Avery Fainer Tess Kathleen Frydman Rachael Abigail Wagstaff Fulton Adriane Mei Ling Gan Minhee Kim Marisa Johana Kubik Michelle Ann Messana Danielle Antoinette Pirie Greta Wanless Stacy Yuna K. Tsuji Paulina Juliana Wake Emett Wald Morris House Asma Amin Sarah Margaret Devine Hannah Sylvia Giltner Victoria Lauder Goulet Roseanna Lazar Hopper Shannon Pauline Johnson Shimu Liu Irene Chepkoech Marusoi Ellen E. Monroe Thatcher Mbesu Mweu Cordelia Lilith Nowak Seema Bachar Samawi Vatasha Helen White Hian Kek Yeo Morrow House Alyssa Christine Barrett Julia Bryce Edwards Allison Juliet Gage Ellen Melissa Gallos Jennifer Elizabeth Graessle Jasmine Houston Caitlyn Levine Tatenda Dawn Mahlanza Jessica Margaret Montecalvo Vy Vu Thao Nguyen Adina Pearlman Ashley Olmeda Lauren Anne Weston Essence Kani White Northrop House Amanda Frances Ainetchi Nancy Chen Grace Choi Binh Lay Chung Ana Ruffino Darrow Emma Dorothea De Lisle Samantha Joan Hoober-Burkhardt Khadija Ruth King Jelena Knezevic Jessica Jeanne Lillquist Yamini Mookherjee Jasmine Olivia Poteat Ling Qiu Noemi Rivera-Olmedo Lucy Ellen Saunders-Pappentick Swati Sharma Kelsey Lauren Thomas Samantha Anne Weiss Jamie Lynn Williams Anne Clark Wyszewianski Rui Xie Qin Ye Mengjie Zhang Park House Emily Augusta Biffis Sophia C. Carroll Paige Marie Christie Ricia Lorraine Elwell-Socci Riley Anne Gage Lucy-Lynn Ming Graves Robyn Elizabeth Handley Rosamond Gretter Hayden Jesse Lee Kline Cecilia Ji Lee Priscilla Nianhezi Liu Elisabeth Mah Reina Clarke Mitchell Kelsey Reed Moore Diane Rhim Haruka Jennifer Shimoto Lily Danielle Stern Sarah Michelle Teichman Jenny W. Wang Chu Wu Elizabeth Sun Hae Yun Wei Zhang Wenxin Zhang - [Woman] Parsons House Jessie Lee Blum Amelia Catherine Ashmead Burke Megan Ann Bowles Kyle Acadia Boyd Nicole Jasmine Croke Michelle Renee Jackson Zanetta King Sarah Madeleine Jennett McDonald Zane Muttasem Razzaq Mary Elizabeth Sommer Alvina Zhang Laura Scales House Marjorie Lee Amon Stanzin Dawa Sonya Vera Gould Astrid Harradan Chelsea Krystal Hinds-Charles Stephanie Huynh Elizabeth M. Lindley Dipshikha Mahajan Kianna Suzan Mott-Smith Sonrisa B. Murray-Fox Chioma Anthonia Nwonu Prina Naresh Patel Zulema Maria Peralta Saltos María Laura Peraza Gemma Louise Regan-Mochrie Sessions House Zehra Ansari Fatima Equinox Liberty Bassir Petru Bester Kayla Deidre Blum Brittney Megan Chan Alana Elizabeth Golubinski ShuMing Huang Alexandra Betty Koch Yungjen Kung Anastasia Sophia Minkin Yun Ni Kelly Lisbeth Stroh Priscilla Hayoung Yong Aiyi Zhang Talbot House Melissa Adu-Poku Joanna Bagienska Madeline Ann Britvec Cristian Monteverde Cayanan Abigail Nicole Ericson Fiona Caoilinn Gaffey Karina Gracia Elyse Makenzie Johnston Natalia Ayse Kappos Berenice Leal-Bahena Noemi Linares-Ramirez Hope Smith Mowry Eve Pan Stella Amalia Protopapas Jennifer Colleen Rioux Dulce Stephanie Sanchez Charlotte Rose Sappo Laura Anna Wolfe Edith Zavala-Castillo Small but mighty, Tenney House Ellen Bryer Nandi Camille Marumo Rosalie Grey Lamb Smith Tyler House Elizabeth Barlow Atkins Chloe Bollentin Katharine Stuyvesant Brien Grace Nicole Chang Cheryl Marie Creed Alison Jo Deicke Grady Bonnie Elizabeth Hawkins Soo Jung La Haolin Li Alexandra Simone McKeever Jessica Pugnali Jaya Rawla Lily Mi Rondeau Ayla Charlotte Staelin-Lefsky Sara Ann Stoudt Abigail Louise Fish Tatarian Washburn House Yoon A. Bae V. Morel Garborcauskas Lou Laura Lydia Goore Shamael Mahmood Seung-Eun Rhee Diana Christine Sandmeyer Alanna Claire Sparagna Elizaveta Sukhinenko Iris Elisabeth Umana Frances Fu-Hsin Yang Wilder House Tachrina Ahmed Lauren Elisabeth Archibald Jessica Barragan Crysta Cassandra Brown Anna Marie Campbell Faith Zaneta Carbon Thea James Dennis Bridget Rose Donovan Arielle Antoinette Gomes-Williams Bing Bing Guo Julia Claire Hanowell Stella Cissie Iselin Kimberly Kupinski Serafina Lalany Jenny Liu Gabrielle Simone Morrison Lillian Marie Nosow Siobhan Prout Virginia Elizabeth Stoddard-Merriam Natalie Veloz Nora Kathleen Marshall Wallace Martha Wilson House Lila M. Berry Erin Elizabeth Byrne Olivia Patricia Cap Samantha Faye Chinn Ridwana Fairuz Alexandra Catherine Goodley-Espinosa Kaitlin Clark Hackbarth Anna Lee Hirschi Ange Ingabire Kagame Candace Hee-Jeong Kang Grace Kim Aleah Kali Lazar Erika Vergara Miguel Misty Tu Ngo Yee Won Nyon Maya Sampat Patel Lindsay Morgen Roth Angela Laura Schondek Noor Nandini Sethi Anjli Sachit Shah Janna Simone Singer-Baefsky Katharine Lauren Walsh Sarah Banks Winokur Angeli Mae Ylanan-Agarwala Helen Leigh Zhang Last but not least, Ziskind House Sara Emilia Arbelaez Yeu Ryang Choi Valerie Elizabeth Cook Yadira Flores Dannia Yuleissi Guzman Irene Tiffany Hong Rebecca Elena Lazar Leong Wai Leng Danika Rose Luntz-Martin Ga Hyun Karen Moon Hellen Nguyen Laurel Ann Payne Emma Larkin Sager Adrienne Rafer Saludades Kathlynn Wenya Zhou (audience cheers and applause) - Congratulations! You know, they say that most college graduates don't remember anything of their commencement, so we're going to fix that right now, are you ready? Takes about seven seconds to make a memory. Hug everyone around you. (audiences "aww") Well, I have a feeling you could do that all morning. Graduates of the Class of 2015, Remember this moment. And know that the time has come for you to join a most distinguished community. The alumni of Smith College, 48,000 strong. (audience cheers and applause) This community is yours for life. You will stand with women who, like you, will change the world, who will challenge the world, and who will carry Smith with them in all they do. Know that while you leave Smith today, you do not leave it behind. As much as Smith has changed each of your lives, you have changed Smith just as much. You have been part of its evolution, and left your mark on it in countless ways. And I hope you will return here often. Graduates, I want to provide you with the opportunity now, to salute the faculty for the countless ways they have encouraged, and inspired and challenged you to do your best. (audience cheers and applause) And now, to the friends and family of the graduates of 2015, to the mothers and fathers, the grandmothers and grandfathers, the aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers, spouses, partners, daughters, sons, cousins, guardians, significant others, friends, for the years of support, comfort, and understanding you have given the graduates, for your appreciation of women's education, for supporting these students through college and graduate school, I'm going to ask the graduates and the faculty to join me in saluting you. (audience cheers and applause) Remember Convocation? (audience cheers and applause) Well, last year I asked you to savor the world as you save it. Smith is a movement. Today it carries forward with you. May you make that movement your own. Go forth, shine, and know that we will always be here for you. Thank you. (audience cheers and applause) - It's almost time to go. So, breathe, take a minute and breathe. If you can, put your feet on the ground. Feel this grassy quad for a moment, feel your butt on the seat, just be here. And as President McCartney suggests, savor this moment. On Rally Day I offered you the words of Howard Thurman, and many of you have said that they were very meaningful to you in that moment, and so I offer them to you again today. Thurman says, "Don't ask what the world needs, "ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. "Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Every time you leave home there will be a road to meet you. May the earth nourish you, may light clear your way, may hope be your constant companion, and may you go forth from here going forth toward what gives you strength, what gives you joy, what gives you courage, what makes you come alive. May God bless you. (audience cheers and applause) - I now call upon the High Sheriff of Hampshire County to close these proceedings. (ceremonial knocking) - The 137th Commencement of Smith College is hereby adjourned. God save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (audience cheers and applause) (horn fanfare) (recessional orchestra music)