A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be the keynote speaker at The University of Bridgeport’s Convocation in Connecticut. It was inspiring to be a part of welcoming students and their families to a university where students from ninety countries and thirty-four states are represented.
I then traveled to San Antonio, Texas to be the guest speaker at Our Lady of the Lake University’s first year orientation with students and their families. This was another example of a diverse student body consisting of many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. It was an exciting time to because many of the students were the first ones in their family to go to college.
Two days later I was the keynote speaker at Indiana University as part of their annual CultureFest where over 4000 students came together to create awareness and celebrate the diversity that makes up their campus.
The message that all three of these universities are sending is consistent with the other colleges that I have had the privilege to speak at over the last several weeks.
It’s one that challenges us to step out of our comfort zone, to share our own story, and to learn and listen about what makes us unique and also what we share in common.
To not only succeed in college but in life we must respect and celebrate what makes us different and we must embrace what connects us.
It’s in that spirit where we can begin to open doors and build a future where we can do and become anything that we choose to be.
