St. Lawrence University: Commencement

I am honored to be a member of the graduating class of 2007 from St. Lawrence University.

This is a special honor for several reasons. First is the high regard I have for this community of scholars, which has set– and continues to set– a high bar for excellence in undergraduate education in our country.

The second reason this is a special honor is that next week I celebrate my 50th graduation anniversary from my first alma mater– St. Olaf College. My co-honoree Hamilton and I should determine what kind of serendipitous vibrations there are between the upper midwest and upper New York State that bring us here together today.

So, my comments are directed toward you, the new graduates, but they are also personal reflections on the past 50 years. I have a handful of words that I’d like to leave with you, words that have meaning for me when I think about my life and the people I’ve met along the way.

Time flies. I can hardly imagine that 50 years have passed since I received my baccalaureate degree.

Life is not a straight line journey across a field–to quote an old Russian proverb. I could never have imagined, as a new graduate in 1957, the crooked pathway through my life– and if current predictions hold true, your life trajectories will probably be even more unconventional than mine.

So, quickly to my handful of words, part of a list I’ve been assembling through my work in Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), appraising and analyzing the qualities of people (and places) making a demonstrable difference in the character of learning for undergraduates in American classrooms and labs.

Agile and adaptable, at the top of my list, seem very appropriate to put forth in this occasion today. Several years ago at a PKAL workshop on planning science buildings, we asked participants to describe the ideal space for undergraduate science learning. The most compelling definition that surfaced was ...21st century spaces for science should be agile and adaptable–able to bring delight to the lives of those they touch, the speaker paused and then said ...just like we want our graduates to be.

Just like we want our graduates to be. If you think about 50 years, if you think about a very crooked journey through life, you might think about how agile and adaptable (or we might say nimble, shrewd and versatile) you will have to be.

Bold and breathtaking come from a recent meeting with a new, first-time college president. I asked for her thoughts on leadership that could be possibly incorporated into PKAL programming. She said, “when I was named president, I called on one of my most respected, most senior colleagues and I am very carefully following the advice he gave me: ‘remember that you do not know everything and that you should always be taking advantage of what others know; build networks upon networks; and be prepared to make bold decisions, sometimes breathtakingly bold.’ ”

Good advice for us all, at all times, even if we are not or do not aspire to formal leadership positions in the communities of which we are a part.

Agile, adaptable, breathtakingly bold are descriptors of what you might be or become. I end with words about what to do in the process of being and becoming. These words again are based on my involvement within a community of national leaders in undergraduate science/mathematics over the past twenty years.

Contemplate, care and commit. Given my earlier emphasis on adaptability and agility, contemplate might seem out of place. But those I’ve kept an eye on through the years–the people I’ve met along the way– seem to succeed when and because they’ve taken time regularly to step back, to connect and reconnect to personal priorities, to keep aligned and grounded in a personal vision. Care and commit follow from that. People making a difference care passionately about what they are doing and are committed to making a difference for students and society.

These are only the first three sections of my alphabetical list, and I invite you to develop your own over the next 50 years–perhaps using these seven words as a sieve, perhaps considering a class list that incorporates what you collectively learn from the people you meet along the way.

I will end with words from my father at my graduation. His wishes for his six children were simple: first, that we would begin each day with delight and that we would end each day knowing the world was a better place because of something we had done.

So, now I’ve added two more words: delight and difference, and will take my seat before moving on to the next letters of the alphabet.

May the wind be at your back.

Return to Commencement	Commemencent Speech By Jeanne Narum I am honored to be a member of the graduating class of 2007 from St. Lawrence University. This is a special honor for several reasons. First is the high regard I have for this community of scholars, which has set– and continues to set– a high bar for excellence in undergraduate education in our country. The second reason this is a special honor is that next week I celebrate my 50th graduation anniversary from my first alma mater– St. Olaf College. My co-honoree Hamilton and I should determine what kind of serendipitous vibrations there are between the upper midwest and upper New York State that bring us here together today. So, my comments are directed toward you, the new graduates, but they are also personal reflections on the past 50 years. I have a handful of words that I’d like to leave with you, words that have meaning for me when I think about my life and the people I’ve met along the way. My handful of words are four adjectives: agile, adaptable, bold and breathtaking; and three verbs: contemplate, care and commit. To set the context for exploring those seven words, some words to the wise: Time flies. I can hardly imagine that 50 years have passed since I received my baccalaureate degree. Life is not a straight line journey across a field–to quote an old Russian proverb. I could never have imagined, as a new graduate in 1957, the crooked pathway through my life– and if current predictions hold true, your life trajectories will probably be even more unconventional than mine. So, quickly to my handful of words, part of a list I’ve been assembling through my work in Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), appraising and analyzing the qualities of people (and places) making a demonstrable difference in the character of learning for undergraduates in American classrooms and labs. Agile and adaptable, at the top of my list, seem very appropriate to put forth in this occasion today. Several years ago at a PKAL workshop on planning science buildings, we asked participants to describe the ideal space for undergraduate science learning. The most compelling definition that surfaced was ...21st century spaces for science should be agile and adaptable–able to bring delight to the lives of those they touch, the speaker paused and then said ...just like we want our graduates to be. Just like we want our graduates to be. If you think about 50 years, if you think about a very crooked journey through life, you might think about how agile and adaptable (or we might say nimble, shrewd and versatile) you will have to be. Bold and breathtaking come from a recent meeting with a new, first-time college president. I asked for her thoughts on leadership that could be possibly incorporated into PKAL programming. She said, “when I was named president, I called on one of my most respected, most senior colleagues and I am very carefully following the advice he gave me: ‘remember that you do not know everything and that you should always be taking advantage of what others know; build networks upon networks; and be prepared to make bold decisions, sometimes breathtakingly bold.’ ” Good advice for us all, at all times, even if we are not or do not aspire to formal leadership positions in the communities of which we are a part. Agile, adaptable, breathtakingly bold are descriptors of what you might be or become. I end with words about what to do in the process of being and becoming. These words again are based on my involvement within a community of national leaders in undergraduate science/mathematics over the past twenty years. Contemplate, care and commit. Given my earlier emphasis on adaptability and agility, contemplate might seem out of place. But those I’ve kept an eye on through the years–the people I’ve met along the way– seem to succeed when and because they’ve taken time regularly to step back, to connect and reconnect to personal priorities, to keep aligned and grounded in a personal vision. Care and commit follow from that. People making a difference care passionately about what they are doing and are committed to making a difference for students and society. These are only the first three sections of my alphabetical list, and I invite you to develop your own over the next 50 years–perhaps using these seven words as a sieve, perhaps considering a class list that incorporates what you collectively learn from the people you meet along the way. I will end with words from my father at my graduation. His wishes for his six children were simple: first, that we would begin each day with delight and that we would end each day knowing the world was a better place because of something we had done. So, now I’ve added two more words: delight and difference, and will take my seat before moving on to the next letters of the alphabet. May the wind be at your back.
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