This message was shared during the 2024 Woods Online and 研究生 Commencement ceremony.
家庭, 朋友, 教职工，最重要的是, 2024届毕业生, thank you for the opportunity to stand in front of you and deliver today’s commencement speech. I look out and I’m so grateful to be surrounded by all of the 朋友 and family who have supported me in my time at 圣玛丽森林学院.
I began my time at The Woods what seems like a century ago, 1800 calendar days, give or take a few. -是的，我确实查过了. — That’s how long it took to complete one bachelor’s degree and three master’s degrees. 硕士论文两篇, 无数个深夜, endless word count checks and more caffeine than one person should consume in a lifetime.
The words I want you to remember and carry through life after you leave this building are ‘begin and began’ – depending on if you are starting or recalling a day in your journey.
回到属于我的旅程，我开始害怕. 我开始不确定, 我的目标是改变我的生活，我知道这需要付出艰苦的努力, 决心和毅力. Much like 圣·西奥多·葛兰嬷嬷, I began my journey with a prayer, 朋友 and a dream. 一路走来, I discovered that I had the power – not the power that provides light to buildings or moves heavy weights. 我的力量过去和现在都不同. I have the power to change lives by empowering others to stand up for those who cannot stand or speak for themselves, and leading and teaching others how to carry themselves and treat others with respect.
我总是乐于分享我的故事来帮助别人. I have helped moms continue to stand up for their child’s educational needs to be met after sharing the long, 为我自己而战. I have encouraged others to set healthy boundaries to elevate their mindset and grow in their education after sharing about the impact that continuing my education has made.
在我在伍兹的时候, 我知道我是勇敢的, could overcome obstacles that could have destroyed my progress and the value of hard work. 我几乎掌握了APA格式.
I tell people that my story will be a survival guide for a person who decides that they want a better life for themselves and their family when they have no idea where to begin. I would be lying if I stood up here and downplayed the struggles of this journey that led me to this moment, 今天站在你们面前. 这并不容易，但很值得. 不管我完成了多少论文或小组项目, every time a syllabus was released as a new class began — and I saw minimum page requirements or group projects — my heart would beat very fast.
I worked two jobs for much of my college life in addition to being a full-time student. 我戴着妈妈的帽子，照顾四个孩子. I became a wife and stepmom and blended a family that motivated me to reach every goal. 我们会一起登上顶峰的.
人们经常问我，你是怎么做到的? 我永远也回答不出是怎么回事，因为我真的不知道. 我只能回答“为什么”. 敬那些知道自己处境艰难的父母, 我鼓励你完成你的目标. I want the person who switches careers to be brave enough to fulfill their dreams. I want everyone to understand that each day brings an opportunity to begin again, 以昨天学到的知识为基础.
我明白了生活会把你打倒很多次. 但重要的是当你重新站起来的时候——比以前更坚强. 迈克尔·乔丹总结了成功之道. 他投丢了9000多个球, 输掉300场比赛, 被信任投进致胜一球却投丢了26次. 他失败了很多次，但他一直坚持不懈. 时至今日，人们仍在查阅和反思他的统计数据. 他们想要打破记录还是比较记录, 或者他们看到的是改变游戏规则的人, who set the example of failing but standing back up and overcoming the challenges of life while using them as an example for others?
研究生s, each of you have the opportunity to change the world and leave it in a better place. 我们的教授，尤其是博士. LaComba, challenged us to think outside the box and helped shape us to be who we are today. I look back and can say with certainty that she knew it would take longer than three minutes for that global presentation, 但她希望我们有足够的勇气去要求我们需要的东西. 他们教给我们的这些技能将帮助我们改变世界.
The world to you is different than the world of the person sitting next to you. 我们已经到达了第一座山的顶峰. 我鼓励你们每个人都暂停一下, 环顾四周，欣赏实现这一里程碑所带来的美好. 你们每个人都深深植根于一段梦想的历史, prayer and work ethic that 圣·西奥多·葛兰嬷嬷 built the foundation of The Woods upon.
一路上总会有失败，这没关系. Failing will teach you more about yourself than the top of the mountain ever will. 它也会让你更加欣赏山顶的景色. You must get up, dust off and never lose sight of dreams or your ability to learn something. 今天, 你们将作为圣玛丽森林学院的毕业生走出这里, 你们也将成为改变世界的领袖. 我说“会”而不是“能”，因为我相信你们每一个人! Your impact on just one person has a butterfly effect on the world to improve generations to come.
You may ask yourself or doubt yourself – how can I change this huge world as just one person? 我想和大家分享一首埃德温·格罗弗的诗. “我只是一个人，但我仍然是一个人. 我不能什么都做, but still I can do something; and because 我不能什么都做, 我不会拒绝做我能做的事.”
我鼓励你总是开始, 不管你面对过什么样的失败, learn from them and apply what you have learned to change the life of someone else. Even if all you do is motivate them to keep beginning again or push on to the next beginning.
祝贺你们，2024届的毕业生们! Your hard work and thousands of words written in papers have led you to this beautiful destination. Go out and change the world with the foundation that is rooted in The Woods and blessed by those who have gone before us. 你在哪里并不重要, 与你最初的计划相比，生活改变了多少, 或者你失败了多少次——重新开始——比以前更坚强. 只是开始, 即使当你害怕的时候, 不确定, 或者完全不知道自己在做什么或者怎么做.
在我结束之前，我想感谢我的丈夫. I wish you could stand on this stage with me because you deserve as much credit for my success as I do. 还有我的孩子们, 我希望你们都永远记住，你们比自己认为的要勇敢, 比你感觉的更坚强，比你想象的更聪明.
I’m proud of all of you — Class of 2024 — and I know the people in this building and watching from afar are gleaming with pride for all our accomplishments. 谢谢你，SMWC，帮助我们所有人重新开始，变得更加强大. It is this foundation that has been instilled in us that we will use to change the world.
伊丽莎白·海因，21,22,23,24年, is a recent graduate of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at 圣玛丽森林学院. Hein is no stranger to The Woods as she also earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degrees in healthcare administration and leadership development. 海因为自己在生活的各个方面都是领导者而感到自豪. 作为一个忠诚的母亲和全职学生, 海因是共和服务公司的人力资源经理. 她获得了三个硕士学位, 海因打算促进合作, 参与的环境，每个人都感到受欢迎和重视. She is often a student who evaluates different goals and other priorities in which she is striving to aspire.
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