Hi everyone, I'm Fabian from the think-team. This week, our founder wrote a blog about his graduation ceremony for his PhD and his reflection [Oxford] Do fidem: My thought on 13 years ago yesterday (su-re.co). This made me feel all nostalgic, `so I went down memory lane and thought I could share my experiences as well.
Almost two years ago today marks the day I graduated from University with my Bachelor's degree The Art of Liberal Arts: Being a Multi-specialist Pt 2 (su-re.co). Graduation actually means a lot to me, because it's a very intimate moment with my teachers and friends. Especially for my undergraduate, the ceremony was quite special because of how small we were.
Our ceremony began with speeches by the Dean, followed by a series of unconventional graduation activities. We had the younger years made a video about who they think we are, which ended up being a series of Spongebob episodes with our faces. Then our batch lined up to tell a flowing story one-by-one about our journey from the first to the last semester. Then some of us performed "Suddenly I see" by KT Tunstall. I can no longer hear that song and separate this moment.
The most sentimental part was when each and every single one of us received a Laudatio from our mentors - a short appraisal about us. It was special because everyone of us carved our own path. A group of multitalented kids that slapped me with the impostor syndrome in my first year. But now they are simply my inspiration with their different trajcetories. I miss them so much.
But the first few lines of the speech by our Dean is what got me:
"You chose this program because you chose not to choose a traditional, standard, well-defined program. Because you are none of that. Traditional. Standard. Or well-defined."
Everyone had a giggle for the last bit. But to think of it, I really do feel that way. I don't feel well-defined in anything. I convince myself that I am well-rounded, which I prefer. Anyway. I started seeing a pattern where I end up in.
It seems like no matter where I go, I end up in places that aren't traditional, standard, or well-defined. Such as su-re.co, which really is just a University where I get paid (and I guess no graduation...) Working at su-re.co pt 13: Workplace or College?. I think places that aren't well-defined force you to center yourself and ultimately build your authentic selves. This is why I think I've been very privileged, because my education never shaped me to be a robot.
Now I won't make this blog a long appreciation post to who I want to thank in this journey. But seems like it's that time of the year to look back on the highlights of one's academic pathway. What are your thoughts on graduation?
Thanks for reading, see you next week!