One of the best parts of our journey thus far is that we have only just begun. In these final weeks, each trial and tribulation seems to be so small in relation to the world opening up before us. Soon-to-be graduates all have a lot to offer those around them in intellectual agility, emotional profundity and well-roundedness, and I hope that as they begin this next chapter in their life, they will continue to help mentor and build the communities that they touch along the way. The time is always ripe to reinvest and give back to the world, our home countries, our local communities, as well as our families and friends who have so selflessly molded us into the vibrant individuals we are today.

While I would like to reflect on these four years with the idealism of a wide-eyed college kid, it is also important to acknowledge the trials and tribulations that have been part of each one of our experiences at Whitman. Adversity forces people to look inside themselves and then to look beyond themselves; like the wind and rains that help seeds spread and plants grow, adversity is an element of life’s forces that pops the deceptive lacquer of the “Whitman bubble” and helps us stretch beyond its allusive mental and physical boundaries.

I will genuinely miss the sense of community at Whitman that was made most apparent to me in moments of adversity and times of triumph. Even in spite of the fact that our campus struggles to understand one another’s lived experiences across various social and economic lines, the ongoing process of negotiating our identities, finding our niche and exploring sites of resistance in this microcosm of Walla Walla informs us as much as it frustrates and excites us. There is almost always someone willing to take your hand or lend a hand throughout this winding Whitman journey, and for that I am deeply grateful.

Let us take this moment of transition in our lives to recognize the histories of resistance that those who have come before us have lived in order to foster our futures of freedom, and our personal responsibility in carrying on that legacy for future generations. Let us take this moment to celebrate the fact that we each have the capacity to give back to the communities that have loved and nurtured us, that have pushed and challenged us. Let us celebrate through critical reflection and direct action.
As a womanist with roots as complex and deep as our nation’s history, I am proud not only to say that I have made it this far, but that the journey has just begun. This is because the apathy of teachers who didn’t believe in me was outweighed by the support of those who did; because friendships that were based on loose loyalties were overshadowed by those based on a profound sense of love and trust; and because, through all the privileges and the hardships that make up my/our “Whitman experience,” I have learned to believe in myself with the help and strength of this Whitman family.   Although my classmates and I will be leaving Whitman in a short period of time, the lessons we have learned in our time here will never leave us, and I can only hope that, through our contributions to this to this campus community, we are also leaving a little bit of ourselves behind.