Graduation is also about Appreciation

This Sunday we will invite you to share the names of graduates in the chat and we will read them out loud. But today we invite you to share in the comment section below the names of those who helped you accomplish your goals in school and in life. - Here is why-

As many graduate from all kinds of schools and academic programs there will be and has been an impressive array of ceremonies to celebrate the graduates, their families, and loved ones. The faculty will be thanked profusely. As well as they should be.

But, there are so many others who more often than not define the unforgettable experiences of these schools. These people are almost never named in any ceremony but they quite often have offered the most important words of encouragement that we needed when we were questioning ourselves. They expanded their job descriptions to encompass the roles of reality checks, grounding counselors, and simply listening ears instead of pontificating experts.

They are administrative assistants, department administrators, maintenance workers, food service workers, gardeners, and other job categories both full-time and part-time. Together they wove the tapestry of grace and kindness that provide the warmth of an academic experience. Rarely have these amazing people planned to become so pivotal to their institutions. Nevertheless, their sheer integrity and authenticity created some of our most potent and important memories of our times on campus.

So to those who did not wear a robe and whose names were not printed on the program we say thank you. No educational institution can claim an effective experience without them providing wisdom, context, and often perspective to the academic experience.

I have known many of them Here are a few of them - Joe, Ruby, Clara, Frieda, Stella, Kenny... Who are some of yours?