Go Big Grad | Architecture Graduation Address

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04/30/2020 Added

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Dean Kathy Ankerson introduces student speakers Keleigh Ketelhut and Abigail Nelson, who speak to graduating classmates.

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[00:00:00.394](soft music)
[00:00:04.170]Welcome to this day, a day when we celebrate
[00:00:07.380]the years of hard work and intellectual investment
[00:00:10.310]of each of our graduates.
[00:00:11.970]I'm Kathy Ankerson and I'm Dean
[00:00:14.010]of the College of Architecture.
[00:00:16.250]Graduates, while this ceremony is bit different
[00:00:19.310]than we might typically have each May.
[00:00:21.780]We're gathered virtually to recognize
[00:00:24.170]and celebrate each of you
[00:00:25.660]and this significant accomplishment.
[00:00:28.800]Architecture, design and planning education today
[00:00:32.360]must prepare global design citizens
[00:00:34.800]who foster synergy, embrace successful collaboration
[00:00:39.140]and recognize interconnectedness.
[00:00:41.620]With an awareness of the responsibility of individual
[00:00:44.970]and collective actions in personal, social
[00:00:47.960]and environmental arenas.
[00:00:49.830]And the position graduates
[00:00:51.220]with the critical collaborative leadership skills
[00:00:53.455]to serve them throughout their careers.
[00:00:56.340]This has never been more important than it is today,
[00:00:59.740]for our future.
[00:01:01.690]You've been prepared to embark on this journey
[00:01:04.520]where the decisions you make have the potential
[00:01:07.070]to make a profound impact on all people.
[00:01:10.540]Every moment of everyday, people are affected by decisions
[00:01:14.700]in zoning, transportation, urban or rural environments,
[00:01:19.570]plazas, views of nature, parks,
[00:01:22.490]exterior and interior spaces formed by the built
[00:01:26.140]and designed environment.
[00:01:28.200]The expression of structure, expression of ideals
[00:01:31.650]through large gestures and intricate design moves.
[00:01:36.010]Whether in learning environments, work environments,
[00:01:39.040]worship environments, those designs promote health or peace.
[00:01:43.640]You have the power to profoundly affect people's lives
[00:01:47.540]throughout their lifespan.
[00:01:48.950]You have the power to effect the earth we live on
[00:01:53.490]and the air we breathe.
[00:01:55.630]You're poised to recognize and address challenges
[00:01:58.890]in creative ways.
[00:02:00.440]To embrace change and be change agents.
[00:02:03.830]To be leaders infused with both the confidence
[00:02:06.880]that comes from embedded and discovered knowledge,
[00:02:09.690]as well as the wisdom to apply it.
[00:02:12.440]To be passionate proponents
[00:02:14.170]of the impactive design and planning
[00:02:16.560]is a challenge of the highest order.
[00:02:19.037]You've not been alone in this journey.
[00:02:22.070]We each have our roles to play
[00:02:23.810]in the operations of the college,
[00:02:25.840]the delivery of our educational programs,
[00:02:28.360]envisioning the future of our collective professions.
[00:02:31.980]Our college would not run without the amazing staff support
[00:02:36.140]we all benefit from.
[00:02:38.860]Support from your family, friends
[00:02:41.410]and significant others laid the foundation
[00:02:44.020]and bolstered you during this process.
[00:02:47.340]Your professors challenged you and helped you forge
[00:02:50.430]a process you can apply to any of life's decisions.
[00:02:54.440]I encourage you to explore this site for the graduates
[00:02:58.100]we are so proud of,
[00:02:59.570]and for the awards garnered by our graduates.
[00:03:02.550]But first, lets hear from two students,
[00:03:05.490]Keleigh Ketelhut representing undergraduate students.
[00:03:08.233]And Abigail Nelson representing professional
[00:03:11.838](uplifting music)
[00:03:13.870]Hello, I'm Keleigh Ketelhut,
[00:03:15.400]graduating interior design soon.
[00:03:17.570]I wish we were together under different circumstances
[00:03:20.300]but regardless, I am happy we can still celebrate
[00:03:22.730]the significant milestone in all of our lives.
[00:03:25.460]I would like to start with a quote from Sylvia Plath,
[00:03:27.940]an American writer from the mid 1900s.
[00:03:30.640]She says "The worst enemy to creativity is self doubt".
[00:03:36.740]I found myself reflecting back on our journey as
[00:03:38.760]design students in the College of Architecture.
[00:03:41.190]From our first days with our fresh small cross body,
[00:03:43.700]supplier bag from Gomez weighing us down.
[00:03:46.380]Wandering aimlessly through architecture hall,
[00:03:48.530]pretending like we knew exactly where to go
[00:03:50.590]but reality had absolutely zero clue where room 127 was
[00:03:54.540]or how to even find it.
[00:03:56.340]To the late nights in studio calling your classmates,
[00:03:59.200]inconsolably angry because Rhino 5 won't make 2D
[00:04:02.310]and you are just over it.
[00:04:05.050]To the moment when you submitted your final design project
[00:04:07.690]of your undergraduate career.
[00:04:09.510]These moments and everything in between
[00:04:11.420]are the moments that have molded us in who we are today.
[00:04:14.730]Passionate, diligent and critical young designers.
[00:04:18.370]We have all both experienced and overcome
[00:04:20.780]this thing called self doubt
[00:04:22.090]that has only pushed our creative abilities further.
[00:04:25.570]As our senior year rapidly switched to the virtual world
[00:04:28.420]we were presented with a new daunting challenge
[00:04:30.720]AZ as a new designing project.
[00:04:32.750]We quickly adapted, re-evaluated and yet again overcame
[00:04:36.520]this challenge.
[00:04:37.690]From this I have resided with the idea
[00:04:39.970]that creativity truly has no bounds.
[00:04:43.060]Just like a wicked problem having neither definition
[00:04:45.810]or definitive solution, our creativity stems
[00:04:48.471]from the ability of our minds.
[00:04:50.830]As I wrap up this academic milestone.
[00:04:53.030]I wanna thank our professors, faculty and Dean Ankerson
[00:04:56.140]for believing in us, being critical of us,
[00:04:58.790]encouraging us and pushing us
[00:05:00.610]to achieve our maximum potentials.
[00:05:03.100]Your devotion to us and our education does not go unnoticed.
[00:05:06.930]To the College of Architecture undergraduate class of 2020,
[00:05:10.500]I can generally say that I am honored to have spent
[00:05:12.800]the past four years with the most persevering, witty
[00:05:16.180]and imaginate people around.
[00:05:18.610]Whether you know me as a familiar face or someone
[00:05:21.450]you spent most of your undergraduate career with,
[00:05:24.700]know that I am truly inspired by all you've accomplished
[00:05:27.350]and all you will accomplish.
[00:05:29.180]Wherever your journey takes you next,
[00:05:31.060]I wish you nothing but the best
[00:05:32.640]and absolutely no doubt that your capabilities
[00:05:35.660]have the potential to make an impact in the design world.
[00:05:38.334]Thank you. (uplifting music)
[00:05:40.560]Happy graduation to the master students
[00:05:43.190]of UNL's College of Architecture, we did it.
[00:05:46.220]I know we put in a ridiculous amount of work
[00:05:47.970]to get to this point but it's here and it's happening.
[00:05:51.350]Perhaps not how we imagined but, that's okay.
[00:05:54.710]Life has a way of throwing unexpected wrenches in our plans,
[00:05:57.730]but we are fortunate because our education has taught us
[00:06:00.037]how to design, how to re envision, plan, pivot
[00:06:04.130]and sometimes start over.
[00:06:05.800]How to take criticism, see new perspectives
[00:06:08.210]and be open to change.
[00:06:10.390]We spent the last handful of years developing our creativity
[00:06:13.930]and learning the logistics of design.
[00:06:16.400]Perhaps the greatest realization I have had is that,
[00:06:18.730]as we design projects for school, competitions and clients,
[00:06:22.620]we are simultaneously designing ourselves.
[00:06:25.470]We are developing our skills, understanding our weaknesses,
[00:06:28.630]realizing our reactions and learning how to work
[00:06:31.040]with one another.
[00:06:32.890]The person that I am today is much different
[00:06:34.790]than that girl that walked
[00:06:35.670]into architecture hall six years ago.
[00:06:38.250]Throughout those years, I have realized
[00:06:39.790]that the only constant in life is change.
[00:06:42.360]And design school has made me
[00:06:43.430]much more comfortable with that.
[00:06:45.730]As we partake in our graduation today,
[00:06:47.890]I want each of you to understand that this adjustment
[00:06:49.930]to our plans is just that.
[00:06:51.930]Like fixing redlines or editing your project
[00:06:54.130]after a critique the outcome might be different
[00:06:56.460]than what was originally intended.
[00:06:58.480]From this point, we will go to different cities,
[00:07:00.930]take on different types of jobs,
[00:07:02.650]but together we learned how to design
[00:07:04.820]and I'm confident that we'll do great things.
[00:07:06.494]To the master's graduates of 2020, congratulations.
[00:07:11.443](uplifting music)

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Go Big Grad | Architecture Graduation Address

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