Today was the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Fall 2023 Undergraduate Convocation ceremony.

All of the graduates received a medallion, with the three words inscribed on it.

INVENT. DISCOVER. REMEMBER

They encompass what the LAS degree means today.

Invent: We'll be innovators and leaders. We'll use the creativity to address society's biggest challenges. We may even reinvent ourselves a few time over the course of your professional careers.

Discover: We'll discover new scientific frontiers and new meaning through culture and the arts. We'll even help others discover their own potential.

Remember: Remember who you are and the experiences that shaped you. Your culture, your family, your friendships, and your time as a cyclone. Your unique perspective is a gift that you bring to the world, which the world needs.

As the graduates lined up to go up on stage to shake some hands, in our hands is a name card, with either future plans, who they are thankful for, and favorite class or memory.

This was my card.

Name card

When mine was announced comically, there was an audible laugh from the audience.

I'm not sure if it was phrased in a way that is humorous, or they think I'm naive and young, which I am, but it really motivated me to prove them wrong.

Later that evening was my sister's graduation ceremony.

Graduate Ceremony

I was not feeling well and was in pain sitting on those hard plastic seats.

And was reading some saved articles on matter with worship songs playing through my airpods pro.

I never really placed any attention on the entire ceremony, but wondered what the colors of the gowns meant for the PhD students. I couldn't figure it out.

I also found it cool that the PhD students had similar gowns as the professors, because the PhD students are doctors now (obviously).

But when the ceremony came to an end, and everyone gathered with their respective loved ones, it was so wholesome.

I couldn't help but feel every single person's joy, relief, pride, and gratitude to be done with years of researching, iterating, and grinding to finally get to where they are, and to grab photos with family members and friends at the Coliseum.

It made me think about what my future holds as I venture into graduate school as well. And when it's my turn to graduate, I'll hopefully be in a much better state, physically and mentally.