We are nearing one of the most special days of the academic year: Winter Commencement. This year has been unlike any other, so Saturdayâs virtual celebration is particularly important in order to honor each of our 600 graduates for their achievement. I donât believe anyone can argue that this class is a very special group. Not only did they meet all the requirements to earn a University of Idaho degree, but they earned it in an unprecedented environment. These Vandals have kept up their studies, finished their research, completed their projects â all while upholding a commitment to the health and safety of each other and the community. Their final year of college was unlike any of us expected. But I hope our graduates look back on this experience as the time when they were tested and succeeded before charting their own unique paths as proud Vandal alumni. The education these graduates receive can never be taken away. They have earned their right to compete, and I have no doubt they will make their mark in the world. Vandals continue to enjoy the highest average starting salary of any public college or university graduate in Idaho. But they are not taking this journey alone. I am confident the network of 110,000 Brave and Bold Vandal alumni will welcome these newest graduates into the family, offering advice, fostering connections and providing encouragement via the Vandal Mentor Network â an online platform for alumni to mentor one another and current students. Some will hire our graduates, adding that quintessential Vandal resilience to their teams. Itâs our past graduates who are most invested in seeing the university and todayâs students succeed. In fact, I wouldnât be at the University of Idaho today if it werenât for the Vandal Network that brought me back home. My request of Vandals everywhere: Stay engaged. Maintain and nurture the lifelong connections you made here at the University of Idaho. Remember the obstacles you overcame and those who helped you overcome them. Find a way to pay it forward. The Vandal Network is here for support along the way. Congratulations to our graduates! |