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Graduates encouraged to own their "I don't know" moments
Nearly 180 Skyhawks walked in the Winter Commencement ceremony on December 15, culminating their successful undergraduate education and adventure at Fort Lewis College. The ceremony began at 10 a.m. in Whalen Gymnasium, featuring performances by the Fort Lewis College Drum Line, the Red Sky Drum Group of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Charissa Chiaravalloti, assistant professor of Choral Music Education. Speakers included Marcy Jung, associate professor of Exercise Science, Emerita, President Tom Stritikus, Provost Jesse Peters, Board of Trustees Chair Steve Short, Student Body President Chance Salway, and Jenna Black, alumna.
Michael Martin, professor of History and Gender & Sexuality Studies and the 2018-19 Alice Admire Outstanding Teacher Award, delivered an inspiring and joyous commencement address, encouraging students to embrace and own the moments when they may not know the right answer.
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How many times do you think you’ve said “I don’t know” these past four years of college? It’s scary sometimes to think we don’t know something, yet we don’t know lots of things all the time, and why does that bother us? It shouldn’t. It’s what got you here today. You came here to Fort Lewis maybe not even knowing what your major would be, but by declaring “I don’t know” you made it your challenge, your desire, your ability to know.
I really didn’t know what I wanted to do as an undergrad when I started college over a hundred years ago. I was a chemistry major at first, then changed to English, and now I have a Ph.D. in history. I did not necessarily know what I wanted to do with those degrees, but I did know it felt right to follow those paths.
And that’s the feeling I want you to leave here with, that you know that you can sometimes confidently say "I don’t know," but you now have the tools and education and the training to figure out how to go after the answer. Or even better yet, how to ask a better question to get the better answer that’s needed.
Once a student of mine, always a student of mine. Even for those of you sitting out there right now who never took a class with me – shame on you, by the way – you are still a student of Fort Lewis College. So some day if you come up against a monumental, I-don’t-know-moment, we are all here for you. Please, do not ever not know that.
Michael Martin, professor of History and Gender & Sexuality Studies
View the entire Commencement ceremony live video on the FLC Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fortlewis.
Congratulations, FLC class of 2018!