一位美国华盛顿大学学生的毕业演讲稿

Faculty,family,friends,andfellowgraduates,goodevening.
　　Iamhonoredtoaddressyoutonight.OnbehalfofthegraduatingmastersanddoctoralstudentsofWashingtonUniversity’sSchoolofEngineeringandAppliedScience,Iwouldliketothankalltheparents,spouses,families,andfriendswhoencouragedandsupportedusasweworkedtowardsourgraduatedegrees.Iwouldespeciallyliketothankmyownfamily,eightmembersofwhichareintheaudiencetoday.Iwouldalsoliketothankallofthedepartmentsecretariesandotherengineeringschoolstaffmemberswhoalwaysseemedtobetherewhenconfusedgraduatestudentsneededhelp.AndfinallyIwouldliketothanktheWashingtonUniversityfacultymemberswhoservedasourinstructors,mentors,andfriends.
　　AsIthinkbackontheseven-and-a-halfyearsIspentatWashingtonUniversity,mymindisfilledwithmemories,happy,sad,frustrating,andevenhumorous.
　　TonightIwouldliketosharewithyousomeofthememoriesthatItakewithmeasIleaveWashingtonUniversity.
　　ItakewithmethememoryofmyofficeonthefourthfloorofLopataHall-theroomattheendofthehallwaythatwastoohotinsummer,toocoldinwinter,andalwaystoofarawayfromthewomen’srestroom.Thewindowwasmyoffice’sbestfeature.Wereitnotforthephysicsbuildingacrosstheway,itwouldhaveaffordedmeaclearviewofthearch.ButinsteadIgotaviewoftheroofofthephysicsbuilding.IalsohadaviewofonecorneroftheroofofUrbauerHall,whichseemedtobeafavoriteperchforvariousspeciesofbirdswhoalternatelywonperchingrightsforseveralweeksatatime.AndIhadaniceviewofthephysicscourtyard,noteworthyasagoodplaceforwatchingpeopleruntheirdogs.It’samazinghowfascinatingtheseviewsbecamethelongerIworkedonmydissertation.Butmyfavoriteviewwasofanearbyoaktree.Frommyfourth-floorvantagepointIhadaratherintimateviewofthetreeandthevariousbirdsandsquirrelsthatinhabitit.Occasionallyabirdwouldlandonmywindowsill,whichusuallyhadtheeffectofstartlingbothofus.
　　ItakewithmethememoryoftwoyoungprofessorswhopassedawaywhileIwasagraduatestudent.AnneJohnstone,theonlyfemaleprofessorfromwhomItookacourseintheengineeringschool,andBobDurr,apoliticalscienceprofessorandamemberofmydissertationcommittee,bothlostbravebattleswithcancer.Irememberthemfondly.
　　ItakewithmethememoryoffailingthefirstexaminoneofthefirstengineeringcoursesItookasanundergraduate.IrememberthinkingthecoursewasjusttoohardformeandthatIwouldneverbeabletopassit.SoIwenttotalktotheprofessor,readytodroptheclass.Andhetoldmenottogiveup,hetoldmeIcouldsucceedinhisclass.Forreasonsthatseemedcompletelyludicrousatthetime,hesaidhehadfaithinme.Andafterthatmygradesintheclassslowlyimproved,andIendedthesemesterwithanAonthefinalexam.Irememberhowmotivationalitwastoknowthatsomeonebelievedinme.
　　ItakewithmememoriesofthemidwesternfriendlinessthatsosurprisedmewhenIarrivedinSt.Louis8yearsago.SincemovingtoNewJersey,Iamsadtosay,nobodyhasaskedmewhereIwenttohighschool.
　　Itakewithmethememoryoftheshort-livedcomputersciencegraduatestudentsocialcommitteelunches.TheideawasthatgroupsofCSgradstudentsweresupposedtotaketurnscookingamonthlylunch.ButafteronegradstudentpreparedapotofchickenthatpoisonedalmosttheentireCSgradstudentpopulationandoneunluckyfacultymemberinonefellswoop,therewasn’tmuchenthusiasmforhavingmorelunches.