Congratulations - You Made It!
Whether you are a first-year student or graduating senior, you have proven, quite masterfully, the skill of adaptability. Adaptability is a soft skill that means rapidly learning new skills and behaviors in response to changing circumstances. With the myriad of unexpected challenges that this year brought, you demonstrated creative thinking and the ability to think strategically to be productive in your virtual engineering courses.
Given the enormity of this year, you have overcome these challenges smarter, more innovative, and having greater empathy and perseverance. These life-sustaining attributes have served you well and will help to propel you forward in your future academic and professional endeavors. Suffice it to say, you made lemonade out of lemons, and if you don鈥檛 give up, you will reap the rewards of your labor.
Over the summer, I invite you to reflect frequently on this quote: 鈥漇uccess is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all love what you are doing, or learning to do.鈥 -Pel茅
Best wishes on your final exams!
Congratulations to the graduating class of 2021!
Terri D. Wright, PhD
Assistant Dean of Access, Inclusion and Student Programs