This weekend, we’ll celebrate the outstanding achievements of more than 7,000 students who are graduating from one of our 14 universities—taking the next step in their lifelong journey of learning and discovery. Some might say they are NOW ready for the “real world,” but that’s not really a precise statement. In fact, they’ve already been in the “real world” while at our universities. Whether working as an intern, handling conflict as an RA, providing leadership in a student organization, applying feedback from a professor, managing time as a student-athlete, or simply prioritizing on-campus and off-campus obligations—it was as “real” as it gets.
They are prepared to not only attain careers in the Commonwealth, nationally, and internationally, they are prepared to shine in these areas because of their hard work and because of the opportunities they had at a State System university. What makes this even more impactful for all of us who live in Pennsylvania is that nearly 80 percent of our graduates will remain here to contribute to our economy and meet the needs of the Commonwealth.
To our graduates, we say congratulations on a job well done. To those returning next semester to continue this journey, we encourage you to enjoy the break, enjoy the holidays, and enjoy some down-time. We’ll all be here when you get back in January—ready to do whatever we can to help you succeed.
