Student Lauren LaDell offered the following remarks at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s 2015 midyear commencement ceremony on Dec. 19 at Kolf Sports Center. LaDell graduates from the College of Letters and Science.
“To the class of 2015, we made it. We made it through long hours of studying biological molecules to fulfill our general education requirements, through endless nights in Polk Library searching EbscoHost for articles to use as supporting evidence in essays, through countless examinations testing us on concepts we never knew were actual things, and even through the never-ending lines at Blackhawk to Go.
“Because we have chosen to graduate from this university, we feel the world is in the palm of our hands. We feel an intellectual and artistic freedom to think, to question, to debate, and to explore our potential. We have the power to be many different things at once: A nursing major and a filmmaker, a business major and a newspaper columnist, a journalism major and a football player. At UWO, we are aware that any dream of ours can become a reality. Any passion or interest we possess, is not impossibility, but a reasonable goal to set forth and achieve.
“Personally, I am an honors student, communication major and a singer. For as long as I can remember, becoming America’s next big music sensation was my ultimate goal. I constantly recorded YouTube videos and posted cover songs on my Instagram in an attempt to gain recognition for my voice. After only receiving Internet attention, I began to think this goal was completely unrealistic off the computer and in real life. However, I failed to realize precisely what we are all capable of: the opportunity to advance in any facet if we choose to follow our passions.
“You see, this university believes each student is capable of achieving any type of goal. UWO prides itself on being home to individuals with extremely diverse interests. We as students have been provided, through an excellent education, the wealth of opportunity to conquer our most extreme obstacles. We have learned that we all have the ability to break through the status-quo and advance to our personal bliss.
“UWO strongly encourages students to find their inner voice. Following and acting upon our internal monologue can create opportunities we would never originally expect.
“For me, following my inner voice proved beneficial. I continued to sing and enter contests I heard about on the radio, on television and in advertisements. I decided to enter the FM 106.1 Sing on Stage with Keith Urban contest, which chose one winner to sing on stage with Keith in the Marcus Amphitheater at Summerfest. I had to upload a video of myself singing the chorus to one of Keith’s songs on Facebook. Keith’s record label would then sift through the submissions and choose a winner.
“Two days before the show, I got a call from the radio station telling me that Keith’s record label chose my video as the winner. In less than 48 hours, I would be standing in front of 30,000 people, singing with country superstar, Keith Urban.
“This experience gave me a new-found confidence I had been longing for. Not only did I realize that Keith Urban basically smells like a God, but I realized the persona I had been longing to create for myself was finally validated; at least for that moment.
“Each and every day we feel this confidence at UWO – a university that does not provide merely a glimpse into the future, but an endless corridor of open paths that invites students to engage with the world. We could still be that communication or nursing major, while being able to create the persona we wanted to be known and remembered for.”
“We as students constantly had the opportunity to become involved with different groups throughout campus. We could explore any facet and submerge ourselves into any topic area here. Peers and professors supported us in any crazy, outlandish dream we had.
“As we celebrate today, with our caps and diplomas, we recognize that we have so much to look forward to. We all desperately want to matter, to be successful, to leave our personal brand on the world because we are part of it. Whether we know exactly where we are heading after graduation, or are taking the time to still figure it out, we all have a wide variety of aspirations. If there is one thing I learned in my time here at UWO, it is to be fearless with those aspirations.
“So as we leave a university that spoils us with buffalo chicken wraps, with Mi Taza peanut butter smoothies, with Dawn who makes the best breakfast omelets possible, with more squirrels on campus than we thought existed in the entire state and the constant reminder that we are members of the Titan family, I hope we never forget to create new visions and aspire to fulfill existing ones. We can work to allow our world of imagination to turn into a reality. So let us dare to be fearless.
“As we begin our journeys after this commencement, I recall a quote by Steve Jobs: ‘Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.’
“Thank you, and congratulations Titans!”