Be Bold and Dream Big
At the virtual commencement ceremony for more than 1,200 students graduating from the School of Arts and Sciences, including the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts, Dean James Glaser stressed the importance of the path to finding an enriching and satisfying life and career.
“Don’t obsess over the destination,” he said. “You may not fully know what that destination is, but you’ll get there. And most importantly, I recommend that you enjoy the journey.”
Nancy Bauer, SMFA at Tufts dean and a professor of philosophy, urged graduates to consider the role of art in their lives. “Making art isn’t about having some kind of natural bent or gift,” she said. “It’s about committing yourself to exploring an idea or a passion or even a fear that takes hold of you, and won’t let you go. It’s about accepting the inevitable obstacles that will get in your way, even in the best of times, and somehow finding a path forward.”
She also noted that, especially in these pandemic years, “it’s easy to do what I used to do and let fear and self-doubt, exhaustion and anxiety, control your sense of who you are and what you can do. But when you feel that way, consider turning to art. Read, write, make something, watch something, sing something—connect with the force of creativity that we human beings are blessed to be able to harness.”
Robert Cook, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, lauded the 56 doctoral and 248 master’s degree graduates who have spent years “aiming for the highest standards of scholarship.”
“Today we pause to celebrate their astounding achievements,” he said.
He told them to be bold and dream big. “We desperately need your fresh ideas,” he said. “You see the world with new eyes, with new concepts, ones that have been informed and advanced by your education and experiences here at Tufts.”
Don’t do what you think the world expects, he added. “Find what you love to do and each day will be timeless. I suspect you already know what that is. Take advantage of your flare, your strengths, whether it is visual, manual, artistic, analytical, emotional, or whatever you are good at—do that.” — Taylor McNeil, University Communications and Marketing
