毕业英语演讲稿

毕业英语演讲稿

studentspeechdeliveredatthewashingtonuniversityengineeringgraduatestu dentrecognitionceremony

15may1997

lorriefaithcranor

faculty,family,friends,andfellowgraduates,goodevening. iamhonoredtoaddressyoutonight.onbehalfofthegraduatingmastersanddoctor alstudentsofwashingtonuniversity'sschoolofengineeringandappliedscienc e,iwouldliketothankalltheparents,spouses,families,andfriendswhoencour agedandsupportedusasweworkedtowardsourgraduatedegrees.iwouldespeciall yliketothankmyownfamily,eightmembersofwhichareintheaudiencetoday.iwou ldalsoliketothankallofthedepartmentsecretariesandotherengineeringscho olstaffmemberswhoalwaysseemedtobetherewhenconfusedgraduatestudentsnee dedhelp.andfinallyiwouldliketothankthewashingtonuniversityfacultymemb erswhoservedasourinstructors,mentors,andfriends. asithinkbackontheseven-and-a-

halfyearsispentatwashingtonuniversity,mymindisfilledwithmemories,happ y,sad,frustrating,andevenhumorous. tonightiwouldliketosharewithyousomeofthememoriesthatitakewithmeasilea vewashingtonuniversity. itakewithmethememoryofmyofficeonthefourthflooroflopatahall-theroomattheendofthehallwaythatwastoohotinsummer,toocoldinwinter,anda lwaystoofarawayfromthewomen'srestroom.thewindowwasmyoffice'sbestfeatu re.wereitnotforthephysicsbuildingacrosstheway,itwouldhaveaffordedmeac learviewofthearch.butinsteadigotaviewoftheroofofthephysicsbuilding.ia lsohadaviewofonecorneroftheroofofurbauerhall,whichseemedtobeafavorite perchforvariousspeciesofbirdswhoalternatelywonperchingrightsforsevera lweeksatatime.andihadaniceviewofthephysicscourtyard,noteworthyasagood placeforwatchingpeopleruntheirdogs.it'samazinghowfascinatingtheseview

sbecamethelongeriworkedonmydissertation.butmyfavoriteviewwasofanearby oaktree.frommyfourth-floorvantagepointihadaratherintimateviewofthetreeandthevariousbirdsan dsquirrelsthatinhabitit.occasionallyabirdwouldlandonmywindowsill,whic husuallyhadtheeffectofstartlingbothofus. itakewithmethememoryoftwoyoungprofessorswhopassedawaywhileiwasagradua testudent.annejohnstone,theonlyfemaleprofessorfromwhomitookacourseint heengineeringschool,andbobdurr,apoliticalscienceprofessorandamemberof mydissertationcommittee,bothlostbravebattleswithcancer.irememberthemf ondly. itakewithmethememoryoffailingthefirstexaminoneofthefirstengineeringco ursesitookasanundergraduate.irememberthinkingthecoursewasjusttoohardf ormeandthatiwouldneverbeabletopassit.soiwenttotalktotheprofessor,read ytodroptheclass.andhetoldmenottogiveup,hetoldmeicouldsucceedinhisclas s.forreasonsthatseemedcompletelyludicrousatthetime,hesaidhehadfaithin me.andafterthatmygradesintheclassslowlyimproved,andiendedthesemesterw ithanaonthefinalexam.irememberhowmotivationalitwastoknowthatsomeonebe lievedinme. itakewithmememoriesofthemidwesternfriendlinessthatsosurprisedmewhenia rrivedinst.louis8yearsago.sincemovingtonewjersey,iamsadtosay,nobodyha saskedmewhereiwenttohighschool.

itakewithmethememoryoftheshort-livedcomputersciencegraduatestudentsocialcommitteelunches.theideawast hatgroupsofcsgradstudentsweresupposedtotaketurnscookingamonthlylunch. butafteronegradstudentpreparedapotofchickenthatpoisonedalmosttheentir ecsgradstudentpopulationandoneunluckyfacultymemberinonefellswoop,ther ewasn'tmuchenthusiasmforhavingmorelunches. itakewithmethememoryofamoresuccessfulgraduatestudenteffort,theestabli shmentoftheassociationofgraduateengineeringstudents,knownasages.start edbyahandfulofengineeringgraduatestudentsbecauseweneededawaytoelectre