Good morning!
I’m Meryl Rosen, and it is my absolute honor to be completing my first year as chair of the Sarah Lawrence College Board of Trustees. On behalf of the board, I would like to welcome President Judd, Provost Singh, distinguished members of the faculty, staff, parents, family, friends, and most of all, the undergraduate and graduate classes of 2023!
A very long time ago, I sat where you are now, next to the wisteria arbor, not this beautiful newly refurbished one, under a similar tent, on a lovely sunny Friday in May. I can also tell you, that one day envisioning myself standing before you was not something that ever crossed my mind that afternoon. From what I do remember, my thoughts were centered on saying goodbye to my dear friends, cleaning out my room in Andrews, how I ruined my graduation dress by trying to hem it with a pair of scissors, and that I’d be heading back to Boston to start law school in the fall. And yet, here I am. What I am noticing today, as I look out at all of you, is the perceived physical distance between us. While the space from this podium to the graduating class seems like only a short span, to me it represents decades of experience, knowledge, and perspective that was just beginning to take shape four years before I sat where you are today. I can tell you with complete certainty, that while you probably won't remember every detail of what you have learned here at Sarah Lawrence, what will distinguish you from your peers in the endeavor of your choosing is HOW you learned. The process of developing critical thought, and finding intersections in seemingly incongruous subjects, is a skill that you will continue to use throughout your lives, and as you bridge the space from there to here.
On behalf of the board, I would also like to extend a big thank you to our award-winning commencement speaker, Bill Lawrence. Bill’s projects enable us, in a very Sarah Lawrence way, to see the world through a charming humanistic lens while challenging cultural ideals. Bill’s great-grandparents, Bill and Sarah Lawrence, would be extremely proud that their magnificent vision, through Bill’s work, has reached such a huge and adoring audience.
The board also congratulates attorney Linda Earley Chastang, who is receiving an honorary degree for her tireless work in the advancement of former congressman John Lewis’s civic engagement. Linda has served on President Obama’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, was also the General Counsel of the NAACP, and was the youngest and first black female faculty member at Georgia State College of Law. Any one of these career making accomplishments can be seen as monumental, and we are proud to call her an alumna.
Thank you to both Bill and Linda for honoring us by being here today.
To our graduates, as you cross the stage this morning to receive your hard earned diploma, I hope that you take a few moments to consider your perspective, imagine the path that has brought you here, and picture the possibilities that lie ahead. Thank your family and friends for their support, and know that while this is your commencement, there are many more people who helped make it all possible. On behalf of the board, we hope that you embrace the same intellectual risks that you have honed at this college, become an active citizen of the world, remain engaged with this wonderful school, ask a lot of questions, and be grateful that you had the opportunity to learn at Sarah Lawrence.
We wish you the absolute best!
Remarks as prepared for delivery