By: Anna Murphy, Commencement Speaker
I have always felt that it took a great deal of discipline to complete a degree online. Everyone here has overcome and conquered the obstacles life gives to be standing here today.
For some of you, that challenge was earning a degree while serving our country, and I thank you for your service. For others, it may have been squeezing in class time while chasing your little ones around the house. No matter your situation, you made it, you’re here. My struggles, like yours, were difficult and at times almost unbearable.
I have PTSD from years of abuse, and I also have Asbergers. I was born with a crippling condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I live in pain every moment of my life, be it from my joints shifting about, waking up on the floor after a black out, or the agony of the rupturing that takes place in my organs. While facing my own battles, I am also helping my son face his.
My son is autistic, and he also has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Since he is currently homebound, I care for him 24/7, and it is truly a full-time job. Somehow through it all I managed out with a high GPA and the honor of being the Online Religion Major of the Year.
Yet, despite what my family goes through, I was determined to find purpose in my life, to make use of my personal struggles. Though my life may not be long, I knew it could still be meaningful.
For myself that purpose came in a desire to bring people together. As a Religion major at Saint Leo University, I have had the privilege of working with many of you, and with some of the most dedicated, and hard-working professors I could have ever asked for. My freshman year I thought I knew everything, and I was sure that I knew what my future would hold.
As time when on however, my experiences with you and the Saint Leo staff began to change me. I became a student who listened, one who could put aside her own thoughts and beliefs to hear what someone else had to say.
I could accept that throughout my life I will be wrong and make mistakes, but that I can use constructive criticism to learn and grow from these experiences. Most importantly, I could admit that I knew so little. By the time I was nearing the end of my degree, I could fully appreciate the Saint Leo Core Values.
Standing here today, I am a better person, as are all of you. Everyone here has grown and learned, helping each other and fostering friendships even from afar. We didn’t let our struggles define us, we chose our outcome through hard work and perseverance. We decided that we didn’t want to blend in with the crowds, we wanted to stand out and make a difference in the world.
Everyone here has a purpose, and no matter your race, sex, or religious beliefs, we are all here to help make the world a better place.
We are strong, we are fierce, we are lions. We are Saint Leo’s 2020 online graduating class!
