This week, more than 17,000 students will participate in commencement ceremonies across the System, proving—yet again—why these students are worth the investment of the state’s financial resources. They are also worth the investment of time—the time our dedicated faculty spend to help students find the right major, develop a plan to get their degree, and help them achieve success.
One of those faculty members—Dr. Robert Ziegenfus, a professor of geography at Kutztown University—will be retiring after more than 33 years of service to his university and alma mater. He invested time into the university for two reasons: first, he wanted to serve the next generation of students as a way to repay, in some small way, the gifts he received when he was a student at Kutztown University; and, second, he hoped to serve as a role model for students to demonstrate that they, too, can be successful as a graduate. By all accounts, Dr. Ziegenfus succeeded at doing both.
So to our graduating class, don’t forget about the investment so many have made to see you succeed. While commencement is a time to celebrate your hard work with friends and family, be sure to say “thank you” to that special faculty member, staff person, or administrator for all the time and energy they’ve spent to help you achieve your goal.
And finally, I’ll leave our graduates with one last piece of advice from Dr. Ziegenfus:
“Commencement means, of course, to begin. To begin a new phase of life in graduate school or a career is entering into the largely unknown future. Graduates should do so with confidence while remembering this, too, requires more learning!”
